Soldiers' Songs and Slang of the Great War by Martin Pegler

Author:Martin Pegler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Soldiers’ Songs and Slang of the Great War
ISBN: 9781472809292
Publisher: Osprey Publishing Ltd

First Officer (in spasm of jealousy). “Who’s the knock-knee chap with your sister, old man?” Second Officer. “My other sister.” (Punch)

war babies Children born out of liaisons between French or Belgian women and allied soldiers. Also a ‘war baby’, which was a youthful junior officer.

war on, there’s a A phrase used by both soldiers and civilians alluding to the fact that the demands of war required certain sacrifices, or priorities. Also much used in the Second World War.

wash-out The failure of either a person or thing, often applied to military operations. From the mid-19th-century shooting term, where a wash-out meant to completely miss the target.

wastage A military term for men killed or wounded during ordinary trench duty. On average this was 15 men per battalion, per day.

Waterloo Day Pay day.

waterproof sheet A rubberized green ground sheet that could be worn as a poncho, attached to others to form a makeshift tent or placed on the ground to sit on. They also doubled up as gas sheets. Considered a vital part of a soldier’s kit.

wear To put up with, a regular army expression.

Weary Willie A high, slow-moving shell that moaned as it passed overhead.

webbing A close-woven cotton that produced a very strong dense material used for belts, ammunition pouches, knapsacks etc. The British Army adopted webbing equipment in 1908.

weigh up To appraise a situation or person. From the boxing term, where a man would be weighed up prior to a bout.

well oiled Very drunk.

West spring gun A piece of mechanical absurdity invented by Captain Allen West in 1915 that resembled the medieval trebuchet. It weighed 300lb and was designed to hurl Mills grenades 80 yards.

west, to go To be killed, but also of a thing that was lost or failed to work. ‘The engine’s gone west.’ Its origin is obscure, but it was first recorded in the 16th century when referring to prisoners who had been hanged and it possibly refers to the finality of the sun setting in the west.

wet behind the ears Ignorant, untrained or inexperienced.

whack An equal share, dating back to the Napoleonic wars.

whacked or whacked out Exhausted, the same as beat.

whale oil Issued as an evil-smelling grease it was supposed to help prevent trench foot. As soldiers invariably had to put wet socks and boots back on, it was of little help.

what hopes An expression of disbelief. ‘The war will end this month. What hopes!’

Whippet A much lighter, faster tank than the Mk IV, introduced in December 1917. It had a three-man crew.

whistle and flute A suit.

Whistling Percy Specifically, a German 9in high-velocity naval gun captured at Cambrai in 1917.

white feather As a sign of cowardice, some women handed these to men who were not in uniform, occasionally risking the wrath of wounded soldiers or reserved occupation men who were in ‘civvies’. See also conscientious objector, conshie.

White-sheets Wytschaete in Flanders.

whizz-bang A fast, light artillery shell (18-pdr, 75mm or 77mm) that gave virtually no warning of its approach.

widow’s mite A light.

wilkie, a A playing card, from the name of a popular musical hall comedian, Wilkie Bard.

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