word or phrase explanation letter date of entry 04.11...a.d.c. aide de camp (french) a military...

Compiled By Lillian Upton

Word or phrase Explanation Letter Date of Entry10/- Ten shillings 04.11.19161d novels "Penny Dreadfuls"- a cheap ond often sensational type of novel 22.03.191527 Grosvenor Square Robert Fleming Hospital for Officers 27 Grosvenor Square, Belgravia, London W1 Military

convalescent hospital 1914-1919 In 1914 the investment banker Robert Fleming and his wife provided an auxiliary hospital for convalescent officers at their home in Grosvenor Square. By December 1914 all 10 beds were occupied. Later, the Hospital had 14 beds and was affiliated to Queen Alexandra Military Hospital. That building was demolished and now the American Embassy occupies some of the site

26.06.1918

A cheval On horseback (French) 16.03.1916A S Choir All Saints Choir of Bromley Common in Kent where Hills' Father was Vicar 14.06.1916A.B.s An able seaman- an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work

as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles03.02.1916

A.D.C. Aide de Camp (French) A military officer acting as a confidential assistant to a senior officer 25.09.1916A.S.C. Army Service CorpsA.V.C. British Army Veterinary Corps WW1Absolument asphixie Absolutely choaked (French)Adjutant Military Officer acting as an Admin Assistant to a Senior Officer

Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day), near Azincourt in northern France. 02.03.1918

Alan AynesworthAllan (also Alan) Aynesworth (14.04.1864– 22.08.1959) is the stage name of a British actor whose career spanned almost six decades, including a lead part in the 1895 world premiere of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and his final role as the elderly Lord Lancaster in the movie The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949). His birth name was Edward Abbot-Anderson.

16.06.19616

Aldershot A town in Hampshire known for its connection with the British Army 01.10.1917Alexander’s R.T.B Alexander's Ragtime Band -a song by irving Berlin. It was his first major hit in 1911 29.08.1916


Alexandra Pavilion for Officers This article appeared in the Times in February 1916 “Queen Alexandra, accompanied by Princess Victoria, opened yesterday afternoon the new "Alexandra" YMCA pavilion for officers in Grosvenor Gardens, near Victoria Station.” In 1917, a further article appeared, reporting that owing to the demand for hostel accommodation for officers at the Alexandra Pavilion in Grosvenor Gardens, the YMCA have found it necessary to accept an offer of a house owned by Mr George Drummond for use as an officers hostel. This one was in Belgrave Square. These hostels were still being used by officers in 1920.

03.12.1916

Allington will get Eaton Cyril Argentine Alington (22.10.1872 – 16.05.1955) was an English educationalist, scholar, cleric, and prolific author. Headmaster of both Shrewsbury School and Eton College. He also served as chaplain to King George V and as Dean of Durham

05.06.1916

Amazonian dame The Amazons were a nation of fierce & warlike- female warriors in Greek Mythology. Here the words imply that the Lady at the crossing was very strong.

01.11.1916

American kursall A Kursall is an amusement park 28.01.1916Andrew His brother Andrew Cattley Hills born 1898 06.02.1915Annas Unit of Indian currency with the rupee 27.01.1916Apres la guerre (French) After the war 19.08.1916Arcadians An Edwardian musical comedy - a "Fantastic Musical Play" in three acts by Mark Ambient and

Alexander M. Thompson, with lyrics by Arthur Wimperis and music by Lionel Monckton and Howard 17.05.1916

Archies Enemy anti aircraft fire or artilery piece. After the Music Hall song 'Archibald, Certainly Not!' German Anit aircraft guns were often incaccurate and whenBritish Pilots returned to their airfields, they would be asked, "Archibald give you any trouble today?" They would answer, "Archibald? Certainly not!" Archibald was soon shortened to "Archie," and German anti aircraft fire was called "Archie" for the rest of the war.

