Ten Pipers, Matching Trivia Quiz

Answer: Piper Perabo

Born in Texas in 1976, Ms Perabo played the unreliable dog-sitter who allowed the titular chihuahua to become lost, thus causing all of the ensuing hijinks and capers in the 2008 movie cited.

Perabo's other credits include "Coyote Ugly" (2000), "Cheaper by the Dozen" (2003) and its 2005 sequel, and the television series "Covert Affairs" (2010-14).

Answer: Piper Alpha

In July 1988, a series of explosions aboard the twelve-year-old oil production platform caused a devastating fire which destroyed Piper Alpha. Located in the North Sea northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland, the rig was destroyed in the incident, which caused the deaths of 167 men.

Although large insurance payments were made to the families, neither the operating company nor anyone else was found to be criminally responsible for the disaster.

Answer: Piper James Richardson, CEF

James Cleland Richardson was born in Scotland, but served in the 16th Battalion, Manitoba Regiment (Canadian Scottish) of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), having immigrated to Canada with his family before the war. He was a few weeks shy of his 21st birthday when he played his company "over the top", marching up and down playing his pipes in full view of the enemy on the Somme battlefield in France. Having survived this deed, for which he received the VC, he lost his life the following day, 9 October 1916, when attempting to retrieve his pipes from nomansland.

Answer: Piper Bill Millin

Anecdotally, the Germans defending the beach where Lord Lovat's commando unit landed on 6 June 1944 were said not to have fired upon Piper Millin, because they thought he must be mad, marching along in his kilt, playing his bagpipes. Millin, Lovat's personal piper, was 21 years old at the time. Having landed on Sword Beach, the unit then proceeded to relieve the airborne troops who had taken Pegasus Bridge during the night.

Answer: Piper Laurie

Born in 1932 in Detroit, with the name Rosetta Jacobs, Piper Laurie had her first movie roles in 1950, and was still active in the second decade of the 21st century. Besides Margaret White in the 1976 version of "Carrie", her credits have included "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" (1952), Anne Mueller in the TV mini-series "The Thorn Birds" (1983) and Mrs Norman in "Children of a Lesser God" (1986).

Answer: Piper's son

Tom, Tom the piper's son, to be more precise, ran off with a stolen pig, in the children's rhyme:

Tom, Tom the piper's son,
Stole a pig and away did run.

The rhyme goes on to say that the pig (which was most likely a pastry, not an animal) was eaten, Tom got a beating and ran off again crying as he travelled down the street. The first printed version of the rhyme is said to have appeared in 1795, and a silent movie short was made based upon it in 1905.

Answer: Pied Piper

The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Germany, seems to date from around 1300, when a stained glass window in that city's church depicted children following a brightly clothed piper. The origin of the tale is not known for certain, but it has been speculated that some tragic event befell the children of the town.

The familiar rats were added to the tale some time later, giving rise to the version that the piper led the children away after the town failed to pay him for ridding Hamelin of the rats, and, possibly of the plague which rats carried.

Answer: Roddy Piper

Born Roderick George Toombs in Saskatoon in 1954, he was better known by his wrestling name, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. His trademarks included wearing a kilt and entering the ring to the sound of bagpipes, and his wrestling persona was that of a villain who often displayed his rage.

He also appeared in a number of films, including "They Live" (1988). He died in his sleep at the age of 61 in 2015.

Answer: Piper Daniel Laidlaw, KOSB

Daniel Laidlaw was born in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, the most northerly town in England, whose football (soccer) team plays in the Scottish League! He was serving with the King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) in 1915, when he leapt onto the parapet of his company's trench and proceeded to march up and down playing his pipes, to rally his chums who had suffered a gas attack, continuing to play even after he was wounded. Laidlaw survived the war, attaining the rank of Sergeant-Piper, and lived near Berwick until his death in 1950.

Answer: Piper George "Jock" Findlater

Findlater, later to attain the rank of Pipe-Major, was born near Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1872. He was serving with the Gordon Highlanders during the Tirah Campaign on the Indian Frontier when he performed the deed for which he received the Victoria Cross. Wounded in both feet, he sat with his back against a rock, playing the regimental march on his bagpipes to encourage his mates during the battle of Dargai Heights, in October 1897.

He lived until the age of 70, residing in Aberdeenshire at the time of his death in 1942.