Here is a military history question for you. What army removed the formation numbers 17, 18 and 19 from
its Order of Battle, never to have them appear again?

By formation I mean a large body of fighting men.

Is it something to do with Warerloo???

Was it the German Imperial Army of the 14/18 war?

Germans do enter into it, but it was not their army that was punished in this manner. I should add, as a clue,
that the formations referred to were numbered in this manner - XVII, XVIII and IXX. The modern numbering
of corps size formations has always been in Roman numerals, whilst divisions were identified by Arabic
numerals. I just cannot help rambling on, but the ones I am looking for did their fighting a very long
time ago. Before Waterloo, too.

A HA, the romans.?

Come on, mate, you are getting hot. Seek the cool of the forest.

Could it be the Roman legions that were decimated by the Huns in AD 200 approx.

Mind you it could also be the three legions distroyed be two welshmen hidding in the fog.But I,ll tell you that story later on

Not Huns, they were still somewhere beyond the Volga, but Germanic Cheruski. The battle is known as the
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, and it happened in AD 9, not AD 200. The Germanic tribes between the Rhine
and Weser Rivers were becoming fed up with the Roman occupation of their land, and Emporer Augustus sent
those three unfortunate legions to put them in their place, under the leadership of someone name Quinctilius
Varus. Under the leadership of a man known as Arminus by the Romans, the wild Germanic tribes drew the
Romans into an ambush in country ill suited to Roman tactics, and literally cut them to pieces.

The largest statue that I have ever seen stands on a hilltop near the town of Detmold, and it is called the
Hermansdenkmal, or Hermans monument, as Herman was his German name. Standing there with his sword
raised to the heavens, it is a most impressive sight, and can be seen for miles around. Thousands of
young British National Servicemen would have seen it from the many garrisons located in that area during
the days of BAOR.

Are well no bad for an educated guess. Almost as good as the Taffy's.
When the roman legions entered Wales, they would always stay on the ridges for better protection from the marauding welsh. One day out of the mist in the valley below came this lone taffy. Ay you romans he shouts up to the romans on the ridges, one welsh man is equal to 100 of you romans. So they send down 100 men into the fog, theres sounds of battle , and then silence. Out of the fog comes the taffy, is that the best youve got, one Welshman is equal to 1000, of you romans.
So into the fog go 1000 romans, sounds of battle ensue then silence. Then this lone roman comes into view all mangled up and covered in blood, shouting its a trap ,dont send any more men its a trap, what do you mean its a trap asks the general.The mortally wounded soldier replies . THERES TWO OF THEM.

Old but Gold xTaffy2 !. Great quiz Malc, and the knowledge gleaned is grist to an enquiring minds mill. More please.
BrianD