MWS Quiz Retrospective 16/09/2020

Here’s the third of Peter’s quizzes from last year. Answers Monday evening.

Pictures used are public domain or used under Creative Commons licence. Click the image to see attribution and details (after answering, of course)

Q01a: Which river in Greek mythology would travellers take to the Underworld

Q01b: What was the name of the Ferryman

Q02a: What was the home base of Stingray in the TV series

Q02b: From the same series can you name either the ruler of the undersea city of Titanica, or the code name of his surface agent.

Q03a : Which river separated Rome from the northern provinces of Italy, over which it was forbidden for a general to bring troops without permission of the Senate?

Q03b: Which Roman General’s crossing of it precipitated the civil war of 49BC

Q04a: At which major river crossing did Napoleon suffer his greatest losses in the retreat from Moscow in 1812

Q04b: Which French Marshal commanded the crossing operation and covering forces?

Q05a: What is the name of this aircraft?

Question 5a (Credit Tony Hisget. Click image for details)

Q05b: What is the name of its successor?

Question 5b (Public domain. Click image for details)

Q06a: Where did the first major naval battle of WW2 take place?

Q06b: Where did the Graf Spee take refuge after the battle?

Q07a: Who was the captain of the first submarine Nautilus?

Q07b: Where or when was the first operational submarine used in combat?

Q08a: Where was the first major land action of the combined allied armies fought against Imperial Russia in 1854?

Q08b Which river gave its name to the battle in autumn 1914 which stopped the German advance on Paris?

Q09a: Which combat over the river Derwent ended Scandinavian hopes in England?

Q09b: Which battle of ‘Black Week’ in the 2nd Boer War was fought at a river crossing?

Q10a: Which Indiana Jones film starred River Phoenix as young Indy?

Q10b: Where was Thoeden’s son Theodred killed?

Q11a: Which river did this bridge span?

Question 11a (Public Domain. Click image for details)

Q11b: Name any ludicrous attempts to destroy it after its capture by US Forces?

Q12a: Which club show game featured British ‘stay behind’ partisans in a 1940 ‘What If’?

Q12b: Several club games of the 2nd VietNam war featured riverine action. Which river was the primary focus?

MWS Quiz 24th February 2021

Peter sets the latest quiz with a musical theme. Answers on Sunday.

All together now…

Q1a: “Green Grow The Rushes Oh” was widely sung by American troops in which war?

Q1b: What nickname did the Spanish/Mexican population give these troops?

Q2a: What TV series usually ends with a rendition of ‘Over The Hills & Far Away’?

Q2b: In which century was it first regularly sung by British troops?

Q3a: Many regiments in the 19th Century had a band. Apart from signalling & boosting morale, what other key function did they often perform in combat?

Q3b: How did the Romans employ musicians in actual combat with Carthage?

Q4a: For a full orchestral staging, what unusual instruments do you need for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture?

Q4b: What was the WW2 ‘Red Orchestra’?

Q5a: The song ‘Lili Marlene’ was already very popular among German troops before WW2. Where did the British army first start to take it up?

Q5b: “We’ll Meet Again” by Vera Lynn is sung during the closing credits of which famous Cold War film?

Q6a: Why did Beethoven’s 5th Symphony have such massed appeal in Britain during WW2?

Q6b: Which award-winning Sci-Fi film used five notes as its main theme/signature?

Q7a: A special version of ‘Men of Harlech’ is sung in a famous scene from which film?

Q7b: What is the full title of the British army unit primarily depicted in the film?

Q8a: Hollywood notwithstanding, the song ‘Garryowen’ was most famously adopted by which unit?

Q8b: ‘The British Grenadiers’ was introduced to the UK by William III, but actually first adopted by which British army unit in 1716?

Q9a: Hail The Conquering Hero’ was played in the film ‘Waterloo’ on what occasion?

Q9b: For which victorious British Commander was it originally devised/dedicated?

Q10a: General Grant famously said he could only remember two tunes. Which was his favourite?

Q10b: ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ has been the national anthem of the USA since 1931. Which war was it written to commemorate?

Q11a: Music has often been used to intimidate the enemy. Which track was played by the 1st / 9th (Air Cavalry) in their Hollywood debut?

Q11b: Where was ‘rock music’ actually first used officially as a psyops weapon?

Q12a: Which BBC series was one of the first ever to use all-electronic theme music?

Q12b: Why was ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’ banned by the BBC in 1942?

MWS Quiz Retrospective – 5th August 2020

Here’s the next of Peter’s quizzes from last year. Answers in a couple of days.

01a         Which unit took the main part of the fight against the Persians at Thermopylae?

01b         What is the common name for the Persian Guard troops who eventually broke through?

02a         Which order of Crusader knights were also part-time doctors?

02b         When their last HQ in Europe was taken by the Turks, what were the elite Turkish forces called?

03a         Which units of mainly German mercenaries were raised in the Renaissance era to combat the Swiss?

03b         Which renaissance-era unit is still serving in Europe today? Not ‘Beefeaters’ (Yeoman of the Guard?

04a         18thC: The American militia units were commonly known as what?

04b         Which hero of the irregular SYW against the French & Indians on the US/Canadian border fought against the US?

05a         The 95th Rifles was one of two rifle-armed units of the British Army in the Peninsular. What was the other one?

05b         What was the French Guard equivalent unit commonly called, to distinguish them from general Voltigeur/light infantry?

06a         What is the name of the ‘super-orc’ units created by Saruman (Christopher Lee)

06b         What is the common name of the shadowy group of super-humans from the north to which Aragorn initially belongs?

07a         What was unusual about the Union 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regt in the early years of the war?

07b         What was unusual about the CSA Marine Corps

08a         Which British Army unit only lasted from 1912 to 1918?

08b         Which other specialised unit only lasted from 1915 until 1922?

09a         What knick-name did the Germans give to WW2 British Parachute forces?

09b         What did they call their own parachutists?

10a         To which human organisation does the hero belong:  Steve Zodiac (Fireball XL5)

 

10b         To which human organisation does the hero belong:  Troy Tempest (Stingray)

 

10c         To which human organisation do the heroes belong:  Tracey family (Thunderbirds)

 

10d         To which human organisation does the hero belong:  Colonel Straker (UFO)

 

10e         Name any two of the Angels in Captain Scarlet

 

11a         What is the US equivalent unit to our SAS

11b         And their not-Soviet-really counterparts

12a         MWS Game of a famous siege lasting almost 2yrs