| A |
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| Adjutant |
An officer, usually a senior Captain, that serves
as an administration assistant to the Commanding Officer. His main roles
are non-logistical and concentrate on correspondence on behalf of the CO,
the issuing of orders and other such administration. |
| Administration |
The management and execution of all military
matters not included in tactics and strategy but mainly involving personnel
matters, logistics and office matters. |
| Advanced Dressing Station |
A medical unit in or near the front line where
casualties were first treated after the Regimental Aid Post. See Regimental
Aid Post and Casualty Clearing Station. |
| AEF American Expeditionary Force. |
Those American troops that served under General
Pershing during The Great War in Europe. |
| Alliance |
A formal agreement between nations to assist
each other, usually militarily or to achieve an aim. |
| ANZAC |
Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, it was
also the name given to the beach on the Gallipoli Peninsula where the troops
of the Australian and NZ Army Corps landed. Later in the war it was used
as a generic term for any Australian or New Zealand soldier belonging to
one of the two ANZAC Corps. After The Great War, the term came to signify
anyone who served at Gallipoli from Australia or New Zealand and this meaning
is still in use today. Click Here for a
more in depth explanation of how the term came about. |
| Approach march |
The movement of troops to the point at which
they would conduct an attack. Usually the approach march would be made the
night before the attack. |
| Approaches |
When used as a noun, the regions through which
an attacker draws close or can draw close to an enemy position. |
| Arc of Fire |
The segment of a horizontal circle through which
fire may be directed from a weapon without actually picking it up and shifting
it. Interlocking arcs of fire meant that they overlapped and fire from two
weapons could be brought on an area. |
| Army |
Generally, that element of a nation's defences
that is designed and organised to conduct warfare on land. Specifically,
it could mean a tactical and administrative element consisting of two or
more corps. In the latter sense, it is usually called a Field Army and is
commanded by a General. |
| Artillery |
A general
term used to describe gunpowder weapons that are too large to be carried
by hand. From the French artiller meaning to equip with weapons, artillery
can be classed as field artillery, usually relatively easy to transport
and using weapons not normally larger than 105mm in calibre, to medium artillery
and heavy artillery. The respective regiments of artillery are thus known
as Field Regiments or Medium Regiments. Heavy artillery does not presently
exist in The Australian Army. |
| Artillery formation |
A formation
by which troops could move across open ground to minimise the effects of
artillery fire. In essence, the troops would not travel in close proximity
so that an exploding shell would not cause casualties with a greater number
of men. |
| ASC Australian Service Corps. |
A branch of the AIF that concerned itself with the
movement of materiel to the front. |
| Attrition |
The method of reducing the effectiveness of a force
by wearing it down. This was the tactic in use on the Western Front and
other theatres of The Great War. The idea was that if more of the enemy's
men could be killed or wounded than your own men then you would win. This
tactic resulted in incredible hardship and a static front line as opposed
to the more dynamic style of fighting of later years. |
| AWL or AWOL |
Absent
Without Leave or Absent Without Official Leave. The charge applied to a
person who leaves their post although it implies that the person was intending
to return. Desertion, on the other hand, implies that the person had no
intention of returning. |
|
| B |
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| Bandoleer |
A leather
belt worn across the body draped over the shoulder and attached at the waist.
The musketeers of the 17th Century wore such an article to carry the powder
charges and bullets for their muskets (Customs para 288). The Australian
Light Horse wore such an article as a part of their uniform and it has been
said that the military symbol for cavalry, a rectangle with a diagonal line,
was chosen to represent that piece of equipment. |
| Bangalore torpedo |
A pipe
like device filled with explosives. The idea was that it could be pushed
under barbed wire entanglements and exploded thus cutting the wire. Named
after a town in India where they were first used. |
| Barrage |
To throw explosive shells at the enemy. A Creeping
or Rolling Barrage was one fired by friendly artillery to cover the advance
of infantry. It would gradually move forward in front of the troops, creeping
or rolling along the ground and would thus assist and protect them. |
| Battalion |
The basic
unit of the Army. About 550 men at normal strength, it usually consisted
of three to four companies and is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. Deriving
from the Italian word battuo meaning beat, Roman soldiers would conduct
battalia, or war exercises. The word battle stems from this origin through
Italian and French. Battalions were groups of men that would be called upon
to go into battle and were organised for this task. The French word for
battalion - battailon - still exists today. |
| Battery |
When referring
to artillery, a group of between four to eight guns (usually six but four
was common in The Great War). It equates roughly to a company in its organisation
and is made up of Sections of two or three guns. |
| Bayonet |
A knife that was attached to the end of a rifle so
that it could be used in close quarters combat turning a rifle into a spear.
