1. This ritual is said to have originated from France. When knights greeted each other in public they used to raise their visors to show their faces as a way of saying ‘This is who I am, and I am not afraid.’ To help with this procedure, visors had a small spike on the right side with which to raise it. What common military ritual stems from this?
2. This custom stems from naval tradition, where a warship would fire all its cannons harmlessly out to sea, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent. The fort on land will fire their cannons in response to indicate the same. The standard number of cannons on a British vessel was seven. And because gunpowder was easier to keep dry on land than on sea it was a ritual that to each shot from sea, the fort would fire three shots in response. What modern day ritual, which you will see on January 26 in India is said to have come from this?
3. Half-mast refers to a flag flying below the summit on a pole. Technically, flags are said to be half-mast if flown from ships, and half-staff if on land. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect or mourning. The tradition is supposed to have come from the 17th century when the flag was lowered to make space for an ‘invisible flag of death’ flying above. This is an international tradition, but four countries do not follow it. What is present on the flags of Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Iran and Iraq that does not usually allow the flag to be lowered in any situation?
4. This is a military ceremony dating to 16th century England and was first used to recall nearby patrolling units to their castle. Originally it was initiated at sunset by the firing of a single round from the evening gun. The term is seen in a 1690 letter of James II to the drummers of the regiment to order his troops back from the watch. In India, it officially denotes the end of Republic Day festivities and happens on the evening of January 29 at Vijay Chowk. What is this ceremony which Doordarshan has been faithfully covering for decades?
5. Burning in a shrine under the arch of India Gate since 1971 is the Amar Jawan Jyoti that marks this place. This is a cenotaph in dedication to the common memories of all soldiers killed in any war. These monuments are found all over the world and are highly revered places. What are these known as?
6. The stechschritt is a special marching step performed on formal military parades and other ceremonies. While marching in parade formation, troops swing their legs in unison off the ground while keeping each leg straight and unbent. The march was developed in Prussia to send a clear message. To Prussia’s generals, it said that the discipline and athleticism of their men would withstand all orders, no matter how painful or ludicrous. The Russians and even North Korea employ the march. The stechschritt has another name which is supposed to have come from the fact that during initial training the soldiers are made to repeatedly shift from standing on one leg to another leg, very much like a particular bird. What is this march which the Nazi army employed?
7. In 1941 Willys-Overland’s newly designed small trucks were pressed into military service. These were given the classification ‘G.P’. This was thought to stand for ‘General Purpose’, but actually ‘G’ stood for Government and ‘P’ for 80-inch wheelbase recon vehicles. This acronym was soon being used as one word. What word did it become which is now a popular type of vehicle?
8. The Border Security Force (BSF) is the primary border guarding force of India. It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of the Union of India. The BSF is touted to be the world’s largest border guarding force and has been termed as the First Line of Defence of Indian Territories. What particular mode of transport do they use’ which makes them the only ones in the world to do so on a full-time basis?
9. This is a place where military personnel socialise and eat. It comes from an old French word, which means ‘portion of food’. It comes from the Latin ‘mittere’ that means ‘to put on table’. What is this space that can nowadays be seen outside military establishments as well?
10. The scientific name for this animal is X lupus familiaris, of which X is the genus. In 1959, these animals were pressed in to service in the Indian Army. They are given rigorous training in explosive detection, mine detection, tracking, guarding and assaulting at the Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre and College in Meerut. The unit is officially given an alpha-numeric name because it sounds like the description of the genus ‘X’. What is the unit name and what is the genus description?
Answers
1. The salute
2. The 21-gun salute
3. The Shahada, which is an Islamic creed that declares belief in the oneness of God. Lowering a representation of the Shahada is an insult in Islam.
4. Beating Retreat
5. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
6. The Goose Step
7. Jeep
8. Camels
9. Mess
10. K-9, Canine
