Question of the Hour

[Michael OLeary]

4.2" mortars

 

[Cloud Cover]

This 16 year old bluffed his way into the navy in WW2 serving as a tin can sailor in the Pacific theatre. Following the war, he took up film acting and built a succesful career. He played roles in several war films regarding WW2, including war movies where he worked  alongside John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Sean Connery. Can you name this actor, name at least one war movie that he played a role in, and name at least one war movie where he rejected the leading role because he did not want to be seen as glorifying war.

 

[STA Gunner]

I got all your criteria except one.

Rod Steiger joined the US Navy.  He fought in the Pacific.  He was in the Longest Day with all your aforementioned actors.  He turned down the role of Patton in the eponymous film.

I just can't get his age when he joined the Navy.

If I'm right, next one.  A bit easy:  Who won the Canadian VC during the Japanese attack of Hong Kong?

 

[Bill Smy]

WO2 John Robert Osborn, a Company Sergeant Major in the Winnipeg Grenadiers.

 

[Cloud Cover]

Thats right STA.

 

[larry Strong]

Are the questions here, restricted to Canadian Mil History?

 

[Danjanou]

Are the questions here, restricted to Canadian Mil History?

Nope. No real hard and fast rules. Post it and give the others a fair ammount of time depending on the difficulty of the question to ry and answer it.

 

[stukirkpatrick]

What tactic did the American colonists use to successfully take Louisbourg in 1745?

 

[larry Strong]

They landed 8k west of the fort, at "Fresh Water Cove in a flanking manouver, and prececeded overland to the series of low hills overlooking the west walls of the fortress.

 

[Danjanou]

They landed 8k west of the fort, at "Fresh Water Cove in a flanking manouver, and prececeded overland to the series of low hills overlooking the west walls of the fortress.

Or as the French said they cheated, because all those new guns and wall and things were facing the wrong way. Just like that whole Maginot line thing too. ;D

For the record I am in no way casting disparging remarks on my French Canadian brethern here.

 

[stukirkpatrick]

Correct - as well, they also turned the French's own artillery against the fortress, and bombarded it with New England shells that were pre-developed to fit the french guns  8)

 

[redleafjumper]

Here is an easy one. What US hollywood actor served in bombers in WW2 and retired as a reserve Brigadier General?

 

[Danjanou]

served as in bombers in WW2

??? :

Does this mean thay attached props and bombs to him and made him fly over the Ruhr?

Jimmy Stewart retired as an USAF Brig Gen, but as far as I know he always stayed inside the plane.  8)

 

[redleafjumper]

Yes, it's Jimmy!  Sorry about the typos, the brain is composing faster than the fingers can type.  (or is it decomposing...?)

Here's another, perhaps a little more challenging:

Who wrote:  "Dead battles, like dead generals, hold the military mind in their grip and Germans, no less than other peoples, prepare for the last war."

 

[Michael OLeary]

Dead battles, like dead generals, hold the military mind in their death grip, and Germans, no less than other peoples, prepare for the last war. â ” Barbara Tuchman

 

[Michael OLeary]

Who was the Left Hand Man of the Line?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Michael,

Are you talking about the SQ's spot on parade? Or something historic?

 

[Michael OLeary]

Historic.

 

[redleafjumper]

Is this Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar?

 

[Michael OLeary]

Nope, wrong Service, wrong war.