December 28 - The Military Cross

A Royal Warrant is signed which creates a new award for gallantry called the Military Cross. The Cross is to be issued for gallantry in the face of the enemy to junior officers of the Army who are ineligible on account of their rank for the Distinguished Service Order.

The Military Cross is cast in silver and incorporates imperial crowns in each of its four arms. The centre of the cross shows the Royal Cypher. The ribbon is white with a central band of purple.

The first awards are announced on 1 January 1915. By the end of the First World War over 37,000 crosses had been awarded, with 3,000 first Bars, 170 second Bars and 4 third Bars.

In France the 26th Brigade RFA enfilades enemy trenches north of Givenchy. The First Infantry Brigade - less the London Scottish and Black Watch - moves to billets in Bethune, and the 26th Brigade headquarters moves to Second Infantry Brigade batteries in the same zone.

December 27

Battery 117 of the 26th Brigade RFA is placed in reserve. Batteries 116 and 118 support the First Infantry Brigade.

December 24 - First bomb dropped on Britain

The first aerial bomb is dropped on British soil. The device landed in a garden near Taswell Street, Dover, on 24 December 1914, leaving a 10ft-wide crater and blowing a gardener out of a tree.

The 22 lb bomb was dropped by Stephan Prondzynski from his FF29 floatplane.

You can read more about this raid on the BBC Website and on the World War Zoo website.

The 26th Brigade RFA leaves its billets before dawn and is in action supporting the First Infantry Brigade. Each battery has an observing station at Festubert