23.04.1916

Aristo Aristocrat (French) 18.12.1915Armageddon

In the New Testament - the last battle between good and evil before the Day of Judgement.18.11.1918

Armand, the French Rugger man

Henri Amand Fly Half First Cap 01.01.1906 at Parc des Princes against New Zealand 06.12.1915

Armee Anglaise English Army ( French) 01.11.1916Aronda Ship built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Glasgow launched in 1912 The ship Hills sailed out to Malta 04.02.1916Art Thou Weary Hymn - Art thou weary, art thou languid by John Mason Neale (1818-1866), based on a Greek text by

St Stephen the Sabaite23.04.1916

Artesian Well A well in which pressurized water naturally rises to the surface 27.11.1915


Ascension Day Celebration The Feast of the Ascension, also known as Ascension Thursday, Holy Thursday , or Ascension Day, commemorates the bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven. Celebration here means taking of Holy Communion

23.12.1916

Au fait In this context "alright" -Litereally in French "familiar with" 01.12.1915Auberge Inn (French) 29.02.1916August Presence August means inspiring awe or admiration because of rank or age - majestic, as in " the august

presence of the monarch"22.07.1916

B.E.F. British Expeditionary ForceBainsfather Cartoons Captain (Charles) Bruce Bairnsfather (09.07.1887 – 29.09.1959) was a prominent British humorist and

cartoonist His best-known cartoon character is Old Bill. Bill and his pals Bert and Alf featured in Bairnsfather's weekly "Fragments from France" cartoons published weekly in "The Bystander" magazine during the First World War

21.02.1916

Baltic Business August 8th -21st 1915 failed German Naval attack on the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea Barrack Room Ballads

A series of songs and poems by Rudyard Kipling about the late-Victorian British Army and mostly written in a vernacular dialect (every day speech)-this must be why Knighton cannot read them himself- but Hills is able to (See the poems he write hinself in dialect-15.09.1915 & 16.19.1915)

03.08.1915

Bde BrigadeBeatty's victory in the N. Sea

Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty Naval commander at the Battle of Jutland 31.051916- 01.06.191612.06.1916

Bechuanaland The Bechuanaland Protectorate was a protectorate established on 31.03.1885, by the United Kingdom in southern Africa. It became the Republic of Botswana on 30.09.1966

12.12.1917

Beech Thomas William Beach Thomas Contributed to The Globe and the Outlook Magazine then got a full time post as Journalist with the Daily Mail. The paper sent him to France to cover the war form there. What he wrote was subject to Govenrmnet control. He was Knighted after the war for his services as a war correspondent

28.09.1916

Belgian Gendarmerie Belgian Civil Police 16.08.1915Bethunes ( Battye Bombs) Early WW1 bomb designed by Capt B C Battye at the Bethune works 28.08.1915


Bing BoysThe Bing Boys Are Here, styled "A Picture of London Life in a Prologue and Six Panels" is the first of a series of revues which played at the Alhambra Theatre, London during the last two years of World War I.It first opened on 19 April 1916 and starred George Robey and Violet Lorraine, famous for their introduction of the song "If You Were the Only Girl (in the World)"

17.07.1916

Bisley Village in Surrey noted for it rifle shooting ranges 04.10.1916Bismark

Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg (1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian statesman who dominated German and European affairs with his conservative policies from the 1860s until he was forced to resign in 1890 by Emperor Wilhelm II.

26.09.1916

Blesse Wounded man (French) 14.08.1916Blighty England A "blighty " was a wound serious enough to send you home for treatment Blighty meant

Britain. Derived from the Hindu word Bilayati, meaning “foreign country”, the British in India came to refer to Britain as Blighty and the those in the trenches picked it up.

15.08.1915/16.09.1915 (poems)

Bloaters A type of whole cold-smoked herring 14.02.1916Blow Out Big Meal 31.03.1916Blue Brassard An armband - a distinctive band of cloth usually worn round the upper part of a sleeve for

identification purposes (usually adorned with an identifying mark or insignia) 01.12.1915

Blue UprightWinged traditional dry fishing fly pattern that will work in most conditions for trout and grayling

10.12.1915

Blug Blood 19.11.1916

Boots The servant responsible for cleaning the boots & shoes 30.12.1915Bosches The Germans Slang French word meaning "Rascal"-an abbreviation of caboche, French slang for

human headBotha’s S.A. Campaign Louis Botha (27.09.1862 – 27.08.1919) an Afrikaner- first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa.

