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WWII British Airborne Forces Trivia Quiz

A hard quiz for those who do not know their WWII British forces, but you will learn something new.

A multiple-choice quiz by lachpatto. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
lachpatto

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
358,174

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
293

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What year was the British Airborne Programmme introduced? Hint

1940

1942

1938

1944

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Question 2 of 10

2. What British commando unit became the first airborne battalion? Hint

No 8 Commando

No 12 Commando

No 2 Commando

No 4 Commando

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Question 3 of 10

3. What color beret was adopted by the airborne forces in 1942? Hint

blue

maroon

green

black

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which brigade of the parachute regiment headed for North Africa in 1942? Hint

5th Parachute Brigade

2nd Parachute Brigade

1st Parachute Brigade

4th Parachute Brigade

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Question 5 of 10

5. The Allied invasion of Normandy was spearheaded out by which airborne division in which year? Hint

6th Airborne Division in 1944

2nd Independent Parachute Brigade in 1943

1st Airborne Division in 1945

1st Airborne Division 1944

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Question 6 of 10

6. The 1st Parachute Brigade was nicknamed the 'Red Devils'. How did the earn this nickname? Hint

they painted their faces red for camouflage in the desert

because they wore a maroon beret

when they returned from fighting in north Africa they were covered in red dust

because they came out of the red dust suddenly to attack

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Question 7 of 10

7. Why was the battle of Arnhem such a disaster? Hint

only one parachute brigade and one glider infantry brigade were landed on the first day

they were dropped too far from their objective

all of these reasons

there were two waffen SS panzer divisions in the area

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Question 8 of 10

8. Who commanded the 1st Airborne Division during the battle of Arnhem? Hint

Richard Nelson Gale

Alistair Pearson

Roy Urquhart

James Hill

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Question 9 of 10

9. After the Second World War it was decided that only one airborne division was needed in postwar Britain. The Airborne Division disbanded was the 1st. Why? Hint

the troops in the 6th were younger and therefore fitter

they thought that the 6th had not completely proved its worth in battle yet

they thought the men of the first who had seen so much combat deserved to go home

they had suffered terrible casualties during the battle of Arnhem

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Question 10 of 10

10. The British paratroopers were based/modelled on which country's airborne forces? Hint

US paratroops

Russian paratroops

German paratroops

Italian paratroops

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What year was the British Airborne Programmme introduced?

Answer: 1940

The British Airborne Programme was developed in 1940 by Winston Churchill who suggested the 'butcher and bolt' raiding forces. The paratroopers would eventually leave behind raiding to spearhead the liberation of occupied countries.

2. What British commando unit became the first airborne battalion?

Answer: No 2 Commando

No 2 Commando was always intended to be a parachute unit. It underwent name changes three times - from No 2 Commando to 11 Special Air Service to 1st Parachute Battalion.

3. What color beret was adopted by the airborne forces in 1942?

Answer: maroon

The maroon beret was adopted in 1942 over a blue beret. It has now become the symbol for airborne forces worldwide. Green was worn by commandos and black by armored regiments.

4. Which brigade of the parachute regiment headed for North Africa in 1942?

Answer: 1st Parachute Brigade

All three battalions of 1st Parachute Brigade were dropped during the North African campaign at some point. They remained in North Africa for the invasion of Sicily.

5. The Allied invasion of Normandy was spearheaded out by which airborne division in which year?

Answer: 6th Airborne Division in 1944

The 6th Airborne Division was raised in 1943 alongside the 1st Airborne Division. The designation 6th was an attempt to mislead the Nazis in thinking the British had more airborne divisions than was the case.

6. The 1st Parachute Brigade was nicknamed the 'Red Devils'. How did the earn this nickname?

Answer: when they returned from fighting in north Africa they were covered in red dust

The men of 1st Parachute Brigade were nicknamed the 'Red Devils' ('die Roten Teufel') because they were covered with red dust from the desert after an engagement. The nickname was originally given to them by the Germans and is not related to their maroon berets.

7. Why was the battle of Arnhem such a disaster?

Answer: all of these reasons

The factors contributing to the failure of the Battle of Arnhem are: when the 1st Airborne Division was landed too far from Arnhem bridge the division lost the element of surprise which was key to operation market garden. By chance two Waffen SS panzer divisions were resting in the area which lightly armed paratroops have virtually no defense against.

The decision by the air transports to make only one drop on the first day was a mistake as when the Nazis captured the battle plans they were able to wait for the airborne troops on the landing grounds.

8. Who commanded the 1st Airborne Division during the battle of Arnhem?

Answer: Roy Urquhart

Roy Urquhart, an officer with no airborne experience was chosen to command 1st Airborne Division in Arnhem. Alistair Pearson was James Hill's second in command of 1st Parachute Battalion until hill was wounded in North Africa. Richard Gale commanded 6th Airborne Division.

9. After the Second World War it was decided that only one airborne division was needed in postwar Britain. The Airborne Division disbanded was the 1st. Why?

Answer: they had suffered terrible casualties during the battle of Arnhem

The massive number of casualties at Arnhem meant that the 1st Airborne Division was still understrength when posted to Norway for occupation duties. When 1st Airborne was disbanded brigades of the 1st were cross posted to the 6th.

10. The British paratroopers were based/modelled on which country's airborne forces?

Answer: German paratroops

The British airborne forces were based on German paratroopers who were very successful in invading Europe in the early years of the war.

Source: Author lachpatto

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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