Here’s the answers to the latest of Peter’s quizzes from last year.
01a Which unit took the main part of the fight against the Persians at Thermopylae?
Answer: Spartans (plus 1200-odd Thebans)
01b What is the common name for the Persian Guard troops who eventually broke through?
Answer: The Immortals
02a Which order of Crusader knights were also part-time doctors?
Answer: Knights (Hospitalers) of St John
02b When their last HQ in Europe was taken by the Turks, what were the elite Turkish forces called?
Answer: Janissaries
03a Which units of mainly German mercenaries were raised in the Renaissance era to combat the Swiss?
Answer: Landsknechts
03b Which renaissance-era unit is still serving in Europe today? Not ‘Beefeaters’ (Yeoman of the Guard?
Answer: The Swiss Guard (1st set-up by Julius 2nd in 1506)
04a 18thC: The American militia units were commonly known as what?
Answer: Minutemen
04b Which hero of the irregular SYW against the French & Indians on the US/Canadian border fought against the US?
Answer: Colonel Robert Rogers
05a The 95th Rifles was one of two rifle-armed units of the British Army in the Peninsular. What was the other one?
Answer: 60th (Royal American) Regiment
05b What was the French Guard equivalent unit commonly called, to distinguish them from general Voltigeur/light infantry?
Answer: Tirailleurs
06a What is the name of the ‘super-orc’ units created by Saruman (Christopher Lee)
Answer: Uruk-Hai
06b What is the common name of the shadowy group of super-humans from the north to which Aragorn initially belongs?
Answer: Dunedain or Rangers of the North
07a What was unusual about the Union 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regt in the early years of the war?
Answer: They were armed as lancers
07b What was unusual about the CSA Marine Corps
Answer: They never went to sea; only fought one naval action, as gunners on CSS Virginia.
08a Which British Army unit only lasted from 1912 to 1918?
Answer: Royal Flying Corps
08b Which other specialised unit only lasted from 1915 until 1922?
Answer: Machine Gun Corps
09a What knick-name did the Germans give to WW2 British Parachute forces?
Answer: The Red Devils
09b What did they call their own parachutists?
Answer: Green Devils (the Fallschirmjager, ‘Hunters From The Sky’)
10a To which human organisation does the hero belong: Steve Zodiac (Fireball XL5)
Answer: WSP – World Space Patrol
10b To which human organisation does the hero belong: Troy Tempest (Stingray)
Answer: WASP – World Aquanaut Security Patrol
10c To which human organisation do the heroes belong: Tracey family (Thunderbirds)
Answer: IR – International Rescue
10d To which human organisation does the hero belong: Colonel Straker (UFO)
Answer: SHADO – Supreme HQ Alien Defence Organisation
10e Name any two of the Angels in Captain Scarlet
Answer: Destiny, Melody, Rhapsody, Symphony, Harmony
11a What is the US equivalent unit to our SAS
Answer: 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) more commonly known as Delta Force
11b And their not-Soviet-really counterparts
Answer: SPETZNAZ
12a MWS Game of a famous siege lasting almost 2yrs
Answer: Beds of Jonquils (Masada) AD73