I've been AWOL because of school work for a while. I just found out by PM that I had the right answer. It's fine by me that you asked another one in my absence.

Here's a possible answer. In WWI for security reasons a code name for the new fighting vehicle. Since the early ones were roughly the size and shape of some water tanks it was proposed they be called Tanks. I've heard that it was Churchill that came up with this name, but that almost sounds too good to be true.

Actually there seems to be two similar, but yet different main stories regarding this:

"Tanks were first used in World War I. The name "tank" first arose in British factories making the casings of the first battle tanks: the workmen were given the impression they were constructing tracked water containers for the British army in Mesopotamia."

OR

The name "tank" comes from the security surrounding the development of the weapon. The British did not want the Germans to know what they were developing, so they used a code word. The British called the new vehicle a "water carrier." The story was spread that these vehicles were being built to carry water to the men fighting in the Sinai Desert. The name stuck with the vehicles when they were shipped to France in crates stamped "Tank." They thought if the German saw the crates anywhere, they would think they were water tanks.


Churchill as ‘First Lord of the Admiralty’ first proposed, that to break the deadlock of the trenches a ‘land battleship’ was needed. This ‘land battleship’ could advance through no man's land, virtually impervious to machine gun and artillery fire and take enemy positions. IIRC he commissioned the first prototype as well!

For more info see: http://www.1914-1918.net/tanks.htm

It is when it no longer burns when you pee ... you're overclap.

Later
Dave

I can't say about the Matilda but there are many theories about the Jeep. The most common, and certainly wrong, is that it was from GP, general purpose. From what I understand GP was a designation made by Ford, which had the contract to build most of the Jeeps. GP was an internal code to designate the vehicle type and wheelbase.

The most recognized answer to how it got it's name is that it came from a character in the Popeye cartoons.

Over on The History Channel a guy name Clint posted a great site on the history of the Jeep.

http://members.aol.com/brimiljeep/WebPages/JeepNamePage.html

Probaly something to do with "Waltzing Matilda" and that's a guess from a galaxy far, far away.

I'm dreadful when it comes to asking questions, so I'll yield to someone else......

Very well then! Dave, if you don't mind, I've got one that should be fun...

During WWII, What peculiar trait was shared by British Colonel J. Hamilton Forby & German Diplomat Edmund F. Draecker?

Well, let's see here...
1.nope
2.nope
3.nope
4.nope
5.nope
6.nope
7.nope
8.nope
9.nope
10.nope
11.nope
12.nope



NOPE!


Remember, this is a peculiar trait...I'd say that all those above, either positive or negative, were somewhat common during the 40's.

Also remember- this is trivia. You may not find it in a standard history. I have a funny feeling, however, that Rodger(Halfyank)Cole has access to the answer...

Some how I think Roger has access to every answer, and just allows us mortals to squeeze one in every now and then.... LOL :-) :-) :-) :-)

You give me far too much credit. Until just now I was happily ignorant of either of those two men. Unless of course they were really women? Maybe they both liked to wear women's under ware?

Not that I have ever heard...
Rodger, it just seemed to me that some of your previous Q&A's may have come from a certain reference book- which I have in my posession. (Scharnhorst's turrets names, for example)
These two figures are also mentioned therein...

I lost my 3000 WWII trivia question book......
can't find it anywhere...... I lend to any of yous guys?????

Nope just my quagmire of a brain, my reference library, and of course Google.

Edmund Friedemann (peace man) Draecker was a fictitious German diplomat and forby is London Cockney rhyming slang for Jew, so my guess would be both were fictitious characters.

Bingo! Eric, you nailed it. Not only were they fictitious, they also were said to have been spotted at almost every major action or incident of the war. Kind of the "Forrest Gumps" of WWII.

Take it away, Savage...

Gee.... I was voting for them both wearing ladies skives answer....... :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Good Answer Dave! I was voting for that one too, but other than that, I had no idea :-)

During the Vietnam War, John Pardo pulled off one of the most amazing things I personally have ever heard of. For this ‘deed’ he was almost brought up on charges, but ±20 years later he was finally decorated for this ‘deed’!

What was this amazing deed?

Pushed an F-4 back to base using his aircraft, and the damaged aircrafts tailhook.......

I never heard that one before. Mum was a Cockney, but she used to say the ryming slange thing was just for the tourists. :-) I've heard of the most common ones, apples and pears for stairs, dog his bone for phone, but how do you get Jew out of Forby?

Dave, you got it in one, although not to base, just to a 'safer area'!

Retired Lt. Col. John R. (Bob) Pardo in March of 1967 pulled off one of the most amazing aerial stunts, now known as ‘Pardo’s Push’ – Bob Pardo pushed Capt. Earl Aman and Lt. Bob Houghton’s F-4 via it’s tailhook with his own F-4.

Aviation artist Steve Ferguson's 'Pardo's Push', sums it up.

The ‘bean counters’ figured that he could have saved his F-4 and he was almost brought up on charges for 'loosing' his aircraft – Go figure?

Check out Pardo's Push by John L. Frisbee.
From the site: “The aircraft involved were F-4Ds 63-7653 and 64-0839.”

Your turn Grumps!