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WWI Trench Warfare Flashcards

Vocabulary about Trench Warfare during World War One

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7152165"All Safe"a signal, given by siren, to announce that it is now safe to remove gas mask after a gas attack.
7152166Artilleryweapon used to fire very large projectiles. (Howitzers, guns and mortars) They are also called cannons.
7152167Bayonetsteel blade, shaped like a short sword. It is fixed (put) to the end of a rifle and used for hand-to-hand combat.
7152168Billeta place that is designated for soldiers to receive food and shelter.
7152169Bully beeffrom the French word boulli, meaning boiled. Meat that is pickled or canned, usually corned beef.
7152170Communication wiretype of wire used for establishing telephone connections between posts.
7152171Companya unit of soldiers, normally consisting of 100 men.
7152172Cockedto "cock" a rifle means to draw back the hammer to prepare it for firing.
7152173Decorationa badge of honour; a medal awarded for bravery.
7152174Duck-boardsfloor sections made of wooden slats which can be laid on wet, muddy or cold surfaces.
7152175Dugoutshelter dug on the side of a trench, in the ground, used as living quarters, for storage of supplies or for protection.
7152176Firestepsnarrow ledge, located inside a trench, that allows soldiers to see over the parapet.
7152177Fritznickname used by Allied soldiers to describe Germans.
7152178Gas maskcloth and/or rubber mask connected to an air filter and used to protect the face and lungs from poison gases.
7152179HQshort form for "Headquarters"; a place from which military commanders perform their duties.
7152180Home leavepermission given to soldiers to go home for an extended period of time.
7152181Jerrynickname used by Allied soldiers to describe Germans.
7152182KaiserGerman word meaning "emperor". During the First World War, the Kaiser of Germany was Wilhelm II.
7152183Liceplural form of "louse"; a small, flat, wingless insect that lives off the blood of its host.
7152184Lipas in "crater's lip"; the edge of a large hole.
7152185Lollygaggingto waste time.
7152186Mortara type of cannon used to fire projectiles at high angles.
7152187No Man's Landthe narrow, muddy, treeless stretch of land that separated the German and Allied trenches during WWI. There were very large holes in the ground from shelling. It was very dangerous for a soldier in No Man's Land because they were out in the open (no place to hide).
7152188Parapetthe inner wall of a trench, made of earth and wood and topped with sandbags, to protect soldiers.
7152189Platoona unit of soldiers, normally consisting of 50 men.
7152190Poison gastype of gas which gives off a poisonous vapour, designed to kill, injure or disable a soldier by inhalation or contact.
7152191Putteescloth strip made of wool and wrapped around the leg, from ankle to knee, to prevent trousers from being torn or getting dirty.
7152192Sapa tunnel within a trench, dug to a point beneath the enemy's trenches.
7152193Sectora portion or division of a large military area.
7152194Shellan artillery projectile containing an explosive bursting charge.
7152195Snipera soldier, armed with a rifle and usually well hidden, who shoots at exposed individuals of an enemy's forces.
7152196"Stand Down"permission given to soldiers to leave their defensive positions when an attack by the enemy is over or not going to happen.
7152197Stick grenadeGerman hand grenade; small, metal container, attached to a stick, which explodes after it is thrown.
7152198Tommynickname used by German soldiers to describe British, Irish, ANZAC and Canadian soldiers.
7152199Trencha long, deep and narrow hole in the ground, with the earth thrown up in front, dug to protect soldiers from bullets and other projectiles.
7152200Webbingsoldier's back-pack, made of heavy canvas. It has a lot of pockets for ammunition, water bottle, bayonet, food, clothing and personal belongings.
7152201Western Frontthe area of military operations during the First World War which ran from Belgium, through northern France, and to the Swiss border.
7152202Work detaila specific task assigned to a soldier or group, usually physical labour (digging trenches, burying the dead, clearing land)..

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