A Boer war hero who fought to have South Africa become a British Dominion 02.01.1916

Bow Bells & Whizzbangs The Bow Belles a concert party of 56th (London) Division Whizzbangs were the concert party of the 46th Division

23.05.1916

Bp Pretoria The Bishop of Pretoria Michael Bolton Furse 16.05.1915Breeks Scottish - Britches or trousers 29.05.1918Brer Bosch Brer means "Brother " 14.03.1916

http://www.google.co.uk/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22Michael+Bolton+Furse%22


Bret Harte Francis Bret Harte (25.08.1836 – 5.05.1902) American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of pioneering life in California

05.02.1916

Bric a Brac The revue Bric-a-Brac was produced at the Palace Theatre London in 1915. It starred Miss Gertie Miller

25.02.1916/16/17.07.1916

Bryn Egwlys Town in Denbeighshire North wales 14.07.1918

Btn Battalion 29.05.1915Bully Beef Tinned corned of pickled beef. During WWI food for the troops was prepared as close to the lines as

possible. Rations, such as bully beef, were only issued as emergency rations, with strict instructions on the tins that they could only be consumed 'on the order of an officer'.

Bust A really good meal -lots of food & wine & merrimentBystander Bystander, a British weekly tabloid magazine, featured reviews, topical sketches and short stories.

Popular in WWI for its publication of the "Old Bill" cartoons by Bruce Bairnsfather 21.02.1916

C in C Commander in Chief

C.B. Companion of the Order of the Bath 05.06.1916

C.C.S. Casualty Clearing Station 04.08.1916C.M.G. Companion of the order of at Michael and St George - Royal Navy Medal 17.01.1916C.O. Commanding OfficerC.S.S.A. Civil Service Supply Association a department store in Bedford St London 14.03.1915Caer Glow Name for the early British settlement at Gloucester. In Old Welsh, the city was known as Caerloyw,

caer = castle, and loyw from gloyw = glowing/bright23.06.1916

Café Chantant Café with live music for entertainment 22.01.1916Cambrai show Battle of Cambrai, British offensive (November–December 1917) on the Western Front during World

War I that marked the first large-scale, effective use of tanks in warfare.28.11.1917

Canal Suez Canal 26.01.1916Celebration In the context of Church parades this means taking Holy CommunionC'est La Guerre (French) That's War 20.19.1916Chancel and Apse

In church architecture, the chancel (or presbytery) is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building, possibly including the choir. It may end in an apse - a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome

14.12.1918


Charabong Slang term for Charabanc a type of horse-drawn vehicle or early motor coach, usually open-topped, common in Britain during the early part of the 20th century. It was especially popular for sight-seeing or "works outings" to the country or the seaside, organised by businesses once a year. The name derives from the French char à bancs ("carriage with wooden benches") the vehicle having originated in France in the early 19th century.

06.03.1916

Charles Chaplain Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE (16 .04.1889 – 25.12.1977) was a British comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the silent era. He was worldwide icon through his screen persona "the Tramp" and is consideredto be one of the most important figures of the early film industry

26.10.1916

Charles Kingsley Charles Kingsley (12 .06.1819 – 23.01.1875) was a priest of the Church of England, a university professor, historian and novelist.

02.03.1918

Charterhouse The English Independent Boarding School. Originally called The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse. Founded in 1611 by Thomas Sutton. Moved to its present site in Godalming, Surrey in 1872

11.03.1918

Chasseur Alpin Chasseurs Alpins (English: Alpine Hunters) - the élite mountain infantry of the French Army 28.12.1915

Chateau ’dIfA fortress (later a prison)on the island of If, the smallest island in the Frioul Archipelago situated in the Mediterranean Sea about a mile offshore in the Bay of Marseille in southeastern France. Famous for being one of the settings of Alexandre Dumas' adventure novel The Count of Monte Cristo.

29.12.1915

Chatty Bed Bed infested with bugs or "Chats" 15.08.1915 (poem)

Chef d'oeuvre A master piece. Especially in literature or art 19.05.1916Chevaleir Album Maurice Auguste Chevalier (12.09.1888 – 01.01.1972) was a French actor, singer and entertainer. His

trademark attire was a boater hat, which he always wore on stage with a tuxedo.14.02.1918

Chilled Foot Or Trench Foot - a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to damp,cold conditions. If lnot treated, gangrene occurs leading to amputation

20.11.1915

Ci-devant From or in an earlier time; former (French) 18.12.1915Citadelle Fortress (French) 02.03.1916Civis CivilliansClandestined Piano Literally "secret piano" 16.08.1915Coalboxes Heavy German shell, usually a 5.9. Named from the black smoke of the shell-burst.


