Lionel Matthews (15 August 1912 – 2 March 1944) was an
Australian Army officer during World War II who was posthumously
awarded the
George Cross, the highest non-combat award for heroism for members of the
Australian armed forces at the time. Matthews served in the
27th Brigade during the
Malayan campaign, and at the
surrender of Singapore in 1942 became a
prisoner of war (POW). He was awarded the
Military Cross for courage, energy and ability under fire during this fighting. At
Sandakan POW camp Matthews established an intelligence network, collecting information, weapons, medical supplies and radio parts, and making contact with organisations outside the camp. The group was betrayed, and Matthews was arrested, beaten, tortured and starved. He refused to provide any information, and was
executed by firing squad. After the war he was awarded the George Cross in recognition of his gallant and distinguished services while in Japanese hands. (Full article...)
... that when the
fireman's pole was invented at Chicago's Engine Company 21, other firefighters thought its use was crazy—until 21 started being the first crew to arrive at fires?
... that the investigation into the Koh Tao murders and the subsequent trial were widely criticised by human-rights organisations, pathologists and legal experts?
Les Troyens (The Trojans) is a French
grand opera in five acts by
Hector Berlioz, with a
libretto written by the composer himself based on
Virgil's Aeneid. The score was composed between 1856 and 1858, but Berlioz did not live long enough to see the work performed in its entirety. The first two acts were performed separately under the title La Prise de Troie. This picture shows the cover of the first-edition
vocal score for La Prise de Troie, published in 1863.
Illustration credit: Antoine Barbizet; restored by
Adam Cuerden