Early bayonets were spikes that were jammed into the barrel of a rifle but
then later attached to the outside of the barrel so that the rifle could
still be used for firing. From the French word bayoner meaning to put a
tap in a cask or baïonnette, someone from the region of Bayonne in
France. |
| Billet |
When used
as a noun, usually a private home where a soldier was accommodated. Many
French families allowed Australian troops to be billeted with them and strong
friendships invariably grew. |
| Billjim |
Australian soldiers' nickname for themselves. |
| Bivouac |
A temporary assembly or encampment where troops could
rest or remain, usually overnight and usually without shelter. |
| Bomb |
When used
in reference to The Great War, it normally meant grenades, although it came
to mean those explosives dropped from aircraft. Along with other types of
explosive devices placed or thrown by hand, a bomb today usually means a
purpose designed explosive device dropped from an aircraft or a hand placed
explosive device used by terrorists/criminals. See Mills Grenade |
| Bombard |
Used as a verb, it means to pelt the enemy
with shells or bombs. See Bombardier. |
| Bombardier |
A rank in Artillery that is the equivalent of a corporal.
A bombard was a form of cannon used in the middle ages; a bombardier was
the person charged with using it. |
| Bombstop |
A construction
of earth or other materials (such as wood and wire) so that bombs thrown
towards a position could be deflected or stopped and detonate without harm.
Some bombstops at Gallipoli were constructed so that they could be lowered
to allow bombs to be thrown towards the Turks and then quickly raised to
prevent the Turkish bombs falling into their trenches. |
| Booby trap |
A manner
of rigging an explosive or some other device to injure a person. During
The Great War Pickelhaubes, German spiked helmets, were often booby trapped
and caused many injuries amongst Australian soldiers who were renowned for
being souvenir hunters. |
| Bracket |
The manner
by which artillery fire is adjusted so that it falls on target. Usually
a shot would be fired on one side of the target and one on the other and
then allowances made based on where the shots fell in order to get the correct
range. Similar to brackets surrounding a word. |
| Brigade |
A formation of three to four battalions. Commanded
by a Brigadier General, now known just as a Brigadier, three brigades made
up a Division. |
| Brigade Major |
The senior
major of a brigade responsible for much of the administrative duties on
behalf of the Brigadier. Similar to an Adjutant in a battalion. |
| Brigadier General |
The General
Rank commanding a Brigade. Today, the suffix General is not used and Brigadier
is the correct term. See General. |
| Bunker |
A small defensive position used to cover an important
position such as a gun emplacement or troop area. May be made of reinforced
concrete or other materials. See Pillbox. |
| C |
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| Cadre |
(pr Car-der) A group of specialists or otherwise
experienced persons around which a unit could be raised and trained. In
many instances in The Great War, certain troops were left out of battle
so that if casualties were too great, the unit could be rebuilt around them.
In The Australian Army today, regular army personnel are attached to reserve
units to provide training. They are known as Cadre Staff. |
| Caisson |
The wagon on which a gun is carried and which
is horse drawn. Also a device used in building bridges. |
| Calibre |
The diameter of a projectile and/or the bore
of the barrel through which it is fired. Usually expressed in millimetres
or inches, the standard weapon of the Australian soldier was the SMLE .303
where the calibre was .303 inches which equates to 7.62mm. Artillery could
also be referred to by use of a weight. For example, the "eighteen
pounder" fired a shell weighing 18 ½ pounds but had a calibre
of 3.3 inches. |
| Camouflage |
The act of or the materials used to disguise
a person or object so that it is made difficult to see. If the size, shape,
colour and surface of an object could be altered so that it blended in with
its surroundings, the enemy were less likely to be able to detect it. |
| Camouflet |
A landmine placed in or near an enemy's mining
tunnel so that its explosion would cause it to collapse. |
| Campaign |
A phase or a stage of a war that involves several
operations. It usually has a specific aim or strategic objective, for example,
the Gallipoli campaign. Medals awarded for service in such campaigns were
known as Campaign medals. |
| Cannon |
Usually meaning a large gunpowder weapon too
heavy to be moved by hand. It can also be used to refer to a weapon with
a calibre greater than 20mm so that cannon can be used to refer to weapons
mounted on aircraft or other vehicles. Also the name for a specific type
of artillery used in the 16th Century. |
| Captain |
The most senior of the Subaltern Rank. A Captain
can be a platoon leader but usually will be found as a 2IC of a company.
From Latin caput meaning head, it became capitaneus in late
Latin meaning chief which then spawned capitaine in French. In general,
it means Chief Leader or Chief of a Company and was used to describe a head
general. |
| Casualty |
Normally used to mean a soldier that was wounded,
it could also mean a soldier wounded or killed when referring to the number
of casualties after a battle if the two are not differentiated. |
| Casualty Clearing Station |
The primary medical establishment behind the
lines where wounded were first brought before being evacuated to hospitals.
