By The Left - Quick March Trivia Quiz

Answer: Leslie Thomas

"The Virgin Soldiers" is a 1966 novel which is an account of a solider called up for National Service in the 1950s. It is set in a British Army base in Singapore and concentrates on the Malayan emergency of the time. Leslie Thomas drew heavily on his own experience of National Service when writing the book. It was later made into a film (1969) starring Hywel Bennet. Despite the subject matter both the book and the film are comedies.

Leslie Thomas was a news reporter before becoming a novelist. He covered the trial of Adolf Eichmann, the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill and many royal tours. "The Virgin Soldiers" was his first novel, but he has gone on to write many others. The "Dangerous Davies Detective Series" have been made into a television series. He has been a regular guest on chat shows and documentaries.

Answer: It Ain't Half Hot Mum

"It Ain't Half Hot Mum" ran on BBC television between 1974 and 1981. Set in Burma and India just after the end of World War II it was about the life of a Royal Artillery Concert Party. As there were no women in the group female parts had to be played by a man, and Melvyn Hayes was that man, hence the name Gloria.

The show also featured Windsor Davies and Don Estelle. Don Estelle had a very good singing voice and the show enabled him and Windsor Davis to have a hit record in 1975 with a version of "Whispering Grass". Melvyn Hayes appeared in both "The Young Ones" and "Summer Holiday" with Cliff Richard.

He has also had parts in "Eastenders", "Drop The Dead Donkey" and "Benidorm".

Answer: Douglas Bader

"Reach for the Sky" (1956) is about Douglas Bader and starred Kenneth Moore. Bader joined the RAF in 1928. In a flying accident in 1930 he lost both legs and had to leave the RAF. However, when war broke out he managed to re-enlist and was soon promoted to Wing Commander. Shot down and captured in 1941 he was eventually imprisoned in the notorious Colditz camp because of his frequent escape attempts. Even taking his artificial legs away from his did not stop him trying to escape.

The film needed very little extra dramatisation as the life of Douglas Bader was extraordinary enough without any embellishment.

After the war he campaigned for the disabled and was knighted for this. He died in 1982.

Answer: Navy

"Bell Bottom Trousers" started life as a Royal Navy drinking song about the seduction of a young serving maid. The politer version was written in 1944 by Moe Jaffe, an American band leader. It became very popular in the latter part of World War 2. The 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army changed it again into "Ninety Pounds of Rucksack" and used it as their official fighting and drinking song.

Answer: Berets

In 1966 Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler wrote and recorded "The Ballad of the Green Berets" while he was recovering from a wound received in Vietnam. The song premiered on the Ed Sullivan show and reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it stayed for five weeks. The song was co-written with Robin Moore, who also wrote a book about The Green Berets. This was later made into a movie with John Wayne (1968) and the song was used on the soundtrack.

The Green Berets are an elite special forces unit of the American army.

Answer: Collapsible canoes

The raid, carried out by British commandos in 1942, had the aim of blowing up German ships while they were in a supposed safe harbour. Taken by submarine to the mouth of the Gironde estuary the men had to paddle around 70 miles in the canoes, plant the mines, and then make their escape by land. Although the raid was successful only two men survived it. Two died of hypothermia, and six were captured and executed. The canoes had to be collapsible as they had to be able to pass through the hatch of the submarine. They were given the codename "Cockle".

Winston Churchill estimated that the raid shortened the war by six months.

The story has been told in several books and in a 1955 film starring Trevor Howard.

Answer: Korea

"M*A*S*H" stood for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital and was about the lives of the personnel of one of these units during the Korean War. It ran from 1972 until 1983. Starring Alan Alda and Loretta Swit the humour was often dark. Even the theme tune, an instrumental version of "Suicide is Painless" was black humour at its very best.

The series won numerous awards including eight Golden Globes, and the very last episode pulled in an audience of 125 million. At the time that made it the most watched television episode in U.S. television history.

Answer: Hornblower

The books, by C.S. Forester, start with "The Happy Return" published in 1937 when Hornblower is already a Captain. Later books chart his career from that of a very sea sick Midshipman through various promotions to Admiral of The Fleet and Knighthood. They have also been made into a television series starring Ioan Gruffudd, as well as a 1951 film "Captain Horatio Hornblower" starring Gregory Peck.

Answer: Zulu

Set during the Anglo-Zulu war, this 1964 film is about the Battle of Rorke's Drift. Famous in British Army history this battle produced no less than eleven Victoria Cross awards when around 150 British and Colonial troops defended their garrison against a Zulu army numbering three to four thousand.

The film was the first starring role for Michael Caine. Despite certain historical inaccuracies it received much critical acclaim and has been named the 37th best British war film.

Answer: John Pertwee

"The Navy Lark" started in 1957 on what was then the British Light Programme. This later became BBC Radio 2. It starred John Pertwee, who went on to become the third Dr. Who, Leslie Phillips and Stephen Murray.Ronnie Barker also contributed the voices of several minor characters.

It was set aboard HMS Troutbridge and featured probably the most inept crew ever assembled on one ship. It was a Sunday afternoon favourite for many years, running for fifteen series.