GLOSSARY

Airscrew—the propeller unit on an aircraft, made up of a hub and separate propeller blades.

Bind—a favorite word of Bomber Command aircrew. Binders are the ground brakes on the aircraft wheels. In airmen’s slang, something depressing or troubling is a bind. But bind can also mean bored: if something bores you utterly, it binds you rigid.

Bomber Command—the structure set up to control and manage the aircraft and crews of the Royal Air Force, and the “colonial” crews of the Empire. Airmen from the United States fly under their own, separate organization, unless—like Ratty—they have volunteered for Bomber Command.

Bomber Harris—Air Marshal Arthur Harris, Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command.

Bowser—a fuel tanker that is towed from bomber to bomber. The sergeant in charge of it is known as the bowser king.

CO—commanding officer.

Clag—cloud, tending to be thick. In its oldest sense, the word refers to the clotted bits cut or combed from a sheep’s fleece.

Darkies—“Darky” is the code word for a system of emergency navigation. A lost aircraft can call “Darky,” and searchlights on the ground will be aimed by their controllers to guide the bomber to a nearby airfield.

Erk—an abbreviation of the rank of aircraftman: an air mechanic. But for more than half a century before the war, the Royal Navy called its lower-deck ratings erks.

Flaming onions—the tracers of antiaircraft guns.

Gen—reliable information. According to Squadron Leader Ward-Jackson, who wrote a book on RAF slang, it likely comes from the stamp “For General Information” applied to official documents. Pukka Gen is “the real gen,” coming from the Hindustani word “pakka,” meaning substantial.

Goodwood—the code word for a maximum effort of Bomber Command. Every available aircraft is readied for flight.

High Wycombe—a village in Buckinghamshire. The head-quarters of Bomber Command are here, in underground offices.

Jink—to keep an aircraft swerving from side to side.

Mae West—a life jacket, worn on top of flying clothes. Its shape and bulk give airmen a slight similarity to the buxom movie star.

Mag drop—an abbreviation of “magneto drop.” Magnetos power the spark plugs. If one isn’t working properly, an engine test results in a drop in revolutions.

Mickey Mouse—the bombardier’s instrument panel.

Nissen—the British equivalent of a Quonset hut.

Prang—to land heavily or crash. The word approximates the sound of a collapsing aircraft.

Second dickey—an extra, “oddball” pilot.

Sprogs—inexperienced aircrew. Ward-Jackson says the word originated at a training school, where a student airman confused sprockets and cogs, and defined a toothed wheel as a sprog.

Stooge—to fly about aimlessly.

Synchronizing—The four engines of a Halifax bomber have to be brought “into sync” by adjustments of the engine speed and the propeller pitch. Properly synchronized, they make a steady, throaty sound.

Tracer—a gun round or shell designed to glow as it moves through the air. Tracers allow a machine gunner to see where he’s firing, but allow others to see where he’s firing from.

WAAF—Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, or any of its members.

Wimpies—airmen’s slang for Wellington bombers.

Wop—an abbreviation for Wireless Operator. Wops who are trained in air gunnery are WAGs.

Wop May—a Canadian pilot in World War I. He was being pursued by the Red Baron when the baron was shot down. Wop May returned home to Edmonton after the war, bought an old Jenny, and started his own tiny airline.

Yellow Peril—a training aircraft, named for its distinctive color—and dangerous behavior.