See Advanced Dressing Station and RAP. |
| Cavalry |
Troops mounted on horseback trained in fighting
from their mounts. Deriving from the Latin word for horse, caballus
it spawned the words cavallo, (Italian), and chevalier, (French)
meaning horseman. The cavalry differed from Light Horse in the manner in
which they fought and were equipped. With the demise of the horse in warfare,
the term went on to refer to armoured units or, in some American cases,
helicopter borne troops esp dur the Vietnam War. See Light Horse, Australian. |
| CCS |
See Casualty Clearing Station. |
| Chain of Command |
The succession of commanders through which authority
is exercised. The Administrative chain of command is permanent whereas an
operational chain of command could be of a temporary nature and may only
be established for the purpose of an operation. |
| Chat |
As a noun, a euphemism for body lice. As a verb,
it meant to inspect one's self or one's clothes for lice. |
| Chevron |
A mark or insignia in the shape of a 'V' used
to indicate rank. Also known as a stripe (mainly US) or a hook (mainly Australian). |
| Chief of the General Staff |
The senior officer of the general staff. A
chief of staff is the head of an organisational staff where as the CGS is
specifically the head of staff made up of General rank. In the modern military,
this would normally mean the head of the nation's Army as opposed to the
Chief of Air Staff who was the chief of the nation's Air Force or the Chief
of Naval Staff who headed the nation's navy. This has since been changed
to Chief of Army, Chief of Navy and Chief of Air Force who serve under the
Chief of the Defence Force. |
| CO Commanding Officer. |
Usually
the Lieutenant Colonel in command of a battalion or a regiment when used
to refer to Army formations. |
| Colonel |
The highest of the Field Rank. Originally in
command of a regiment, that role is now the domain of the Lieutenant Colonel
who commands a battalion or regiment. Its origins date from 1505 when the
King of Spain created 20 tactical formations, or columns known as "colunelus".
The head of one of these units, which roughly equates to a battalion, was
known as the "cabo de colunela" which literally means head
of the column. The French adopted the unit and the rank, which was, in turn,
adopted by the British. How the English got to pronounce it 'Kernel' is
beyond me. |
| Colours |
|
Colours refer to the flag of a
unit, corps or formation. The flag could be a flag in the normal
sense or a guidon or other standard. It has evolved to be one of the
most sacred symbols of a military formation and is usually
emblazoned with battle honours showing significant battles the unit
has fought.
The origin of colours will
vary, depending on the historian, but it is safe to say that roman
legions carried aloft the eagle motif (SPQR) as a symbol of the
might of Rome, its army and senate. During the Middle Ages, the
armorial bearings of knights were worn as a surcoat over their
armour and were often held aloft as a rallying point that could be
easily seen in the heat of battle. With the organisation of armies
in the 17th Century, regiments were assigned colours.
Today, colours are presented
by a monarch or other significant person and are held with the
highest respect by the formation or unit. If they are ever paraded,
they are usually done so with a ceremonial armed guard and if they
become old and worn, they are to be disposed of in a dignified and
solemn manner. In some instances, contained in a chapel or other
sacred place and allowed to mould to dust. |
|
| Command Post |
The place where command of an operation or other
activity is undertaken. It will normally have appropriate communications
equipment and a means of viewing the overall situation (eg battle maps,
electronic mapping equipment, tracking equipment). The relevant command
personnel will be in attendance and will oversee and coordinate all aspects of
the operation or activity. |
| Commandant |
|
| Commission |
|
| Corporal |
A rank
below sergeant but above private. Usually in command of a section of men.
The Latin cap, meaning head or highest, is the most likely source of this
word which evolved through the Italian capodi which, in turn, meant
the head of a section. The French word for corporal is caporal and
is the most logical source of the name. Some examples cite the Latin corpus
(body) as the origin where a corporal was in charge of a body of men. This
is unlikely as the word corps originated from this word. Terms like corporal
punishment inferred a punishment against the body and should not be seen
as any reference to the rank of corporal. See Section and Lance. |
| Corps |
From the French word for 'body', it means a body of
persons organised into a formation. In the organisational hierarchy of the Army,
it usually denotes three or more Divisions. It can also mean an organisational
formation of a particular arm of the Army. In the Australian sense, each of the
specialities of the Army are organised into 'Corps'. For example, all equipment,
manpower and activities related to flying are organised into the Australian Army
Aviation Corps. For all those activities and manpower related to transport, they
are organised into the Royal Australian Corps of Transport. In the American
sense, this would be called a 'branch'. |
| Court Martial |
A disciplinary tribunal made up of military personnel
concerned with hearing cases involving military personnel and offences against
the Defence Force Disciplinary Act (in Australia) or the Uniform Code of
Military Justice (in the US) or other such codified rules regarding military
behaviour. Like many other military terms, the main noun is described first (in
this case, 'Court') and then the modifying word or descriptor is second (in this
case, 'Martial' meaning 'related to war or the military). So in proper English,
it should really be called a 'Martial Court' but is known ubiquitously as a
Court Martial. The plural of this is Courts Martial. |
| CSM |
Company Sergeant Major. The most senior Non
Commissioned Officer at sub-unit level. He or she is the right-hand man/woman of
the Officer Commanding (normally Major rank). A CSM is known as a Squadron
Sergeant Major in Aviation, Engineer, Armoured units and a BSM is a Battery
Sergeant Major in Artillery units. See Sergeant. |
| |
|
| D |
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| Dead ground |
An area of ground that cannot be seen (or fired upon)
by the enemy because it is shielded by terrain or higher ground or some other
obstacle. |
| Dead meat tickets (IDDisks) |
Another nickname for identity disks (dogtags). |
| Defile/Defilade |
An area of ground where formed bodies of men must
break formation (ie de-file) in order to pass through it. |
| Digger |
The term used to describe an Australian soldier.
