"By God Sir, I've Lost My Leg!" - Military Quotes Quiz

Answer: Balaklava

After the 93rd Regiment of Foot, the Sutherland Highlanders, had broken the Russian cavalry charge at Balaklava, many of its soldiers were eager to pursue the retreating Russians. Aware of the dangers to the British line should the Russians turn and mount a further attack, Sir Colin shouted this order to the troops lined up to his front.

This action at Balaklava was one of a number that took place on that day, the most famous of which was the Charge of the Light Brigade, a disaster for all those cavalrymen that took part.

The action by the Sutherland Highlanders was reported by the correspondent William H. Russell writing for his newspaper 'The Times', his report leading to the adoption of the name that the British Army has been known by ever since - 'The Thin Red Line'.

Answer: Battle of Trafalgar

Prior to the commencement of the Battle of Trafalgar on the 21st of October 1805, Admiral Horatio Nelson wished to send the message 'England confides that every man will do his duty' but, after the advice of his signal officer Lieutenant John Pasco, the word 'expects' was substituted for 'confides'. Pasco suggested the change as the word 'expects' was listed in the signals manual and could be messaged using a single flag, whereas 'confides' did not appear and would have to be spelled out using a flag for each individual letter, delaying the transmission of Nelson's message, something that Nelson would not be happy with.

There are a number of differing versions of this message including those on both Nelson's tomb in St. Paul's Cathedral and that displayed around the base of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, London which have proved to be most persistently quoted.

However, written records by John Pasco prove that 'England expects that every man will do his duty' was the correct message.

Answer: Battle of Jutland

At the Battle of Jutland, fought over the period of 31st of May and the 1st of June 1916, Vice-Admiral Beatty, commander of the battle-cruiser squadron, remarked that his vessels were finding it difficult, if not impossible, to target and hit the ships of the German Imperial High Seas Fleet.

The Germans, however, didn't seem to be having the same problem! The standard of German range-finding, gunnery direction and training was higher than that found on British naval vessels at the time. Surprisingly, the outcome of the battle resulted in a victory for the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet inasmuch as they retained their total dominance of the North Sea despite losing more than twice the tonnage that the German fleet did. On the day the British could not shoot straight; unfortunately for them, the Germans could!

Answer: Gulf War 2

It is believed that a copy, in full, of Lieutenant-Colonel Collins' speech had hung in the Oval Office at the White House for some time. This is a brief extract from a much longer speech delivered to the men of the 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment by their commander Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Collins on the 19th of March 2003 in Kuwait prior to going into action. Tim Collins was born in Belfast in April 1960 and was educated there, graduating with a degree in economics from Queen's University.

The Royal Irish Regiment was formed in 1992 through the amalgamation of The Royal Irish Rangers and the Ulster Defence Regiment. Since leaving the Army in 2005, Lt Col Collins has made forays into the world of politics, ran briefly for election as the Police Commissioner for the county of Kent as well as being employed as a motivational speaker. Mr Collins has, in recent years, become the founder of a security and intelligence company.

Answer: Agincourt

Sir Thomas Erpingham's career began in 1380 with his appointment as a squire to the Lancastrian John of Gaunt. Erpingham, a native of the rural eastern English county of Norfolk, accompanied John of Gaunt on campaigns in Europe before being appointed as the Constable of Dover and Warden of the Cinque Ports.

The order that Sir Thomas is reputed to have issued to King Henry V's archers at Agincourt in October 1415 are, allegedly, the words "Now, strike!" as they had been reported by the French heralds present at the battle, although any confusion over what was said may be put down to Sir Thomas' broad East Anglian accent.

As a knight, Sir Thomas bore arms described as 'Vert, an Escutcheon within an Orle of Martlets Argent'. Erpingham's crest is described thus: 'Rising from within a Coronet Gules a Panache of Feathers Argent'.

Answer: Dwight D Eisenhower

Wise words indeed! In order to mount a successful attack against a defended position, an attacking force should have at least a three-to-one advantage in numbers over the defenders. An infantry company in a well prepared position will require an attacking force of at least battalion strength to defeat it but using two or more will give you a far better chance of success! General Dwight D Eisenhower, known by the nickname 'Ike', is justly considered to be one of the United States greatest military commanders.

As Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, Eisenhower was responsible for the planning and successful execution of Operation Overlord which began on the 6th of June 1944. After WW2, Eisenhower was appointed as the first supreme commander of the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or NATO. Eisenhower ran for election to the US Presidency and served two terms as President of the United States between 1953 and 1961.

Answer: Sparta

Although usually attributed by Plutarch to Leonidas I, King of Sparta at the Battle of Thermopylae in August or September 480 BCE, the contemporary ancient Greek historian Herodotus attributed it to Dienekes, a Spartan hoplite, or citizen soldier. The Battle of Thermopylae was to be fought at the same time as the Greek navy was to engage the Persian fleet at Artemisium but, on receiving the news that the Greeks had been annihilated at Thermopylae, the Greek navy were withdrawn to Salamis. Casualties at Thermopylae were estimated by Herodotus to number around four thousand Greeks but over twenty thousand on the Persian side.

A quote from this battle that can be attributed to Leonidas I was "Molon Labe" which when translated means 'Having come, take' in the ancient language of Greece but is usually translated as "Come and take them" the response from the king to the Persian demand for the Greeks to lay down their arms.

Answer: Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

Isoroku Takano was born into a Samurai family in Nagaoka, Japan on the 4th of April 1884. Takano entered the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy at the age of sixteen and, after graduation, saw action in the Battle of Tsushima; an action in which he lost two fingers from his left hand.

In 1913 he was selected to attend the Japanese Naval Staff Academy. In 1919, Takano, now known as Yamamoto after being adopted into another Samurai family due to the deaths of both his parents, spent two years studying at Harvard using his time wisely to observe and absorb the American psyche; something that would stand him in good stead some twenty years or so later... or so you would think! Shortly after the US entry into WW2, US code breakers intercepted a message detailing an inspection visit that Admiral Yamamoto was due to attend and prepared an aerial ambush. On the 18th of April 1943 the trap was sprung and Yamamoto's aircraft was shot down killing all on board.

The death of Yamamoto, an able, efficient and popular commander was a serious blow to the Japanese war effort and a blow that the Japanese military never truly recovered from.

Answer: Ferdinand Foch

"My centre is giving way; my right is in retreat, situation excellent. I attack." At the First Battle of the Marne, Major General Ferdinand Foch in command of the French Ninth Army was forced to fight a series of actions in order to prevent a German breakthrough.

This battle was the last highly mobile battle of the war and afterwards the combatants settled into a period of trench warfare that was to set the scene for the next four years. Foch proved to be one of France's more able General officers and after spending a short period in command of French forces on the Italian front after the Allied debacle at the Battle of the Somme in 1916, Foch as recalled and appointed as the supreme allied commander in the West which, unfortunately, resulted in him being frequently at odds with US General John 'Black Jack' Pershing, especially where the deployment of US forces was concerned. General Foch accepted the German surrender in November 1918 and passed away on the 20th of March 1929 in Paris, the city in which he was interred at Les Invalides.

Answer: Simon Fraser, The (15th) 17th Lord Lovat

'Je Suis Prest' or 'I Am Ready' was the motto of the Lovat Scouts, a highland regiment raised in 1900 to serve in the Second Boer War. Simon Fraser, the 17th Lord Lovat was one of the regiment's most notable commanders. Captain Fraser and his personal piper, Private William Millin, also known as Piper Bill, landed on Sword Beach on the 6th of June 1944 shortly after this exchange had taken place; Millin had expressed a concern that recent orders had forbidden the playing of the pipes in the front line. Millin, had actually been born in Canada to a Scottish father but the family returned to Scotland when young Bill was three years old. Before joining the Lovat Scouts, Millin had served with the Highland Light Infantry and the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders.

Captain 'Mad Jack' Churchill, an officer of the Manchester Regiment, waded ashore on D-Day armed with just his claymore, a large Scottish broadsword. Churchill was the last soldier to have claimed a number of kills during WW2 using an English Longbow. Lieutenant Colonel Stirling was the founder of the British special forces regiment, the Special Air Service, or SAS. William Douglas was a member of the Scottish aristocracy who fought against the English during the 14th century.