ColebrookLieut. Geoffrey Bathurst Colebrook killed in action in France on his 19th birthday—Jully 27 1915

07.08.1915

Colehurst 2nd Lieut Geoffrey Bathurst Colehurst of the Royal West Surrey Regt 12.08.1915Combles and Thiepval

Battle of the Somme conflicts Combles captured 26.09.1916- Battle of Thiepval Ridge 26.09.1915626.09.1916

Cook’s official guide /Cook’s tour of the country

A rapid but extensive tour or survey of anything - named after Thomas Cook (1808–92) the English travel agent

07.04.1916/10.04.1916

Coupez la tete French Cut off their heads! 17.10.1918Courts-Martial Military Court 19.11.1915Coys CompaniesCranium The skull. - especially the part enclosing the brain 10.04.1916Criccieth Criccieth Castle is a native Welsh castle situated on the headland between two beaches in Criccieth,

Gwynedd, in North Wales, on a rocky peninsula overlooking Tremadog Bay14.07.1918

Cricieth Town in wales near Porthmadoc 22.09.1916Croix de Guerre Translation:" Cross of War"- a French military decoration first created in 1915 Crumps German 5.9 inch shell or the burst thereof. The last crump referred to the end of the war. Cuisinerie Cooking (French) 11.08.1915Culpabale fire Fire from your own side 11.06.1915Cum Grano Salis Latin -with a pinch of salt -ie don't ebtirely believe it all 28.07.1916Cunarder Ship of the Cunard Line 18.16.1916Cure Parish Prieist 17.11.1915Cwts Imperial Unit of measure --112 pounds 26.07.1916D.A.D.M.S. London District Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services for London 26.06.1918D.C.M. Distinguished Conduct Medal a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the

British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.

D.L.I.Team Division Light Infantry Team 04.10.1916D.S.O. Awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime,

typically in actual combat.14.10.1918

Daily Mail May 21 1915 The daily Mail took up a story oniginally started by the Times about the shortage of shells. It went further and blamed this on Kitchener himself

14.06.1915

De Castelnau Noël Édouard Marie Joseph, Vicomte de Curières de Castelnau (24.12.1851 – 19.03.1944) French General in World War I.

18.12.1915


De duchibus nil nisi bonum Latin literally -of the ghost nothing but good -- Do not speak ill of the dead 23.12.1916De Reske’s De Reszke cigarettes - named after Jean de Reszke (1850-1925), a famous Polish opera singer, and

were advertised as 'the Aristocrat of Cigarettes'.13.12.1915

Dejeuner Lunch/ midday meal (French) 02.01.1916Demosthenes’ Philippies Demosthenes was an important Satesman and Orator in Ancient Athens. Most of Demosthenes's

major orations were directed against the growing power of King Philip II of Macedonia. These series of speeches were salled the "Philippics"

05.08.1916

Dick Swiveller Character in Disken's Old Curiosity Shop who owes money to nearly eveyone but likes to quote from Literature to describe his situations

04.10.1915

Dindon (French) Turkey 08.12.1916Dini His Sister Caroline Adini Hills born 1898Dixmude Town in North Belgium (also spelled Diksmuide) 19.07.1915Double Cylinders The Double Cylinder No 8 and No 9 hand grenades, also known as the "Jam Tin", were early designs

used by the British Army in World War I.The grenade was an inner can of explosive with an outer can of metal fragments or ball bearings. The heavier pattern No 9 grenade contained more high explosive and more metal fragments.The fuse was ignited by a friction device or a cigarette

28.08.1915

Douglas HaigField Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig of Bemersyde, KT, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCIE, ADC, (19.06.1861 – 29.01.1928) British senior officer during World War I. He commanded the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from 1915 to the end of the war. Commander during the Battle of the Somme,the Third Battle of Ypres, and the Hundred Days Offensive, which led to the armistice in 1918

27.05.1916

Dr Syn The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th century Romney Marsh, where brandy and tobacco were brought in at night by boat from France to avoid high tax. Minor battles were fought, sometimes at night, between gangs of smugglers, such as the Hawkhurst Gang and the Revenue, supported by the army and local militias in Kent and Sussex

05.08.1916


Dubiln disturbances The Easter Rising- an armed insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week 1916. Mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland, seceding from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and establishing an independent Irish Republic at a time when the United Kingdom was heavily engaged in World War I. It was the most significant uprising in Ireland since the rebellion of 1798