Today, it is more common to use the term in reference to Australian soldiers
that are not NCOs or Warrant or Commissioned Officers, especially in the
Corps of Infantry. The origin of the term is disputed. Some say that it
has its beginnings in the Australian gold fields of the 19th Century where
men there were called "Diggers". Others say that the high numbers
of ex-gold miners that filled the ranks of the AIF gave birth to the term.
Yet another theory is that General Hamilton, in charge of the forces on
the Gallipoli Peninsula, when asked to decide if the ANZACs should be evacuated
after the disaster of The Landing, wrote to General Birdwood and told him
of his decision to remain. He ended his letter with a postscript. Bean's
Official History (Vol. 1 p 461) cites it thus;"PS - You have got
through the difficult business, now you have only to dig, dig, dig until
you are safe. Ian H." |
| Direct fire |
|
| Division |
|
| Dog Tag |
A nickname for identity disks. See also 'Dead Meat
Tickets'. |
| DOW |
Died of Wounds. An abbreviation used to signify a
person who was wounded and subsequently died, usually after being removed to a
safe area or hospital facility. |
| Drum |
|
| Duckboard |
|
| E |
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page |
| Echelon |
|
| Egg |
|
| |
|
| Enfilade |
|
| Epaulette |
|
| Estaminet |
|
| F |
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| Feint |
|
| Field |
|
| Field Ambulance |
|
| Field Marshal |
|
| Field Rank |
|
| First Lieutenant See Lieutenant |
|
| Flank |
|
| Flare |
|
| Fog of War |
|
| Force Multiplier |
|
| Forced March |
|
| Fortified Line |
|
| Fritz |
The German nickname for Freidrich. Prussian King
Freidrich II and German Emporor Freidrich III were nicknamed 'Fritz' and the
name went on to be used to denote the Germans in general, and German soldiers in
particular. Used by the British during WW1 and in WW2, the American prefererance
was for the term 'Kraut' after the German dish sauerkraut. |
| Front |
|
| Furphy |
Slang term for a rumour. From the name of the
manufacturer of a type of water cart used to supply water in military camps. The
cart was embossed with the name 'Furphy & Sons' and like a modern day water
cooler in an office, men would gather around the Furphy cart to get a drink and
to gossip. Thus, rumours obtained at the water cart were known as 'furphies'.
Also shortened to 'Furph'. |
| G |
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| Gas |
|
| General |
The term
General comes from the Latin Generalis, meaning of a particular kind.
One derivitive, when used as a pre-nominal or immediate post-positive, is
to have a superior or extended authority or rank, General Manager, for example.
According to Military traditions and customs, (para 2-913), the reformation
of the Army by Cromwell in 1645 after the English Civil War, created the
army commander Captain- General Sir Thomas Fairfax, the cavalry commander,
Lieutenant-General Cromwell and the infantry commander Sergeant-Major General
Skippon. The prefixes Captain and Sergeant were eventually dropped which
explains the anomaly of why a Major General is junior to a Lieutenant General
(see Lieutenant and Sergeant). The Cavalry was the senior branch of the
army, thus the senior general rank of the cavalry commander. The collective
term for Brigadiers, Major-Generals, Lieutenant Generals, Generals and Generals
of the Army is "General Rank". |
| General Hospital |
|
| Gong |
A nickname for a medal, due to the similarity to the
shape of a 'gong' that hangs from a frame. |
| Gorget |
Also known as a "Red Tab". Formerly,
the cuirass, the front and back plates of armour that knights would wear,
rested on a crescent-shaped piece of metal that hung around the neck of
the warrior to protect the throat and support the cuirass. This was the
gorget, from the Old French gorge, meaning throat. The wearing of armour
discontinued, however the practice of wearing the gorget continued as the
sign of an officer. The size of the gorget dwindled to an ornamental object
suspended around the neck by ribbons. As uniforms changed and evolved, the
two places on the collar from where the gorget hung, were signified by red
cloth patches.(Customs paras 295-296) |
| Grenade |
|
| Gun |
|
| H |
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of page |
| Headquarters |
|
| Heavy HQ Coy, Bty, Tp etc |
|
| Hindenburg line |
|
| Hop the bags |
A slang term for leaving the protection of a trench
and advancing towards the enemy. It stems from the practice of using sandbags to
reinforce the top (parapet) of a trench. So in order to advance, one had to
climb over the sandbags to get out of the trench, or 'hop the bags'. |
| Hospital Ship |
|
| Howitzer |
|
| Hun |
|
| I |
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| Identity disc |
|
| Indirect fire |
|
| Infantry |
Foot Soldiers. The derivation of the word is
said to come from the French word for children; enfants. This term
alluded to manner in which the foot soldiers walked behind the mounted officers,
similar to a line of children. The French word for Infantry is infanterie,
and sometimes an Infantryman is still called an "infanteer". Other
modifiers are used to describe different types of infantry. Mounted Infantry
denotes infantry mounted on horseback or other types of beasts of burden.
