Question of the Hour

[geo]

Rhibwolf.... Verry good!
you've Identified a unit that got it's 1st stand of colours ....
I'm looking for that 2nd stand to complete the question

 

[redleafjumper]

I'll  try a WAG and go with the PPCLI.

Cheers,

 

[FascistLibertarian]

No idea
If I had to guess I would say the
1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
but they probably had their colours earlier

 

[geo]

Hmmm.... okay....
t'was a bit of a trick question
1st set presented in 1918
2nd set presented in 1945 - at the end of a second successful campaign.

- can't be the Paras, no one was jumping out of aircraft during WW1 if they had a choice.

 

[Rhibwolf]

the first King’s Colour and Regimental Colour

Sorry about that.  I thought that this implied two. :'(

 

[geo]

heh.... I said two stands of colours.... and they come in pairs.

 

[redleafjumper]

Geo, I am having trouble finding this answer.  While we are waiting I found one that might fill in while there is an answer to your question on colours.

Who was the highest scoring sniper of all time?  How many confirmed kills and over what time period was this person's career?
As a clue, no other sniper is even close to this one's score.

 

[geo]

Heh... the German one or the Soviet one?

WRT my question.... guess it has a lower interest rating than other subjects...

Matter of fact, rhibwolf got the right unit.... just didn't get the info on the 2nd set of colours.

As stated, the RMR was the 1st unit in the "Empire" to have colours presented on conquored soil in 1919
They had a new stand of colours ready for presentation in 1939.  Though they were to be presented in 1940 while in England - the new stand was destroyed in the blitz.  A replacement stand was presented to the Royal Montreal Regiment in 1945 in Holland by Gen Crear, commander of the 1st Canadian Army - at the end of a successful campaign - on conquored soil.

soo........... on to Redleaf's question..........

 

[Zallik]

Simo Häyhä was the highest scoring sniper of all time, though his military career began in 1925, his work as a sniper (and kill count) did not begin until the Winter War 1939-1940 and only appears to have lasted that year. His count was 505 confirmed kills but the unofficial count is 542.
Edit: I forgot to mention that he was a soldier of the Finnish military.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4 (not sure if that site’s accepted as a resource, but it’s usually pretty good).

http://www.snipercentral.com/snipers.htm#WWII is a list of other sniper counts, not sure exactly how reliable this source is.

 

[redleafjumper]

Zalik, well done on Simo.  He is remembered as a national hero in Finland; he died in 2002.  Apparently most of his kills were made in three months, ending in March of 1940 when he was wounded in the face by a Soviet sniper.  He managed to get the sniper that shot him, but his career had ended.  An incredible accomplishment, especially when considering that most of his work was done with an off the rack service rifle with iron sights at ranges under 500 yards.

 

[Rhibwolf]

Another good link on Simo. http://www.mosinnagant.net/finland/simohayha.asp  It also points out that he made kills with his SMG

 

[3rd Herd]

Okay new question:
Red legged infantry orginated with which war ? And from what branch of service?

 

[Zallik]

From what I can see, the red-legged infantry originated in the Mexican War (1846-1848). It was a battalion of artillerymen fighting as infantry under Lt. Col. Thomas Childs in the US Army. The uniform for the artillerymen had red stripes on the legs, hence the name. I’m not entirely positive that this was the first usage of the name.

http://www.army.mil/cmh/brochures/Resaca%20de%20la%20Palma/Palo%20Alto.htm

 

[3rd Herd]

From what I can see, the red-legged infantry originated in the Mexican War (1846-1848). It was a battalion of artillerymen fighting as infantry under Lt. Col. Thomas Childs in the US Army. The uniform for the artillerymen had red stripes on the legs, hence the name. I’m not entirely positive that this was the first usage of the name.

http://www.army.mil/cmh/brochures/Resaca%20de%20la%20Palma/Palo%20Alto.htm

Part marks: The branch of service is correct in that they were artillery trained to fight as infantry. But the red stripes replaced an earlier form of red identification. The Mexican War is a good guess but not it. ;D

 

[geo]

Hmmm.... American civil war.  Some units wore french zouave uniforms which had colourful red pants. 

If my memory serves me right, most of the units that wore that kind of uniform came from the New York area.....

 

[3rd Herd]

Hmmm.... American civil war.  Some units wore french zouave uniforms which had colourful red pants. 

If my memory serves me right, most of the units that wore that kind of uniform came from the New York area.....

