Correct!
The British Royal Navy attacked and destroyed much of the French fleet in an attempt to avoid its falling into the hands of the German navy after the French surrender.
Your turn!
What notable incident occurred at Damas in June 1941 ?
The Allies defeated the Vichy French forces to take control of the city?
[quote=“navyson”]
The Allies defeated the Vichy French forces to take control of the city?[/QUOTE]
Weeeell yes that happened, but I mean a more notable, or perhaps odd, event.
Speaking in the vein of French navy, during the battle of Litani River, Australian artillery drove off French naval vessels that had come inshore to help the Vichy French forces. That’s something odd and notable. Even if not the right answer, it’s interesting reading about this little known/publicized part of WW2. More went on in these out of the way places than I imagined!:shock:
Speaking in the vein of French navy, during the battle of Litani River, Australian artillery drove off French naval vessels that had come inshore to help the Vichy French forces. That’s something odd and notable. Even if not the right answer, it’s interesting reading about this little known/publicized part of WW2. More went on in these out of the way places than I imagined!:shock:[/QUOTE]
Nope, not the one I’m looking for.
It’s an event notable for other reasons.
Damas or Damascus? The only Damas’es I can find are in Columbia, Brazil and Costa Rica!
Two different units of the French Foreign Legion, one aligned with Vichy and the other with the Free French, fought each other.
Two different units of the French Foreign Legion, one aligned with Vichy and the other with the Free French, fought each other.[/QUOTE]
Thassit ! 
Crack on Digger.
Thanks. Sorry I took a while to respond with a fresh question.
Here’s a bit of a conundrum.
Who was the Egyptian who could not officially enlist in but served with the Australian 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion in WWII?
He was assigned the service number ‘EX1’, which stood for the first Egyptian enlisment in the 2nd AIF. This was based on Australian service numbers starting with the initial of the Australian state of enlistment followed by X, so that an enlistment in the state of Victoria would have a number starting with VX followed by the next number in a sequence starting at 1. He was issued with an Australian uniform. He was promoted to corporal during his service.
He served in Egypt, Greece (where he gave outstanding service as an aircraft spotter enabling the troops to be amply forewarned of enemy air attacks), Crete, Syria and Palestine.
He survived a sinking during the evacuation from Greece to Crete and was later wounded by a bomb splinter.
Contrary to Australian laws prohibiting his entry as an alien, instead of being abandoned in the Middle East when the unit returned to Australia, he was smuggled into Australia by the returning troops in recognition of his service with them. Upon being discovered by civil authorities in Australia he was ordered to be shot, which caused public outrage. Nonetheless, he was shot dead; was officially declared dead; but was spirited away and survived in excellent health for many years afterwards without officialdom being aware of it. For many years after he survived being shot dead, a wreath was laid in his memory each year on Anzac Day (Australian war memory day) at the Sydney Cenotaph.
A book was written about him by one of Australia’s most popular authors of the time.
Any Aussie who knows the answer off the top of his or her head, please give the others a chance to work it out.
R S*, I’m no Aussie so can I answer ?
You definitely fit into the category of ‘others’ who may answer.
Fire away.
Ta.
The answer is Horrie the Wog Dog.
Picked up by Pte Jim Moody in 1941 and the rest is as Rising Sun* has written.
There’s a book about him by Ion Idriess, (if you can find a copy,) called, oddly enough, “Horrie the Wog-dog: with the A.I.F. in Egypt, Greece, Crete and Palestine.”
Spot on, old chap.
I may even have a copy of Idriess’s book somewhere, or maybe I flogged it off during my ebay obsession.
I reckon Horrie deserves a bit more recognition than just in an obscure quiz thread, so I’ve given it to him in an obscure other military units thread. http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?p=146615#post146615
Your turn.
Apologies for the delay.
Lets try this more cryptic one:
How did a major ingredient to make a right saucy bolognaise of an arctic dog come from the singing of a cold martin from an angel ?
(Those members whose first language is not English are welcome to PM me for clues.)
What about those of us who don’t speak the “English” version of English?
(My “Texas English” didn’t prepare me for this.)
Never fear.
Outside America, it is generally accepted among English speakers that Americans don’t speak English.
As for Texans, well, we’ve heard Dubya introduce a vowel into ‘nucular’. but what can be expected from a people who call aluminium ‘aluminun’?
What about those of us who don’t speak the “English” version of English?
(My “Texas English” didn’t prepare me for this.);)[/QUOTE]
Clues sent via PM mate.
Colonel Mustard in the Library with a candlestick? :mrgreen:
(From the board game “Clue”)
P.S. Still working on it.
Ah yes, Cluedo (in the rest of the world,) aka the Advanced Crime Detection cse for the SIB.
Let me know if you require further direction pal.