04.05.1916

Ecarte Écarté is a two-player card game originating from France, the word literally meaning "discarded". It is a trick-taking game, similar to whist,

05.03.1918

Ecrive dos bientot s’il v.p Write soon please (Poor French) 08.08.1916Embarrass de richesse A great number of options which are difficult to choose between 10.09.1915En plein-air In the open air (French) 16.10.1916En route On the way (French) 10.02.1916Enteric Dysentry 24.09.1915Entre nous French - Between Us 04.08.1916Ephipany Christian Religious festival celebrated on January 6 also known as Twelfth Night or the "Three Kings

Day"06.02.1916

Estaminet Pub Ethel Levey the dancer Born Ethelia Fowler 22.11.1880- 27.02.1955 An american dancer and singer. 19.06.1916F.H.B. s ? 05.05.1916Falstaffian Relating to or resembling Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night "character Sir John Falstaff in being fat, jolly,

and debauched04.12.1917

Farmyard “piccadillies” Farmyard Smells? 05.05.1916Farnol's Amateur Gentleman Swashbuckling novel set in the Regency period by Jeffrey Farnol, published in 1913. It was made into

a silent film in 1920- another silent film in 1926 and a film in 1936 with Douglas Fairbanks Junior starring as the lead character Barnabas Barty

04.11.1916

Farouche Horse drawn carriage 27.01.19156Ferme De L'Odeur affreuse Major Martin's name for Battalion Headquarters in village of Strazeele (P17 of the Book)

Fiacre A small four-wheeled carriageavailable for public hire 28.12.1915Field Ambulance A mobile medical unit that treats wounded soldiers very close to the combat zone. In the British

military medical system that developed during the First World War, the FAs were an intermediate level in the casualty evacuation chain that stretched from the Regimental Aid Posts near the front line and the Casualty Clearing Stations located outside the range of the enemy's artillery. FAs were often assigned to the brigades of a division.

03.08.1916


Field P C Field Post Card Already typed post cards Soldiers wrote their names on them then crossed out any wording not applicable to themselves

09.05.1918

First S.A. Business The First Boer War (or First South African War)(1880–1881)Fought by the Boers to gain independence form the Colonial British. The Boers were ultimately victorious.

12.12.1917

Flaming puttees Puttees are usually made of long strips of cloth which are then wound round the lower legs. Officers sometimes had more sophisticated arrangements-these could be red coloured leather spats or grieves ( a piece of armour that protects the leg)

01.12.1915

Flammenwerfer Flame thrower 19.03.1916Flers Part of the Battle area of High Wood Battle of the Somme 1916 11.09.1916Flying buttresses A specific form of buttressing (or support structres) most strongly associated with Gothic church

architecture14.02.1916

Foie gras Pate made from goose liver 10.04.1916Follies Bergere A cabaret music hall in Paris Established in 1869 It is still in business and is always a strong symbol of

French and Parisian life.10.02.1916

Footer ”pick up”. Footer here is Rugby not football 11.11.1916Formentations The application of hot moist substances to the body to ease pain.The material applied in a

fomentation is often called a poultice21.07.1916

French Field Marahal John Denton Pinkstone French - 1st Earl of Ypres - the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force for the first two years of World War I

17.01.1916

Frere Brother (French) 02.03.1915Fussilade Gun fire/gun battle 19.11.1915G General Staff officers and enlisted personnel responsible for the administrative, operational and

logistical needs of their unit17.04.1916

G.O.C. in C Old Stuart- WortleyMajor General The Hon. Edward James Montagu-Stuart-Wortley, CB, CMG, DSO, MVO (31 July 1857 – 19 March 1934) was a general of the King's Royal Rifle Corps On 1 June 1914, he became GOC of the 46th (North Midland) Division,(Territorial Force division) He was controversially dismissed after the Battle of the Somme due to the failure of his division's diversionary attack.

22.03.1915/13.08.1915

G.O.C. Smith- Dorrien Gerneral Officer Commanding General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien 13.03.1915G.S.Wagon General Service Wagon 06.09.1916Gallipoli

The Gallipoli Campaign / Dardanelles Campaign took place on the Gallipoli Peninsular in TurkeyGamin A street urchin (French) 07.12.1915


Gare Station (French) 14.01.1916Gazette The London Gazette -the newspaper which (still to this day) publishes official information from the

British government including Army promotions /awarding of medals etc 19.11.1915

Gd Guard 12.01.1916General Wolf Remark "See how they run." one of the officers exclaimed, as the French fled in confusion before the leveled

bayonets."Who run?" demanded Wolfe, opening his eyes like a man aroused from sleep."The enemy, sir," was the reply; "they give way everywhere." "Then," said the dying general, "tell Colonel River, to cut off their retreat from the bridge. Now, God be praised, I die contented," he murmured; and, turning on his side, he calmly breathed his last breath.

