Glossary of Terms

Annamite: native of French-Indochina, now Vietnam

abri: dugout

ambuscade: ambush

arrivé: in-coming (as an artillery shell)

assis: seated, slightly wounded soldier

au revoir: good-bye

avant la guerre: pre-war

avion: airplane

beaucoup: much, many

beaucoup d’étoiles et une grande lune: many stars and a full moon

bidon: kettle, canteen or tin used to carry gasoline, water or oil on a car

blessés: wounded

Boche: derogatory term for German, probably from French alboche—cabbage

bon compagnon: companion

brancardier: stretcher bearer

briquet: gas stove, lighter

camion: truck

camionette: small truck

c’est bien: that’s good

cave voûtée: vaulted cellar

c’est la guerre: it’s the war, it can’t be helped

chef: chief or supervisor, the American officer in command of a volunteer ambulance section

Cheval Blanc: White Horse

claxon: alarm

couché: lain down, a stretcher-case, a severely wounded soldier

couchez: lying down v.

coup de main: surprise attack in order to take prisoners for interrogation

cuisinier: cook

curé: priest

demi-tour a droit: half-turn to the right

D.S.A.: Direction des Services Automobile (French Motor Transport)

départ: out-going (as an artillery shell)

Desperate Desmond: character from early 20c. strip cartoon

deux: two

doucement: gently

éclat: burst (as of shrapnel)

en avant marche: march on!

en ligne: in line!

en panne: broken down (as a vehicle)

en repos: resting

essence: gasoline

état-major: general staff

face à gauche: turn left

fourragère: a military decoration awarded to an entire unit, worn as a braided cord

gare: station

gendarme: policeman

grave: serious

grave blessé: gravely wounded

guardez-vous: be careful

guerre: war

guerre mondiale: world war

H.O.E.: Hospital Of Evacuation

hôpital de triage: triage or sorting hospital

Kronprinz: Crown Prince

le Galle: scabies

Le Mort Homme: The Dead Man—name of a hill near Verdun

maréchal de logis: chief of supply

mari: town hall

mort: dead

parc: park

petite: small

pinard/penard: cheap wine

piste: track

Place de la Gare: railroad square

poilu: a French soldier

poste de secour: aid station

quinze: fifteen

ravitaillement wagon: field kitchen

rompez vos rangs: break ranks, dismissed

S.O.L.: out of luck, unfortunate, “shit out of luck”

S.S.U.: Section Sanitaire (États) Unis American Ambulance Section

sabot: wooden shoe, clog

soixante-quinze: 75 (as in 75 mm howitzer)

sous-chef: under chief or lieutenant

tout de suite: quickly

triage: see hôpital de triage

trois: three

un peu d’essence: a little gasoline

une: one

voiture: coach

Zouave: soldier of French infantry corps created in Algeria in 1831