The official AHF WW1 quiz thread

[Ironmachine]

Correct.
Over to you.
Regards.

[Rob Stuart]

Okay, thanks.

Here is the next question: What battle does this painting depict?

[Polar bear]

hi,, Rob,

OK, judging by the uniforms (Allied soldiers without helmets, German helmets with a spike) that´s 1914 or early 1915 ...

Thus, it might be Mons, Ypres or 2nd Ypres ... and, knowing you, it´s probably the CEF.

greetings, the pb

[Rob Stuart]

pb, you're basically correct. You're right to suppose that the Allied troops depicted in the painting are Canadian. Apart from the fact that it's me who posed the question, the other clues are that the machine gun does not look like a Vickers and the rifles do not look like SMLEs. The first Canadian contingent (aka 1st Canadian Division) arrived in France early in 1915 with US-made machine guns (Winchesters, I think) and Canadian-made Ross rifles. It is in fact one of the better known Canadian war paintings and it depicts 2nd Ypres, the only one of the three battles you name in which the Canadians fought.

Well done.

Rob

[Polar bear]

hi, Rob, thank you.

next, a straightforward question ... who is this well-looking, youthful gentleman ?

greetings, the pb

[Polar bear]

hi,

one week later, the traditional hint #1 ... he was not invincible.

greetings, the pb

[Ruhrpottpreusse]

Moin Polarbär!
Have you got a larger scan, please?

[Rob Stuart]

Rear Admiral Horace Hood, commander of the 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron. He died at Jutland when HMS Invincible blew up.

[Ruhrpottpreusse]

So I don´t need a better scan...

[Polar bear]

hi, Rob,

quite right.

So it´s up to you, once more ...

greetings, the pb

[Rob Stuart]

Thanks pb.

Okay, this photo was taken in 1914, prior to the outbreak of the war. Who is it?

[Rob Stuart]

Okay, here's the first hint:

[Rob Stuart]

Here's the second hint. The person in this photo is an actor who portrayed our mystery officer in a stage play written many years later.

[Rob Stuart]

Okay, another hint. Here's the citation for one of the decorations he received:

“For most conspicuous bravery, determination and skill.

"Captain [name], who had been sent out to work independently, flew first of all to an enemy aerodrome; finding no machine about, he flew on to another aerodrome about three miles south-east, which was at least twelve miles the other side of the line. Seven machines, some with their engines running, were on the ground. He attacked these from about fifty feet, and a mechanic, who was starting one of the engines, was seen to fall. One of the machines got off the ground, but at a height of sixty feet Captain [name] fired fifteen rounds into it at very close range, and it crashed to the ground.

"A second machine got off the ground, into which he fired thirty rounds at 150 yards range, and it fell into a tree.

"Two more machines then rose from the aerodrome. One of these he engaged at the height of 1,000 feet, emptying the rest of his drum of ammunition. This machine crashed 300 yards from the aerodrome, after which Captain [name] emptied a whole drum into the fourth hostile machine, and then flew back to his station.

"Four hostile scouts were about 1,000 feet above him for about a mile of his return journey, but they would not attack. His machine was very badly shot about by machine gun fire from the ground.”

[Sheldrake]

Okay, another hint. Here's the citation for one of the decorations he received:

“For most conspicuous bravery, determination and skill.

"Captain [name], who had been sent out to work independently, flew first of all to an enemy aerodrome; finding no machine about, he flew on to another aerodrome about three miles south-east, which was at least twelve miles the other side of the line. Seven machines, some with their engines running, were on the ground. He attacked these from about fifty feet, and a mechanic, who was starting one of the engines, was seen to fall. One of the machines got off the ground, but at a height of sixty feet Captain [name] fired fifteen rounds into it at very close range, and it crashed to the ground.

"A second machine got off the ground, into which he fired thirty rounds at 150 yards range, and it fell into a tree.

"Two more machines then rose from the aerodrome. One of these he engaged at the height of 1,000 feet, emptying the rest of his drum of ammunition. This machine crashed 300 yards from the aerodrome, after which Captain [name] emptied a whole drum into the fourth hostile machine, and then flew back to his station.

"Four hostile scouts were about 1,000 feet above him for about a mile of his return journey, but they would not attack. His machine was very badly shot about by machine gun fire from the ground.”

VC Billy Bishop - possibly the only VC awarded for a "self certified" citation