12/13.03.1915

Generalissimo De Castelnau Noël Édouard Marie Joseph, Vicomte de Curières de Castelnau (24.12.1851 – 19.03.1944) - a French General in World War

18.12.1915

German C.G.S. German Chief of General Staff 22.09.1916Gilbert & S

The Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900). They collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado are among the best known.

27.05.1916

Grandma 15 inch heavy gunGrandmeme Literally "even large" (French) 12.01.1916Gratis Latin for "free" /without charge - part of the exaggerated phrase "free gratis & for nothing" 29.11.1915

Gratters Congratulations 13.031915Green Tiger The Green Tiger is the journal of The Royal Leicestershire Regiment. It has recorded events and news

about the Regiment since 1904, and from 1964 it has been the newsletter for the old comrades of the Regimental Association.

05.02.1918

Grey Home in the West "Little Grey Home In The West" British Music Hall song popular in the early years of WW1 07.12.1915Grey’s Elegy Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard a poem by Thomas Gray, completed in 1750 and first

published in 175104.10.1915

Grubby Acolyte In many Christian denominations, an acolyte is anyone who performs ceremonial duties such as lighting altar candles or swinging insense burners

14.02.1918

Gump Gumption--common sense/guts/ initiative 23.11.1915H.A.C. Honourable Artillery CompanyH.E. Shell High explosive Shell 22.09.1916


H.G.H. Henry Gardner Hills - his fatherH.H.

Hildersham House Preparatory School Broadstairs Kent Founded in the 19th Century Closed 1970Harborians Residents of Market Harborough LeicestershireHark My Soul Hymn-First Line "Hark my soul! It is the Lord" . Tune composed by John B. Dykes. Tune name "S

tBees". Lyrics by William Cowper.31.08.1916

Harry TateRonald Macdonald Hutchinson (04.07.1872 - 14.02.1940), professionally known as Harry Tate. An English comedian who performed both in music halls and in films. He worked fo rthe Sugar Refiners Henry Tate & Sons before going on the stage, and took his stage name from them.

08.07.1916

Hate Term meaning fighting any sort of actual confilctHildershamians Old Boys of Hildersham House Preparatory School Broadstairs Kent Founded in the 19th Century

Closed 1970sHill 60 High ground three miles south-east of Ypres. Man made feature - made from earth removed during

the construction of a nearby railway line. A small area of elevated land in a flat landscape, it was strategically important in the battles in the Salient.

16.07.1915

Hindenberg line The Siegfriedstellung (Hindenburg Line) was a German defensive position in World War I built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne.

17.10.1918

HMS Doleful See entry for 26.11.1915 nick name for one of the 3 new officers to join the brigade 14.12.1915Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings, and emperors of

Brandenburg, Prussia, Germany, and Romania.01.10.1917

Hohenzollern Redoubt This battle took place during the battle of Loos 25 September – 15 October 1915 Called at the time "the big push" On 13 October the 46th (North Midland) Division (TF) attacked after a cloud gas releas, loosing 3,643 casualties, mostly in the first ten minutes.

HoogeA small village in Flanders, Belgium. During the First World War it was the site of intensive fighting.

05.06.1916

Hors de combat Out of action (French) 23.08.1915/17.05.1916Hotel De Ville Town Hall (French)Hotel Terminus de Marseille Saint Charles

The main Station in Marseille is called "Saint Charles" this was the "Station Hotel"


House maids Inflammation of the knee, causing front knee pain & swelling. Called this as it was common amongst housemaids and other who had to kneel to do a great percentage of their work, so causing pressure, swelling and inflamation

03.08.1916

HowitzerType of artillery piece with a relatively short barrel which uses comparatively small charges to propel projectiles at high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent Sometimes called "Big Bertha"

