A War Memorial Trivia Quiz

Answer: Arlington, Virginia

This iconic statue can be found outside the Arlington Military Cemetery in Virginia. Officially called the Marine Corps War Memorial, the bronze statue was designed by Austrian born Felix de Weldon and unveiled in 1954. It depicts the six US servicemen who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi in February 1945 after the successful Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific Ocean.

Although successful, the five week long battle suffered an approximate fatality of over 25,500 American and Japanese servicemen.

Answer: Vimy Ridge

Vimy Ridge was the location in northern France where a famous battle took place between the 9th and 12th of April 1917 with thousands of fatalities. Over 11,000 Canadian servicemen were commemorated when the memorial was opened in 1936 by King Edward VIII.

The giant monument was designed by Canadian Walter Seymour Allward, who fought during the battle, and features two 120 feet high pylons, one representing Canada with the maple leaf, and the other representing France with the fleur-de-lis. Underneath these are various sculpted figures including the haunting figure of Mother Canada which symbolises "Canada mourning her fallen sons".

Answer: Starfish

Designed by David Backhouse and opened in 2004 by the Princess Royal, the Animals in War Memorial can be found at the edge of Hyde Park in London. It features two struggling bronze mules, a bronze horse and a bronze dog. The concrete memorial made from Portland stone also features the inscription "Their contribution must never be forgotten".

A lot of creatures great and small have been used during war and conflict and these have included dolphins, pigeons, elephants and cats. Even glow worms were used in the dark trenches of World War I to illuminate maps.

Answer: Arch of Triumph of the Star

The Arc de Triomph de l'Etoile stands proudly at the end of Champs-Elysees in Paris on a junction where twelve avenues meet, giving the appearance of a star. The area was formerly called Place de l'Etoile, or Square of the Star, but was renamed in 1970 Place Charles de Gaulle.

The 164 feet high monument was finished in 1836 and commemorates those who perished during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. In the vaults below is the final resting place of the French Unknown Soldier.

Answer: Canberra

The Australian War Memorial was the brainchild of Australian war historian, Charles Bean. Designed by Emil Soldersten and John Crust, the first stage of the building was completed in 1946. The site includes a Hall of Memory, Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, and a memorial pool with landscaped gardens including rosemary for remembrance. Anzac Day parades are held each year on 25th April and this includes representatives from the Australian Parliament at nearby Capital Hill.

Answer: Atomic bomb over Hiroshima

The atomic bomb "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6th 1945 by the super-fortress, Enola Gay. Hiroshima was chosen because it was a major supply depot for the Japanese army. The devastation after the bomb was dropped was almost total, with 60% of the buildings destroyed and with the loss of approximately 140,000 lives including many civilians.

The Hisoshima Peace Memorial, or Atomic Bomb Dome, or Genbaku Dome, was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It was the only building left standing nearest to the hypocenter of where the bomb was dropped.

Answer: Korean War

The Korean War was a war between North and South Korea where the United Nations fought for the South and both China and Russia assisted the North. It started on 25th June 1950 and lasted for just over three years at a cost of over half a million lives.

The war started when Kim Il-sung for North Korea invaded the South as he wanted to unite both countries under a communist rule. Most people believed that it was part of the Cold War where America was trying to stop communism spreading throughout Asia, and Russia aiding the communist nations.

Answer: Yasukuni Shrine

The Yasukuni Shrine was established in 1869 at the request of Emperor Meiji. On visiting the shrine, he was heard to say "I assure those of you who fought and died for your country that your names will live forever at this shrine in Musashino". The shrine is dedicated to all Japanese men, women and children who have died in conflict since 1853.

Some controversary surrounds the shrine, in that the names over over 1,000 convicted war criminals are included. Several festivals take part at the shrine each year including Shinnensai, a New Year festival on 1st January, and Mitama Matsuri, a festival for lost souls which is held between 13th and 16th July.

Answer: Warsaw Uprising

The failed Warsaw Uprising was the largest operation by the Polish resistance during World War II, lasting just over two months with an approximate death toll of 16,000 resistance fighters. A massive 150,000-200,000 civilians were killed mainly from mass executions when they were transported to concentration camps.

The resistance relentlessly fought hard to drive the German occupancy out of the city but failed as they had no back up support. The memorial to those who lost their lives can be found at Krasinski Square in Warsaw and was opened on the 45th anniversary of the uprising.

The monument is in two parts; the main part shows insurgents fighting, and the much smaller part nearby shows insurgents climbing through manhole covers into the sewers below.

This was the way resistance fighters got around the city without being detected.

Answer: Moscow

The war memorial in Moscow can be found at Alexander Garden which is next to the Kremlin. The sculpture was unveiled in 1967 and features a bronze laurel branch and soldiers helmet laid on top of a banner. There are several Tombs of the Unknown Soldier around the world.

These include tombs at Westminster Abbey in London, Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Arlington in Virginia USA and at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.