The Australian Light Horse were mounted infantry. Today, it refers to infantry
that are in vehicles such as Armoured Personnel Carriers or the like. It
does not mean that these vehicles belong to that unit, however. Mechanized
Infantry are also mounted in vehicles. The difference being that the
vehicles are an integral part of the unit's equipment and tactics are planned
accordingly to incorporate this mobility. Light Infantry is a British
notion with its origins in their war with France in North America during
the 1750s. These men were lightly equipped and given special training allowing
them to move quickly through hard terrain, use personal initiative and ambush
and skirmish the enemy. It was so successful that the best soldiers in a
regiment were chosen to fill the ranks of Grenadiers and Light Infantry
and soon Regiments had companies of both. These companies were known as
Flank Companies and were often combined with other flank companies to form
special units. The use of Light Infantry became a compliment of the highest
order. Heavy Infantry is a term not often found but can be used to
differentiate between Light Infantry and other infantry equipped with heavier
equipment. |
| Insignia |
|
| J |
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page |
Jump off
Jumping off tape |
|
| K |
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| K.I.A. |
Killed In Action. |
| L |
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page |
Lance
|
|
| Lancers See Light Horse, Australian |
|
| Landing, The |
The term used to describe the landing of ANZAC forces
at Gallipoli on 25 April, 1915. Also known as 'The Landings at Anzac (Cove)'. |
| Lewis Gun |
|
| Lieutenant |
The most
junior of the subaltern ranks. From the French lieu, place, and tenant,
holder, the holder of the place. As such, it meant a junior rank holding
the position of a more senior rank or an assistant or deputy. Thus arose
the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and Lieutenant General which, over time,
came to have their own responsibilities. Today, a Lieutenant is junior to
a Captain and normally holds command of a sub-unit of the size of a platoon
or its equivalent. A 2nd Lieutenant is junior to a Lieutenant who may be
referred to as 1st Lieutenant when differentiation is necessary to avoid
confusion. Along with Captain, they comprise the subaltern ranks. See Subaltern. |
| Lieutenant Colonel |
The Field
Rank officer usually in command of a battalion or equivalent. Addressed
or referred to by the shortened form, "Colonel", except when confusion
may arise or when being announced. See Lieutenant and Colonel. |
| Lieutenant General |
The General Rank Officer commanding a Corps.
Addressed or referred to by the shortened form, "General", except
when confusion may arise or when being announced. Also see General |
| Light Horse, Australian |
|
| Line of Communication |
|
| Listening Post |
|
| LOB |
|
| Logistics |
|
| M |
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page |
| M.I.A. |
Missing in Action. |
| M.I.D. |
Mentioned In Dispatches. A form of acknowledgement of an act of bravery or
outstanding service that is regarded as being of particular merit but not
warranting other forms of acknowledgement such as a commendation or medal. In
the Australian Army, an MID allows the recipient to wear an insignia. The origin
of the process stems from..xxxxxxxxxx |
| Machine gun |
|
| Major |
The Field Rank Officer commanding a Company.
See Sergeant. |
| Major General |
The General Rank Officer commanding a Division.
Also see General or Sergeant. |
| Medal |
|
| Military |
|
| Militia |
|
| Mills Bomb |
|
| Mine |
|
| Mortar |
|
| Mounted |
|
| N |
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page |
| No man's land |
|
| Non Commissioned Officer |
A person who holds an official position or office by virtue of being
promoted above the rank of private (or equivalent). That is to say, a Lance
Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant (or equivalent) holds an official position of
authority by virtue of their rank, but do not hold a 'warrant' or 'commission'
to wield that authority. |
| O |
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| Objective |
|
| OC |
Officer Commanding. In the Army, this is usually
person who commands a sub-unit and normally refers to a sub-unit of company size
or equivalent and is usually of Major rank. The Commanding Officer (CO) on the
other hand is the unit commander and is usually a Lieutenant Colonel. (The
opposite is true of the Air Force where the OC is the unit commander and the CO
is a sub-unit commander). |
| Officer |
A person who holds an official post or office. There
are three types of officer: A commissioned officer, a warrant officer and a
non-commissioned officer. It is most common to refer to commissioned officers
simply as 'officers'.
A commissioned officer holds a 'queen's commission' or
'king's commission' to hold an office or official post. A warrant officer holds
a royal warrant to hold an office or official post. A non-commissioned officer
holds an office or official post by virtue of promotion above the rank of
private or equivalent. |
| Operation |
|
| Order of Battle |
|
| Other Ranks or O.R.s |
A term used to describe all military personnel who do
not hold commissioned officer status. In the US, the term is Enlisted personnel.