HQRS HeadquartersHun/s German/s -Reference to the medieval Hunnic Empire of Attila the Hun. The term originated in the

wunnenrede (Hun speech)made by Emperor Wilhelm II on 27 July 1900, to the German expeditionary corps sailing to defeat the Boxer Uprising

I.O. Intelligence OfficerIan Harp’s Knight on Wheels It is the tale of an orphan left to the care of his uncle – a retired Lt Col of the Indian Army . The uncle

spends his time soliciting money from credulous females by sending outrageously fraudulent begging letters

17.11.1916

Infantile paralysis The old name for Polio 17.09.1916Inspection by the King

During his first visit to the front on Oct 28 1915 King George V had a serious accident. His horse was startled by cheeering from a regiment he was inspecting- it reared & fell backwards on him.

27.10.1915/03.11.1915

Italian Business On 24 October 1917 the Austrians and Germans launched the Battle of Caporetto (Italian name for Kobarid) with a huge artillery barrage followed by infantry using Hutier tactics, bypassing enemy strong points and attacking on the Italian rear. At the end of the first day, the Italians had retreated 12 miles to the Tagliamento River.

04.11.1917/06.11.1917

Jack Johnsons German shell bursting with black smoke. After the boxer Jack (John Arthur) Johnson (1878-1946), the first black American world heavyweight champion (1908-1915)

Jack Robinson Figure of speech used to indicate a period of time in a sarcastic way."Before you can say Jack Robinson" or "Faster than Jack Robinson"

26.09.1916

Jam- tins JAM-TINS Originally, home-made or improvised bombs made from jam-tins, mainly used before widespread introduction of the Mills Bomb. Also nickname for the No.8 and No.9 Double Cylinder grenades of late 1914 and early 1915 as they looked like jam tins.

Jameson Raid The Jameson Raid was a botched raid on Paul Kruger's Transvaal Republic carried out by a British colonial statesman Leander Starr Jameson and his Company mercenaries and Bechuanaland policemen over the New Year weekend of 1895–96

04.12.1917/12.12.1917


Joan of Arc The "Maid of Orleans"- a folk heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint- she led the French army to several important victories against England during the Hundred Years' War She was burned at the stake for heresy when she was 19 years old

11.05.1916

Journee des poilusPoilu - informal term for a French World War I infantryman the literal meaning is "hairy one" Journée du Poilu. 25 et 26 décembre 1915 (trans. "The poilu's holiday, December 25 and 26, 1915") was a French World War I poster by Adolphe Willette about a poilu's Christmas leave from the front.

26.12.1915

Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859 - 1941) the last German Emperor (kaiser) and king of Prussia, whose warlike policies helped to bring about World War One

16.19.1915 (poem)

Kate The Shrew in Shakespear's Taming of the Shrew - a headstrong and willful woman 17.04.1916

Khushi From the Urdu word meaning gladness, happiness, joyfulness Anglicised as "Cushy" 21.05.1916King’s Regulations Collection of orders and regulations in force in the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force,

forming guidance for officers of these armed services in all matters of discipline and personal conduct

19.11.1915

Kingsgate A seaside town in Kent near Broadstairs 19.05.1916Kirchner Raphael Kirchner (died 02.08.1917)An Austrian artist who moved to America in 1914 Produced early

mildly erotic "pin ups" of women favoured by soldiers during the WarKnut Head (slang) 10.09.1915K's Death Lord Kitchener died on June 5 1916. He was on board the HMS Hampshire when it was struck by a

mine and sank. His body was never found.12.06.1916

K's/Kitcheners/Kof KThe New Army, often referred to as Kitchener's Army or, disparagingly, Kitchener's Mob. An (initially) all-volunteer army formed in the U K following the start of WW1. Created on the recommendation of Horatio Kitchener, then Secretary of State for War. (K of K Kitchener of Karthoum)

Kunk His Uncle? 02.10.1916L&L Linconshire & Leicestershire 06.12.1915L.G. Onmibusses London General Omnibus Company vehicles 06.02.1915Lachrymatory shells Gas shells Lacrymose means tearful or prone to weeping 21.05.1916Lascars Indian Sailors 03.02.1916Lavengro Lavengro: The Scholar, the Gypsy, the Priest (1851) novel by George Borrow Lavengro is a Romany

word meaning "word master"06.12.1915

Leatherface Novel by Emmuska Orczy 28.09.1916


Leo Stormont Leo Stormont was a director and actor, known for Royal England, a Story of an Empire's Throne (1911), England Invaded (1909) and Sonia (1921). He died on January 28, 1923.

