From today's featured articleThe First Battle of Dernancourt was fought on 28 March 1918 near Dernancourt in northern France during World War I. Two Australian divisions had been sent south from Belgium to help stem the tide of the German Spring Offensive towards Amiens and, with the British 35th Division, they held a line west and north of the Ancre river and the area between the Ancre and Somme. The German 2nd Army concentrated its assault between Albert and Dernancourt, attacking off the line of march after a short artillery preparation. The dawn attack was under the cover of fog, but other than one small penetration in the early morning that was quickly repelled, the Germans failed to break through the Allied defences. An Australian sergeant, Stanley McDougall (pictured), was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in defeating the German penetration. A week later the Germans renewed their attempts to advance in the sector, culminating in the Second Battle of Dernancourt when the Germans were again defeated. (Full article...)
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Thomas Willing (1731–1821) was an American merchant, a delegate from Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress, and the first president of the First Bank of the United States. After studying abroad in England, he returned to Philadelphia in 1749, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits, in partnership with Robert Morris. They established the firm Willing, Morris and Company in 1757. This exported flour, lumber and tobacco to Europe while importing sugar, rum, molasses, and slaves from the West Indies and Africa; their partnership continued until 1793. Despite voting against the Declaration of Independence as a member of the Continental Congress in 1775 and 1776, he later contributed £5,000 to the revolutionary cause. This picture is a 1782 oil-on-canvas portrait of Willing by American artist Charles Willson Peale. He is depicted here in front of shipping on the Atlantic Ocean, the source of his wealth and status. He holds in his hand a snuff box, an emblem of his business interests and patriotism; it bears a profile of his close friend George Washington and contains powdered tobacco, one of his most profitable exports. The painting is now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Painting credit: Charles Willson Peale
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