WW1 Quiz “Over the Top” Terms Flashcards
A signal, given by siren, to announce that it is now safe to remove one’s gas mask after a gas attack
All Safe
Weapon used to fire very large projectiles. Howitzers, guns, and mortars are types of artillery. Popularly known as cannons
Artillery
Steel blade, shaped like a short sword, that is fixed at the end of a rifle and used for hand-to-hand combat
Bayonet
A place that is designated for soldiers to receive food and shelter
Billet
From the French word boulli, meaning boiled. Meat that is pickled or canned, usually corned beef
Bully Beef
Type of wire used for establishing telephone connections between posts
Communication wire
A unit of soldiers, normally consisting of 100 men
Company
A badge of honour, a medal awarded for bravery
Decoration
Floor sections made of wooden slats which can be laid on wet, muddy, or cold surfaces
Duck-boards
Shelter dug on the side of the trench, in the ground, used as living quarters, for storage of supplies, or for protection
Dugout
Narrow ledge, located inside a trench, that allows soldiers to see over the parapet
Firesteps
Nickname used by Allied soldiers to describe Germans
Fritz
Cloth and/or rubber mask connected to an air filter and used to protect the face and lungs from poison gas
Gas mask
Permission given to soldiers to go home for an extended period of time
Home leave
Short form for “Headquarters”; a place from which military commanders perform their duties
HQ
Nickname used by Allied soldiers to describe Germans
Jerry
German word meaning “emperor.” During the First World War, the Kaiser of Germany was Wilhelm II
Kaiser
As in “crater’s lip”; the edge of a large hole
Lip
To waste time
Lollygagging
A type of cannon used to fire projectiles at high angles
Mortar
The narrow, muddy, treeless stretch of land, characterized by numerous shell holes, that separated German and Allied trenches during the First World War. Being in No Man’s Land was considered very dangerous because it offered little to no protection for soldiers
No Man’s Land
The inner wall of a trench, made of earth and wood and topped with sandbags, to protect soldiers
Parapet
Metal pin that is removed to activate a grenade
Pin
A unit of soldiers, normally consisting of 50 men
Platoon
Type of gas which gives off a poisonous vapour, designed to kill, injure, or disable a soldier by inhalation or contact
Poison gas
Cloth strip made of wool and wrapped around the leg, from ankle to knee, to prevent trousers from being torn or soiled
Puttees
A tunnel within a trench, dug to a point beneath the enemy’s trenches
Sap
A portion or division of a large military area
Sector
An artillery projectile containing an explosive bursting charge
Shell
A soldier, armed with a rifle and usually well hidden, who shoots at exposed individuals of an enemy’s forces
Sniper
Permission given to soldiers to leave their defensive positions when an attack by the enemy is deemed unlikely
“Stand down”
German hand grenade; small, metal container, attached to a stick, which explodes after it is thrown
Stick grenade
Nickname used by German soldiers to describe British (and Canadian) soldiers
Tommy
A long, deep, and narrow hole in the ground, with the earth thrown up in front, dug to protect soldiers from bullets and other projectiles
Trench
A type of military back-pack, made of sturdy canvas and containing numerous pouches for carrying the ammunition, water bottle, bayonet, food, clothing, and personal belongings of a soldier
Webbing
The area of military operations during the First World War which ran from Belgium l, through northern France, and to the Swiss border
Western Front
A specific task assigned to an individual or group, usually entailing physical labour
Work detail