Again: part marks as many of the New York Militia Infantry regiments indeed wore red pants hence the nickname of " Red Legged Devils" for the 14th Brooklyn and the "Red Devils for the Duryees Zouaves. But the question still stands.

While on the westerner frontier in the Civil war we had the "The Kansas Red Legs, gained their name from the knee high, red yarn leggings they wore over their boots." This group was formed from "a group of men who were from the Atchison, Kansas area. They were organizedd by Blunt and his staff by Kansas Senator Jim Lane and comprised the 3rd, 4th and 5th Kansas Regiments".(Truth Behind the Names). Though in his letters Blunt claims "During my absence in the field, matters left in charge of subordinates had been running rather loosely in the district. Among other things, an organization had sprung into existence known as "Red Legs," and whatever had been the primary object and purpose of those identified with it, its operations had certainly become fraught with danger to the peace and security of society. The organization embraced many of the most desperate characters in the country, while the inducements of easy gain had allured into it many persons who, in ordinary times, would never have consented to be connected with such an enterprise.(p.239) Notables included "Charles R. Jennison, "Wild Bill" Hickok, William F. (Buffalo Bill)Cody and William S. Tough."(Truth Behind the Names/Gilmore). Interesting enough most of the "communiques to and from them were destroyed during or after the war".(Gilmore) These "Red legs" also featured prominently in the Clint Eastwood fim “The Outlaw Josey Wales” as does Senator Jim Lane. Such were the acts of depredations committed that eventually "Blunt later issued shoot-on-sight orders to the troops sent to Western Missouri to combat the Red Legs."(Castel)
Source:

Blunt, James G. "General Blunt's Account of His, Civil War Experiences": The Kansas Historical Quarterly, May, 1932. (Vol. 1, No. 3), pgs 211- 265.

Castel, Albert, A Frontier State of War: Kansas, 1861–1865 : Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 1958. pgs.152–53,

Gilmore, Don. Civil War on the Missouri-Kansas Border: Pelican Publishing Co., 2005

Partisans, Guerillas, Irregulars and Bushwhackers "The Truth Behind The Names" http://www.rulen.com/partisan/partisan.htm

 

 

[3rd Herd]

From what I can see, the red-legged infantry originated in the Mexican War (1846-1848). It was a battalion of artillerymen fighting as infantry under Lt. Col. Thomas Childs in the US Army. The uniform for the artillerymen had red stripes on the legs, hence the name. I’m not entirely positive that this was the first usage of the name.

http://www.army.mil/cmh/brochures/Resaca%20de%20la%20Palma/Palo%20Alto.htm

Thank you for including your source Zallik as it brings up an interesting contradiction.

In that "The engagement commenced at 1430 when the Mexican artillery opened fire on the deploying Americans at a range of one-half mile. In response, Major Ringgold and Captain Duncan pushed their batteries two hundred yards ahead of Taylor's line and initiated counterbattery fire. From the onset, it was clear that the US. artillery would dominate on the open field of battle, if only because the Mexicans' copper cannons lacked the necessary range to be effective. Their iron round shot often fell short of their targets and bounced slowly toward Taylor's men."(Guns Along the Rio Grande Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma)

While in Jack Bauer's  book, The Mexican War, 1846-1848, the following is found "....while Duncan's battery supported by May's Squadron pushed about 200 yards ahead of the line. The Mexican copper cannon-balls tended to fall short and ricohet into the American line slowly enough for the Americans to dodge them".(pg 54)

Source:
Bauer, K. Jack. The Mexican War, 1846-1848. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1974.

 

[geo]

3rd....  thought it was the RED NECKS that were the target of shoot on sight directive....

 

[3rd Herd]

Okay break is over:

The answer or at least as far as I have been able to discover goes about 10 years before the Mexican War to the Second Seminole War from 1835-1842. The Florida State Chronicle for the 23rd of December 1836 states " a column of 107 officers and men of the 3rd US Artillery led by Major Francis Langhorn(?) Dade marched out of Fort Brooke. These artillerymen trained to fight as infantrymen are called 'red legged infantry' for the bright red stockings they wore". What caught my eye was the date of 1836 and the useage of 'red legged infantry' ten years before it's official use in the Mexican War.

New Question please

 

[FascistLibertarian]

Here is an easy one (seeing as the last one went on for a long time)
What was the first infantry battalion to serve outside of Canada in the Great War?