In some instances, it excludes all Warrant Officers and Non-Commissioned
Officers... but usually only two delineations are made; Officers and O.R.s. In
the navy, the term used is Ratings. In the Air Force, the common term is
'Troops'. |
| Outflank |
|
| Over the top |
To leave the protection of a trench (or other defensive feature) and advance
towards the enemy by climbing over the parapet. (See parapet. See 'Hop the
bags'.) |
| P |
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| Parados |
Similar to a parapet but to the rear of the trench. It
may act as protection from the rear (from a surprise attach from enemy) or it
could be used to prevent silhouetting of soldiers who may be peering over the
parapet (known as 'skylining' because the shapes of the soldiers are silhouetted
against the skyline). |
| Parapet |
The built up part of a trench that faces the enemy and
is used as protection from fire. A breastwork is similar but usually, as the
name suggests, only reaches to chest height. A breastwork may actually be built
and made of stone or sandbags or other protective material. A parapet is usually
considered to be part of a dug trench system. |
| Picquet or Picket |
An actual line or place, or the activity of
being placed, forward of the main area to be guarded. A person/s or ship
or vehicle on picket duties is there to provide early warning of enemy advance
or activity. In tactical terms for the Army, it
usually denotes a guard or listening post. A staggered picket is a picket of two
or more men who start and stop their duties at alternating times so that at
least one person is fresh and rested. The term picquet is the old spelling of
the word, but it is also a form of medieval torture. |
| Pillbox |
A fortified bunker, usually of concrete reinforced
with steel and equipped with firing slits. So called because they resembled
small pill-boxes that were common in the era to hold medicine pills. The
German army was adept at using them and built a great number of them, especially
along the Hindenburgh line and the area east of Ypres. Many awards for bravery
were given to men who attempted to capture and or silence these strongpoints
that often held up advances with deadly criss-crossing arcs of machine gun
fire. Not a few of them were post-humous. |
| Pioneer |
In European armies of the eighteenth century,
Pioneers were groups of men detailed to march ahead of regiments and clear
the way. For this task they were equipped with axes and stout leather aprons.
The term is used today to denote combat engineers who are tasked with destroying
obstacles so that an attack may proceed. |
| Platoon |
A sub-unit
of a company. Comprising of three or four sections, (24 to 60 men), it is
commanded by a Lieutenant or formerly a Captain. Equivalent sub-units would
be a Section of Artilleryxxxxxxx, or a troop of Cavalry xxxxxxx. It derives
from the French word pelote meaning ball. Even today, peleton means a group
of men especially of gendarmes or firefighters. |
| Poilu |
French
slang term for a soldier, the equivalent of "Digger" in the Australian
Army. It means lit. hairy or hairy one. Probably an indication of the unshaven
front line soldiers. |
| Puggaree |
From the
Hindi word pugre which was a thin scarf of muslin or similar material worn
around the head or helmet with its end falling over the back of the neck
in order to provide shade. A plain khaki hat band known as a Puggaree was
worn around the slouch hat which was changed to a pleated, coloured puggaree
denoting a branch of the arms or service. The seven folds in the current
puggaree denote the members of the Australian Army that hail from the seven
states and territories. |
| Push |
|
| Puttee |
The strips of
cloth worn around the lower leg designed to keep the mud out of the boots.
From the Sanskrit word for cloth, pattika, it became patti in Hindi. |
| PW |
Prisoner
of War. Also known as a POW. |
| Q |
Return to top of page |
| Quarter Master |
(The following definition is from Wikipedia and has
been adjusted to make it relevant to the Australian Army).
In the Army the Quartermaster (QM) is the officer in a
battalion or
regiment responsible for
supply. By longstanding tradition, he or she is normally commissioned from the
ranks (and is usually a former Regimental Sergeant Major or similar and holds
the rank of captain or major Some units also have a Technical Quartermaster, who
is in charge of technical stores. The Quartermaster is assisted by the
Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant (RQMS) and a staff of storemen.
In the Navy, the Quartermaster is a position responsible for navigation rather
than supply.The term originates from the German
Quartiermeister (master of the royal quarters) and denoted a person who
was responsible for the monarch's quarters. |
| R |
Return to top of page |
| Rank |
Usually
the status or grade of a member of an organisation. Eg Corporal, or Captain.
It also referred to the way in which troops were lined up in formation which
consisted of ranks (lines of individuals) and files (columns of individuals)
and thus the term "rank and file". The term "other ranks"
refers to all members who do not hold warrants or commissions, |
| Reconnaissance |
|
| Redoubt |
A fortified position. Usually away from the
main line of troops but could also mean a fortified part of the front line.
Sometimes large shell craters were fortified to such an extent that they
were called redoubts. |
| Re-entrant |
In fortifications or defensive lines, a re-entrant is
an area of the line that bulges into friendly territory and is held by the
enemy. The opposite of a salient. In topography/geography, a re-entrant is
similar to a gully or other feature of low ground, usually caused by the erosive
effects of a stream or river. The opposite is a spur. |
| Regiment |
A regiment
can be an operational unit or an administrative unit or even a notion, the
name has changed meanings through the years. The origin of the word is Latin.
Regere, meaning to rule, was later used in the word regimentum, meaning
government. The idea of a Regiment as a military term is a little confusing
to the uninitiated, and even to those who use it every day. Briefly, it
can be explained thus.French monarchs during the later Middle Ages raised
the first regiments from local areas. They were governed, that is commanded,
by a Colonel and were usually maintained within a geographical area for
defence of that area, say, the feudal lord's estate or the monarch's kingdom.
