Shropshire Routes to Roots

2. Answers

Introduction

Here are the answers, with explanations, to the quiz on the World Wars.

Answers

1. Who was Earl Kitchener of Khartoum?
   • a) No! At the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 (WWI) Earl Kitchener of Khartoum became Secretary of State for War.
   • b) No! Lord Kitchener lost his life in 1916 when the cruiser in which he was travelling to visit the Russian Armies was sunk by a mine off the Orkney Islands in Northern Scotland.
   • c) Yes! Lord Kitchener knew that in order to win the war, he had to get large numbers of men to sign up and so he invented the slogan: "your country needs you".
2. Sergeant Fender was the navigator of which type of aircraft that crashed near Oswestry in World War II?
   • a) Exactly right. This plane crashed above Pen-y-gwely Reservoir. Sergeant Fender died of his injuries, but the rest of the crew were rescued.
   • b) No, but a Vickers Wellington did crash into a farm at Bwlch-y-rhiw about a mile north of Llamsilin.
   • c) No, however one did crash in poor weather on the 30th of october 1941 at Llynclys Hill.
   • d) No. Avro Ansons were used as training aircragft at flyying and navigation schools at Shawbury during World War II. One crashed at Hawkswood copse near Rednall Mill in 1941.
3. Who were "the Pals"?
   • a) No! The Home Guard, originally known as Land Defense Volunteers, was a volunteer army made up of those too old to serve in the regular army. The Government set up the Home Guard in 1940 when there was a real risk of invasion by the Germans.
   • b) Yes! During World War Two, the 6th Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry were known as "the Pals" because many of them were friends who came from the smae area of Shrewsbury and had joined up at the same time.
   • c) No! Lord Robert Baden-Powell founded the Scouting movement in 1907 in England. It was set up to instruct young boys in the art of scouting, observation and tracking along military lines.
4. In what year was rationing introduced during World War Two?
   • a) No! This was the year that World War Two ended. Rationing continued after the war finally ending in 1954.
   • b) No. However, rationing was introduced in World War I. Submarine warfare had resulted in the sinking of supply ships which in turn had resulted in panic buying. In 1918 to combat food shortages the Government introduced food rationing.
   • c) Yes! Rationing was introduced by the Government to ensure that everyone was entitled to the same amount of food at the same price.
5. In what year did World War One start?
   • a) Yes! War was declared on 28th July 1914.
   • b) No! World War Two began in September 1939.
   • c) No! This date marks the end of World War One. A ceasefire (Armistice) was declared on the 11th November 1918.
6. When exactly is a two minutes' silence traditionally held to remember those who died in World War One and other conflicts?
   • a) Yes. The guns stopped firing at 11:00 am on the 11th of November 1918.
   • b) No. World War One ended on the Eleventh Hour, of the Eleventh Day of the eleventh month in 1918. This was called Armistice Day.
   • c) Partly right. World War One did end on the Eleventh November, 1918. But the guns stopped firing at a certain time in the morning, which is the time the two minute silence begins.
7. At the end of World War Two, soldiers were 'demobbed'. What was demobilisation?
   • a) No! Demobilisation was when the discharge papers releasing a soldier from active service. It was a cause for celebration.
   • b) Yes! Soldiers who were 'demobbed' became civilians again and could continue their "normal" lives.
   • c) No! but there were lots of parties at the end of World War Two to celebrat V.E. day.
8. When Park Hall camp was re-opened in 1939, which regiment moved in and remained there for nearly thirty years?
   • a) Yes! 2,500 men from The Royal Artillery arrived at Park Hall camp in mid July 1939, finally leaving in 1968.
   • b) No! The Infantry Junior Leaders arrived at Park Hall camp after the Royal Artillery and stayed there until the closure of the camp in December 1975.
   • c) No! However it became a visitors attraction in 1978 and is now home to The Welsh Guards Museum, although they were never stationed at Park Hall.
9. When children were evacuated, what was attached to the sleeve of their coats to mark them out as evacuees?
   • a) No. The luggage label was attached to the front of each child's coat. The label gave information on the child's name, their destination and where they had come from.
   • b) No, the only information about the child was on the luggage label attached to the front of their coats.
   • c) Yes! Pieces of cloth in the shape of diamonds were sewn on to the sleeves of the evacuees.
10. How many gas masks were distributed during World War Two?
    • a) No! This number is far too low. Everyone was issued with a gas mask.
    • b) No! This is roughly how many people live in Britain today. In 1938-39 38 million gas masks were distributed. There were different masks for children and babies.
    • c) Yes! Following the poisonous gas attacks in World War One, the government was anxious to protect civilians from Gas attack, and issued the whole population with gas masks.

Continue

Return to top of page