GLOSSARY 

 

 

A7V	German heavy tank made by Daimler-Benz. It was named after Section 7, the traffic section of the German War Department, which originated its construction
abteilung	a German detachment, but can also refer to a battalion
AIF	Australian Imperial Force. The official name of the Australian army during WWI
battalion	main organisational unit of the AIF. At full strength it contained 800–1000 men
brigade	four battalions made up a brigade in the AIF
CO	Commanding Officer
company	four companies – A, B, C and D – comprised an AIF battalion. Each company was led by a captain or major
daks	trousers
enlisted men	soldiers other than officers
Feldwebel	German for ‘sergeant’
Fritz	an Allied nickname for German soldiers
hauptmann	German captain
Herr	a courtesy title for German gentlemen, literally means ‘mister’
Hotchkiss	British .303 inch machine gun
HQ	headquarters
Hun, the	an Allied nickname for German soldiers and the German Army as a whole
Jerry/Jerries	an Allied nickname for German soldiers
Kaiser, the	Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany
Lee-Enfield	British .303 inch rifle
leutnant	German second lieutenant
Lewis gun	British .303 inch machine gun
Mark IV	British heavy tank, the fourth version
Mauser	German manufacturer of pistols and rifles
Maxim	German 7.92 mm machine gun
non-com	non-commissioned officer (NCO). Ranks from lance-corporal to warrant officer, which includes corporal and sergeant
oberleutnant	German first lieutenant
oberst	German colonel
panzer	German name for a tank
platoon	sub-unit of a company. With up to twenty men, usually led by a lieutenant
POW	prisoner of war
RAP	regimental aid post
section	sub-unit of a platoon. With up to ten men, led by a sergeant or corporal
Tommy/	a nickname for British soldiers
Tommies
Vickers	British machine gun
Whippet	British medium tank