Question of the Hour

[Spr.Earl]

In morse what was the BBC's opening of the news for Europe durining WWII?

 

[-rb]

dit-dit-dit-dah?

In morse,  ...-  , or the letter V for victory?

 

[Bill Smy]

What is considered the "greatest defeat in the history of the British Army"?

 

[Acorn]

Isandlwana.

Acorn

 

[Cloud Cover]

Singapore?

 

[Michael OLeary]

That "greatest defeat" phrase seems to be pretty common:

http://africanhistory.about.com/library/thisweek/bl-tw01-4.htm

22 Jan 1879 Anglo-Zulu War of 1879: Isandlwana
The British Army suffers its greatest defeat in Africa when 24,000 Zulu warriors overrun a British camp of 1,700 near Isandlwana mountain. Over 1,300 of the British force was killed, with only 60 Europeans surviving.

http://www.1914-1918.net/mesopot.htm

Mesopotamia -

The early successes in the river delta were misleading; more and more troops were sent to the Mesopotamia theatre, for operations towards Baghdad which stretched the supply lines to the limit. There was a serious difference of opinion between London, India and the Commander of the force, regarding the role of the army. The fomer saw it as defensive; the latter two as offensive with a view to capturing Baghad. The campaign was muddled: the attitudes and complacency disastrous. The advance plodded on, until a resounding defeat in November 1915 in front of Ctesiphon led to headlong retreat to Kut-al-Amara. The army in Kut became surrounded and besieged; eventually 9,000 (3,000 British and 6,000 Indian troops) surrendered five months later - the greatest defeat and loss in British military history up to that point.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/dunkirk_spinning_04.shtml

Dunkirk -

n the early summer of 1940 the government had to deal with the greatest defeat ever suffered by the British army, which resulted in the most dangerous situation the country had faced since the summer of 1805. It had to change news stories that told of Anglo-French successes in Belgium between 10-14 May, with stories which would prepare the public for the possibility of defeat.

http://www.thehistorynet.com/wwii/blgatesofdelhi/

The Japanese drive into Burma was foreshadowed by their rapid advance at the beginning of the war. As the British hero of Burma, Lt. Gen. (later Field Marshal) Viscount William Slim, recalled: â Å“The British Empire, with its Indian and Australian comrades, lost Hong Kong, Malaya and Singapore. This was the greatest defeat in the history of [the] Empire.â ?

http://www.warbooks.com.au/IndividualBooks/singapore1942.html

The surrender of Singapore on 15 February 1942, with the capture of over 120,000 men, was the greatest and most humiliating defeat in British history and the high point of Japanese expansion in South-East Asia. It graphically exposed the military weakness of the British Empire and its inability to defend its Far Eastern colonies. The defeat left Australia exposed to Japanese invasion, its protection in future dependent on American arms.

 

[Bill Smy]

My answer would be the fall of Singapore

 

[Acorn]

I'll stick with Isandlwana:

A modern force, equipped with the best weapons of the time (artillery and breech-loading rifles) was defeated by an Iron-Age tribal force equipped with hand-weapons (they didn't even use bows). Sure, they were outnumbered, but so was the force at Rorke's Drift.

Singapore was also a great(bad) defeat, however the force balance was closer, and both sides were much closer technologically.

Acorn

 

[Brad Sallows]

My vote goes with the Strategic Defence Review.

 

[Spr.Earl]

In what year was the term "Sapper" adopted?

 

[couchcommander]

1856 for the rank in canada I think.

(or so http://www.army.gc.ca/1combat_engineers/HISTORYPAGE.htm says )

 

[Spr.Earl]

Correct.

 

[Joe_McSweeney]

The rank of sapper may be from 1856, However I think the term is much much much older than that. It came from 11-12 century Europe, from the french word sappier, I am not exact on the spelling nor the annunciation.

What they would do is tunnel/ trench up the enemy castle and burrow under the walls, which were supported by saps, or big logs, then they would either a) blow them up, or b) the less dramatic setting them on fire. Both of these would bring the rampart crashing down, or at the very least, critically weakened.


And for something completely different,
Who was the first English leader to have an army of "Redcoats"?
What was the conflict?
And for extra, why red?

 

[Bill Smy]

Joe:-

And for something completely different,
Who was the first English leader to have an army of "Redcoats"? Cromwell
What was the conflict? English Civil War
And for extra, why red? Cheap

 

[Spr.Earl]

How many Cap Badges to date have our Corps of Engineers worn?
(Mr Smye I know you know,keep stum bitter.)

 

[Spr.Earl]

How many Cap Badges to date have our Corps of Engineers worn?
(Mr Smye I know you know,keep stum bitter.)

No takers?
Our officail is 6 style's of cap badge but what all forget is the Anglo version of to-day's badge which makes it seven.
The Anglo version only lasted about a year untill it was realised it was not a bi-lingual cap badge.

 

[Spr.Earl]

In WWII there were (oops ) 3  Red phones in England i.e the hot line!
Where were they?

 

[baboon6]

Cabinet War Rooms?

 

[Spr.Earl]

No.

 

[Bill Smy]

Which British Prime Minister, after his first Cabinet meeting, said: "An extraordinary affair. I gave them their orders and they wanted to stay and discuss them."