Royal Scots Greys - The Birdcatchers Quiz

Answer: 2

On 25 October 1854 the Regiment took part in the Charge of the Heavy Brigade. Sergeant Major Grieve and Private Ramage were both awarded VCs for their actions that day. The Sergeant Majors was for rescuing an officer - an event still celebrated in the Scots Dragoon Guards when the officers invite the sergeant majors to their mess on (or close to) the 25 October.

Answer: Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon commented on the Union Brigade's cavalry charge against D'Erlon's Corps which saw the Eagle of the 45e Régiment de Ligne captured by the Greys. The British cavalry were subsequently counter-charged and routed by French cuirassiers and lancers.

Answer: Sergeant Charles Ewart

After capturing the Eagle at Waterloo Sgt Ewart was given a commission as an ensign. The captured Eagle was to form the cap-badge of the Greys and earned them the nickname "the Birdcatchers." It still forms part of the Scots Dragoon Guards cap-badge.

Answer: He was actually a woman

Christian Davies (1667-1739), also known as Kit Cavanagh and Mother Ross, joined the infantry disguised as a man in 1697 to search for her husband, who had gone missing from home. She served with the 4th Royal North British Dragoons (later the 2nd Dragoons and then the Royal Scots Greys) from 1701.

Despite her nickname as the "Pretty Dragoon", she remained undiscovered until she was wounded at the Battle of Ramillies in 1706. The Brigade Commander ordered that her pay continue and later in her life she was admitted to the Royal Hospital Chelsea as a pensioner, where she later died and was buried.

Answer: 1940

The Regiment was the last cavalry regiment to mechanise and conducted its final charge on horseback in February 1940 (albeit against Arab rioters). In 1942, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (Sir Ranulph Fiennes' father), they took part in the Second Battle of El Alamein.

Answer: The British cavalry refused to charge

The commander of the British cavalry at the battle, Lord George Sackville, refused Prince Ferdinand's order to attack four times, preventing the French from being utterly routed. Sackville's deputy, the Earl of Granby attempted to lead the charge, but was ordered to halt by Sackville.

As a result, none of the cavalry regiments present (now part of the Blues & Royals, QDG and SCOTS DG) count Minden as a battle honour. Despite the fact that Lord Sackville was court-martialled and found to be "unfit to serve His Majesty in any military capacity whatsoever", he went on to direct British military operations in the American War of Independence as the Secretary for War.

Answer: Tsar Nicholas II of Russia

The Tsar was Colonel in Chief of the Regiment from 1894 until his murder in 1918. The Scots Dragoon Guards continue this tradition, and the Imperial Russian Anthem is played at dinner nights in the Officers' Mess.

Answer: Red

Although they did wear grey coats initially, by 1693 they were wearing red coats with blue facings (denoting their 'Royal' status). They were first called the Greys as a reference to their horses (which were traditionally grey).

Answer: Spike Milligan

Spike Milligan served in the same theatres of war as the Greys (North Africa and Italy), but was in the 56th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery. At the time, Murray Walker was a troop leader in the Greys. HRH the Duke of Kent commanded C Squadron and went on to become Lieutenant-Colonel in the Regiment and Sir Ranulph Fiennes followed his father into the Regiment.

Answer: 1971

The amalgamation took place on 2nd July 1971 at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.