dano1917
RIP
Taken from "Over the Top" by Guy Empey
AERIAL TORPEDO - A kind of trench mortar shell, guaranteed by the makers to break up Fritz's supper of sausages and beer, even though said supper is in a dugout 30 feet down. Sometimes it lives up to its reputation.
AMMO - Rifle ammunition. Used to add weight to Tommy's belt. He carries 120 rounds at all times except when he buries it under the straw in his billet before going on a route march. In the trenches he expends it in the direction of Berlin.
AMMO DEPOT - A place where ammunition is stored. It is especially useful in making enemy airmen waste bombs trying to hit it.
AMMONAL - A high explosive used in the Mills bomb. The Germans are more able than Tommy to discourse on its effects.
BAYONET - A sort of knife-like contrivance which fits on the end of your rifle. the government issues it to stab Germans. Tommy uses it to toast bread.
BIG BOYS - Large guns generally eight inch or above
BIG STUFF - Large shells, eight inch or above
BOMB - An inferno device filled with high explosive which you throw at the Germans. Its chief delight is to explode before it leaves your hand
BOMB STORE - A place where bombs are kept, built so the enemy can't locate them with his fire, for that matter Tommy can't either when he needs them
BOMBING POST - A sort of trench or sap running from your front line to within a few yards of the enemys trench. It is occupied by bomb throwers who would like to sign an agreement with the Germans for neither side to throw bombs
CANISTER - A German trench mortar shell filled with scraps of iron and nails. Tommy really has a great contempt for this little token of German affection and he uses the nails to hang his equipment on in the dugout
COAL BOX - The nickname for a high explosive German shell fired from a 5-9 howitzer emits a heavy black smoke and makes tommys hair stand on end
CRICKET BALL - Name given to a bomb the shape and size of a cricket ball. Tommy does not use it to play cricket with
CRUMP - A name given by tommy to a high explosive German shell which when it bursts makes a "cru-mp" sort of noise
DUD - A German shell or bomb which has not exploded on account of a defective fuze. Tommy is a great souvenir collector so he gathers these "duds". Sometimes when he tries to unscrew the nose cap it sticks. Then in his hurry to confiscate before an officer appears he doesn't hammer it just right - and the printer of the casuality list has to use a little more type
EIGHTEEN POUNDER - One of our guns which fires an 18 pound shell, used for destroying German barbed wire previous to an attack.
FIFTEEN POUNDER - Still another of ours, shells weigh 15 pounds. Used for killing rats on German parapets
FIVE NINE - A German shell 5.9 inches in diameter. It is their standard shell. Tommy has no special love for this brand, but they are like olives, all right when you get used to them
FOUR POINT FIVE - Another of ours. The Germans don't like this one.
FOUR POINT SEVEN - One of our shells 4.7 inches in diameter
HAIR BRUSH - Name for a bomb used in early stages of the war. It is shaped like a hairbrush and thrown by the handle
Jack Johnson - A 17 inch German shell
JAM TIN - A crude sort of grenade which, in the early stages of the war Tommy made out of jam tins, ammonal, and mud. The maker would generally receive a little wooden cross in recognition of the fact that he died for king and country
LYDDITE - A high explosive used in shells. Has a habit of scattering bits of anatomy over the landscape
MILLS - The only bomb tommy has full confidence in, and he mistrusts even that
MINENWERFER - A high power trench mortar shell of the Germans which makes no noise coming through the air. Tommy don't know its near until it bites him. nicknamed minnie
NINE POINT TWO howitzer which fires a shell 9.2 inches in diameter and knocks the tiles off the roof of tommy's billet
OIL CANS - Tommy's term for a German trench mortar shell filled with explosive and junk the Germans have no use for
SHRAPNEL - A shell which bursts in the air and scatters small pieces of metal over a large area. It is used to test steel helmets
SUICIDE CLUB - Nickname for bombers and machine gunners
AERIAL TORPEDO - A kind of trench mortar shell, guaranteed by the makers to break up Fritz's supper of sausages and beer, even though said supper is in a dugout 30 feet down. Sometimes it lives up to its reputation.
AMMO - Rifle ammunition. Used to add weight to Tommy's belt. He carries 120 rounds at all times except when he buries it under the straw in his billet before going on a route march. In the trenches he expends it in the direction of Berlin.
AMMO DEPOT - A place where ammunition is stored. It is especially useful in making enemy airmen waste bombs trying to hit it.
AMMONAL - A high explosive used in the Mills bomb. The Germans are more able than Tommy to discourse on its effects.
BAYONET - A sort of knife-like contrivance which fits on the end of your rifle. the government issues it to stab Germans. Tommy uses it to toast bread.
BIG BOYS - Large guns generally eight inch or above
BIG STUFF - Large shells, eight inch or above
BOMB - An inferno device filled with high explosive which you throw at the Germans. Its chief delight is to explode before it leaves your hand
BOMB STORE - A place where bombs are kept, built so the enemy can't locate them with his fire, for that matter Tommy can't either when he needs them
BOMBING POST - A sort of trench or sap running from your front line to within a few yards of the enemys trench. It is occupied by bomb throwers who would like to sign an agreement with the Germans for neither side to throw bombs
CANISTER - A German trench mortar shell filled with scraps of iron and nails. Tommy really has a great contempt for this little token of German affection and he uses the nails to hang his equipment on in the dugout
COAL BOX - The nickname for a high explosive German shell fired from a 5-9 howitzer emits a heavy black smoke and makes tommys hair stand on end
CRICKET BALL - Name given to a bomb the shape and size of a cricket ball. Tommy does not use it to play cricket with
CRUMP - A name given by tommy to a high explosive German shell which when it bursts makes a "cru-mp" sort of noise
DUD - A German shell or bomb which has not exploded on account of a defective fuze. Tommy is a great souvenir collector so he gathers these "duds". Sometimes when he tries to unscrew the nose cap it sticks. Then in his hurry to confiscate before an officer appears he doesn't hammer it just right - and the printer of the casuality list has to use a little more type
EIGHTEEN POUNDER - One of our guns which fires an 18 pound shell, used for destroying German barbed wire previous to an attack.
FIFTEEN POUNDER - Still another of ours, shells weigh 15 pounds. Used for killing rats on German parapets
FIVE NINE - A German shell 5.9 inches in diameter. It is their standard shell. Tommy has no special love for this brand, but they are like olives, all right when you get used to them
FOUR POINT FIVE - Another of ours. The Germans don't like this one.
FOUR POINT SEVEN - One of our shells 4.7 inches in diameter
HAIR BRUSH - Name for a bomb used in early stages of the war. It is shaped like a hairbrush and thrown by the handle
Jack Johnson - A 17 inch German shell
JAM TIN - A crude sort of grenade which, in the early stages of the war Tommy made out of jam tins, ammonal, and mud. The maker would generally receive a little wooden cross in recognition of the fact that he died for king and country
LYDDITE - A high explosive used in shells. Has a habit of scattering bits of anatomy over the landscape
MILLS - The only bomb tommy has full confidence in, and he mistrusts even that
MINENWERFER - A high power trench mortar shell of the Germans which makes no noise coming through the air. Tommy don't know its near until it bites him. nicknamed minnie
NINE POINT TWO howitzer which fires a shell 9.2 inches in diameter and knocks the tiles off the roof of tommy's billet
OIL CANS - Tommy's term for a German trench mortar shell filled with explosive and junk the Germans have no use for
SHRAPNEL - A shell which bursts in the air and scatters small pieces of metal over a large area. It is used to test steel helmets
SUICIDE CLUB - Nickname for bombers and machine gunners
