Key of Valor Trivia Quiz

Answer: For Valour

The honour was introduced in 1856 and the first medals were cast in bronze from a Russian gun captured during the Crimean War. It is awarded for "conspicuous bravery" or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.

Answer: Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is bestowed to service men and women for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States."
The Medal of Honor came into being in 1861, although the military honors system in the USA is almost as old as the nation. George Washington created the first military honours in 1782.
The Legion of Merit is awarded for meritorious conduct; the Bronze Star Medal for bravery in combat; and the Purple Heart to any servicemen or women wounded or killed in action.

Answer: He was a homing pigeon

Cher Ami was presented by British pigeon fanciers to the US Army Signal Corps. In 1918, he carried a message that helped save 500 soldiers who were pinned down by enemy fire and had also started to come under bombardment from their own side. Despite being badly wounded, he continued to deliver messages.
(Wampas, of course, are creatures from the Star Wars movies.)

Answer: Civilians, service personnel and organisations

The GC is most often awarded for gallantry by civilians, but can also go to military personnel if their bravery was not in the face of enemy action.
The GC can also go to organisations. The island of Malta was awarded a GC in 1942 for its defiance of the Nazis, while the Royal Ulster Constabulary was awarded the GC in 1999 to recognise the service of its police officers in the face of terrorist threats and atrocities.

Answer: Dickin Medal

Introduced in 1943, pigeons and dogs have dominated the awards, but others have gone to horses and cats. Three were awarded after the events of 9/11. One went to 'Apollo' as a representative of all the search and rescue dogs that assisted after the terrorist attacks on New York City.

Others went to 'Salty' and 'Roselle', guide dogs that led their blind owners to safety down 70 flights of stairs following the attacks on the World Trade Centre.

Answer: Audie Murphy

Audie Murphy (1924 to 1971) served with the US Army from 1942 until the end of the war. (The US Marines, Navy and Paratroops all turned him down). Murphy was underage when he joined up, having falsified his date of birth. He went on to win the Medal of Honor and 32 other honours from the US and her allies.

After the war, he became a Hollywood star and appeared in more than 40 movies. You may have spotted the note of qualification in the question. Some sources say Murphy was the most highly decorated soldier of WWII, but other sources differ. One of those was the US Total Army Personnel Command, which stated that a soldier called Matt Urban received as many medals for his WWII service as Murphy - 29.

Answer: Germany

The "Iron Cross" was introduced by Prussia in 1813. It went on to be awarded through successive conflicts in which Germany fought. Its design changed several times over the years.

Answer: Russia

The Order of St George was first awarded by Catherine the Great in 1769, but the new regime abolished it after the Russian Revolution of 1917.
In 1994, the Government of the Russian Federation revived the medal and made it the highest award that could be bestowed.

Answer: Japan

The Order of the Golden Kite was awarded for courage or leadership in battle. It was divided into seven classes. More than 1m were awarded before the honour became defunct in WW2.
I hope you all avoided the banana skin; none of the wrong answers existed under those names in 1890.

Answer: Rorke's Drift

In January 1879, about 140 soldiers defended the supply station at Rorke's Drift over two days against an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 Zulu warriors. The fighting left 500 Zulus dead with 17 defenders killed and 10 wounded. Rorke's Drift was to become one of the most famous battles in British military history and has been depicted in books and on the silver screen.