The British Army raised regiments of infantry in geographical areas after
the English Civil War. They usually consisted of two or more regular battalions,
one that remained in England and one that was used overseas say, in the
colonies. This was so that a soldier could serve both at home and overseas
in the same regiment and be administered by the same unit. Regiments of
mounted troops continued to be raised as well. As time passed, the idea
of a regiment composing of two regular battalions of infantry faded such
that the regiment was the main administrative functional command. To that
end, one might find such names as "The Kennedy Regiment" in Queensland,
or "The Sydney University Regiment". Even though they did not
have the numbers of men to form two complete battalions, the regiment was
the way they were administered. Another example is the Royal Australian
Regiment, which is made up of many battalions of regular and reserve soldiers.
Even though the term regiment is no longer used by The Australian Army to
denote a unit of infantry of a specific size, it is still used by units
that evolved from mounted troops such as Armoured Corps and Aviation Corps.
Engineers also form along the same lines where a Regiment equates to a battalion
in size and is made up of Squadrons. See Squadron, The Order of Battle,
See RSM |
| Revolver |
|
| Rifle |
The common meaning of this word is a shoulder
fired weapon with a long barrel and used by a single person. However, it
also means a spiral scratch or groove inside the barrel of such a weapon
designed to make the bullet or projectile spin during its flight thus aiding
accuracy. Deriving from the French rifler meaning to scratch, the term rifle
can also mean to plunder. The word can also be used to modify a noun such
that a unit may be called "Rifles" such as "The Adelaide
Rifles". It was often used to denote armed men such as the expression
"200 rifles in the line" meaning 200 armed soldiers holding a
position. A rifle can also be a larger crew served weapon with rifling grooves
however this term is not common. |
| RSM
Regimental Sergeant Major. |
The most
senior Non-Commissioned Officer holding a Queen's Warrant (Warrant Officer
Class One) and responsible for the discipline and administration of the
soldiers. This rank holds a special place in the army and is given to a
person of considerable experience and ability at Battalion level or greater.
His position is usually found in close proximity to the Commanding Officer
who relies on him for many tasks and duties. Even though the term Regiment
is used in the title, this no longer applies as the unit sizes have changed
and Regiments no longer hold the same meaning as in the past. A Regimental
Sergeant Major denotes the most senior soldier rank, accordingly, Brigade
RSMs and the RSM of the Army are also to be found. See Sergeant. |
| RTA/RTU |
Return
to Australia/Return to Unit. |
| S |
Return to top of page |
| Salient |
A bulge
in the front line. A salient was a particularly volatile place in that both
sides has troops firing at them from the flanks. The most famous salient
during The Great War was the Ypres Salient. In heraldry, salient means 'in an
upright position, or prancing'. From the latin Salire meaning 'to leap'.
(eg to sally forth). |
| Sam Browne |
Belt invented
by General Sir Samuel James Brown, VC whilst serving in India as a Lieutenant
Colonel. Having lost his left arm in the action where he was awarded his
VC, he found difficulty in drawing his sword attached to his belt. To overcome
this, he devised a strap to help support the belt and assist with the drawing
of his sword. It was adopted by the British Army during the Boer War and
is still in use for ceremonial purposes today.(Customs para 2100-2101) A
black Sam Browne is worn by units derived from Cavalry such as Armoured
Corps and Aviation Corps. These are not known as Sam Blacks but Sam Browne,
pattern - Black. |
| Sap |
A Covered Trench.
See Sapper. |
| Sapper |
The equivalent to Private in the Engineer Corps.
To sap means to undermine. It was common for soldiers to dig saps under
forts or strong-points to undermine them. Covered trenches were also known
as saps. Hence, the term to represent a rank in the Engineers. (Customs
Ch 2 para 924.) |
| Scout |
|
| Section |
The basic sub-unit of infantry. Usually between eight
to 15 men and commanded by a Corporal or Lance Corporal. Three to four sections
make up a Platoon. |
| Sergeant |
From Old
French sergent, meaning to serve - the Latin servient meant the same. According
to Military Traditions and Customs, para 2-926, the term dates back to the
feudal system of medieval England when landowners used their serfs as soldiers,
placing trusted servants - servients - in charge of them. The rank of Major
was originally Sergeant Major - where Major denoted senior (from the Latin
magnus meaning large or great). To that end, Sergeant Major was a term in
itself that came to mean the rank of a man heading a particular group. Therefore,
there could be a Sergeant Major, in charge of soldiers and non-commissioned
officers, a Sergeant Major in charge of a company of men or the staff officer
of a regiment, and a Sergeant Major General in charge of a corps of men
(see General). In 1881, the sergeant majors heading non-commissioned officers,
were given a warrant to serve, thus becoming Warrant Officers. A senior
sergeant may be given a rank of Staff Sergeant.
|
| Sergeant Major |
See Sergeant, Company Sergeant Major or Regimental
Sergeant Major. |
| Service Ribbon |
|
| Shock tactics |
|
| Shock troops |
Usually infantry that use tactics of shock and
surprise to close with and engage the enemy and overcome the enemy's defenses
and resistance. The term was first coined in WW1 as the German Stosstroopen,
(Shock Troops) although the tactic was used earlier than that. Australian troops
were particularly good at shock tactics and were used as shock troops by the
British during WW1. |
| Shrapnel |
|
| Slouch Hat |
Known as the Hat, Khaki, Fur felt. Originally
developed by Colonel Tom Price in 1885, it was worn with the brim turned
up on the right such that the soldier could look the reviewing officer in
the eye as troops marched past in review order. The left brim was turned
up as the muzzles of rifles slung over the shoulder on mounted troops would
impinge on the brim. The Australian Colonial Armies adopted the style from
1890 and the formation of the Australian Army in 1901 adopted it officially. |
| Smoke screen |
|
| Sniper |
A soldier (or other combatant) trained in accurate
long range fire, usually with a rifle. The skill and weaponry of a sniper has
progressed markedly from the 'sharpshooters' of the 18th Century. Sniper rifles
can be of a large calibre (eg .50 Cal) and can be used to damage and neutralise
machinery such as vehicles and aircraft. |
| Soldier |
The late
Latin term for a gold coin was solidus. This became soudier
or solde in 13th Century French. Even today, the French verb "to
bribe" is soudoyer. A soldier originally derived from a term
to mean a man who served for solde, that is to say, a mercenary. (Customs
para 2-928) |
| Spahi |
|
| Squadron |
In Army terminology, a unit or sub-unit equivalent to
a company in the infantry. In the Air Force or aviation units, it refers to an
organisation of aircraft or personnel, depending on the context. In the Navy, it
refers to an organisation of ships. (See Things you should know about the ADF
for a more in-depth explanation.) |
| Staff Sergeant |
See Sergeant. |
| Start line |
|
| Stokes Mortar |
|
| Strategic/strategy |
|
| Stunt |
|
| Subaltern |
Generally, a Lieutenant. Deriving from the Latin
sub, meaning less or inferior, and alternus meaning alternate. When used
as a modifier, subaltern means the lesser rank to Captain. However, it generally
includes Captains when referring to Subaltern Rank.One of the traditions
of the Australian Officer's Mess Dining-In nights (formal dinners), is the
"Subbies Court" where Field Rank and General Rank officers are
excused and the Subaltern Ranks proceed to hold a mock trial. Senior officers
are usually included as defendants and are "charged" and sentenced
in the name of good fun. |
Supporting artillery
|
|
Supporting fire
|
|
Surface burst
|
|
| T |
Return to top of page |
| Tactical/tactics |
|
| Tank |
An armoured
vehicle, usually on caterpillar style tracks and mounted with a weapon or
weapons. The word "tank" was used as a code word in despatches
while the device was being developed hoping to fool the Germans into thinking
they were developing or moving tanks for water. The name remained and is
still in use today. |
Task force
|
|
Theatre of operations
|
|
TM
|
|
Tommy
|
|
Tracer
|
A tracer is a bullet with a small amount
of pyrotechnics in the base of the round which allows the firer
(or anyone at the right angle) to be able to see the round
travel through the air.In
US and
NATO
standard ammunition this is usually a mixture of
strontium
salts and a metal fuel such as magnesium. This yields a bright
red light.
Russian
and
Chinese
tracer ammunition generates green light using
barium
salts.
Ammunition that is not tracer is known
as 'ball' ammunition.
|
Traverse
|
|
Trench
|
|
Troop
|
This word depends on the context and it can mean a
single soldier (eg there were over 200 troops deployed), a RAAF term for a
junior non-commissioned officer or O.R. (eg "he was a troop before he got his
commission). A sub-unit in armoured corps or aviation corps (eg There were three
helicopters in the troop). Other corps and units may also use the term to denote
a sub-unit, eg SASR. |
| Trooper |
A word describing the most junior rank in armoured or
aviation corps, equivalent to a Private. |
| UV |
Return to top of page |
Unit
|
An organised formation of troops. In Army use, it is
usually of battalion size or equivalent and is normally commanded by a
Lieutenant Colonel who is known as the CO or Commanding Officer. Any formation
smaller than this and subordinate to the unit in the chain of command, is a
sub-unit and is usually of company size or equivalent. (A formation that is not
part of an immediate chain of command may be considered to be 'independent'.) |
Vickers Gun
|
|
Victoria Cross
|
The highest award for valour and gallantry in the face
of the enemy in the British, Australian, New Zealand Armies and the Gurkhas. The
Victoria Cross, named after Queen Victoria, allows the recipient to use the
post-nominals 'VC'. The actual medal is made from the bronze of cannons captured
during the Crimean War in the 1850s. It is not well known that the cannons that
were used and that were thought to be captured from the Russians were actually
Chinese. |
| W X Y Z |
Return to top of page |
W.I.A.
|
Wounded in Action. |
Waler
|
A nickname for the horse used by the Australian Light
Horse regiments. A shortened form of the term "New South Walers" referring to
the particular breed of hardy stock horse that was bred in the colony of New
South Wales and which were preferred by the British Army in India during the
19th Century. |
Warrant
|
|
| Wire entanglement |
An obstacle made of wire, for example, barbed wire. It could be rolled into
a long spiral (known as concertina wire), or it could have sharpened flat blades
instead of barbs (razor wire) or it could be a combination of both. Wire strung
at ankle height or leg height is euphemistically known as 'bastard wire.' |
| |
|