16.06.1916

Lieut H.J. Snowden 1st Herts REGT 28.11.1915Limber A two-wheeled cart designed to support the trail of an artillery piece or the stock of a field carriage

so that it can be towed18.06.1915

Little Willies German field gun shellsLloyd Georges "The Two Lloyd Georges" Richard (1889–1968) & Gwilym (1894–1967) Sons of David Lloyd George,

1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM PC British politician and later Prime Minister leading the wartime coallition government form 1916 - 1922

17.12.1915

London/A.F.London/ The Great London

Arthur Foley Winnington-Ingram Bishop of London 1901 -1939 saw the war as a ‘great crusade to defend the weak against the strong’

26.03.1915/31.03.1915

Loop- holes Gap in the parapet of a fire trench enabling shooting to take place but providing head cover. May be constructed from sandbags, steel plates or other materials. German ones were made of bullet proof steel

Lothian N-I-N/ Nairn John Arbuthnot Nairn Head of Merchant Taylor's School 1900 -1927 09.05.1916Lt Hantelmann Leutnant Georg von Hantelmann (09.10.1898 - 07.09.1924) a German fighter ace credited with

winning 25 victories during World War I. It was notable that these victories included three opposing aces shot down within the same week in September 1918–David Putnam, Maurice Boyau, and Joseph Wehner

03.04.1916

Lt Gen Sir --- ---- commanding the army Corps

The Hon Sir Julian Byng ?23.06.1916

Luisitania Cunard Ocean liner sunk by German U Boat 20 on 7 May 1915 11 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale Ireland 1,198 killed 761 survived

M.E.F. Mediterranean Expeditionary Force ( Also Med Ex Force)M.O. Medical Officer 12.08.1619M.T.S. Merchant Taylors SchoolMafeking Night The seige of Mafeking was the most famous British action in the Second Boeor War -it lasted from

13.10.1899 to 17.05.1900 a total of 217 days. 17.05.1916

Magazines The Wipers TImes ? A trench magazine that was published by soldiers fighting on the front lines of the First World War. It was produced by British soldiers from the 12th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottingham & Derbyshire Regiment), 24th Division British Armies in France.

23.09.1918


Mais que voulez-vous? C’est la guerre

But what do you want? That's war (French)31.10.0916

Mal de mer Sea sickness (French) 30.01.1916Mal quart d'heure Bad quarter of an hour (French) 12.05.1915March Brown March Brown May Fly probably the most famous of all British mayflies - copied by anglers to catch

fish for over 500 years.Taken by trout10.12.1915

March Lorranie Very patrotic March composed by Louis Ganne (1862-1923) in 1892 Lyrics by Jules Jouy and Octave Pradels. It includes the theme song Passing through Lorraine .

25.06.1916

Mark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens ( 30.11.1835 – 21.04.1910) better known by his pen name Mark Twain- an American author and humorist. He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) the latter is often called "the Great American Novel."

04.06.1918

Marlborogugh (College)Public school at Marlborough in Wiltshire founded in 1843 for the sons of Church of England clergy

05.06.1916

Marlborough (Soldier & Statesman)

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, Prince of Mellenburg, KG, PC 26.05.1650 – 16.06.1722 an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs

11.05.1916

Marne Battle fought between 5th and the 12th of September 1914 04.12.1915Marseillaise French National Anthem 08.01.1916Martinpuich Part of the Battle area of High Wood Battle of the Somme 1916 15.09.1916Mary His Sister Mary Steorra Hayes Hills born 1908 29.09.1915Matabele Shows The Matabele wars were fought between the British South Africa Company and the Ndebele

(Matabele) people, in the country now known as Zimbabwe.The First 1893- 1894, the Second 1896-897

12.12.1917

Matitudinal perambulations/peregrinations

Morning walks (latin)10.04.1916/08.09.1916

Maxim shots/maxim Shots from a Maxim machine gun. The Maxim gun was the first recoil-operated machine gun -invented by the American-born British inventor Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim in 1884

Menial Servant -one who performs menial tasks 20.06.1916Mention/ed Mentioned in despatches or the London Gazette 17.01.1916/08.07.1916Merriman Merriman was the pen name of the English novelist Hugh Stowell Scott 1862-1903 05.02.1916/26.06.1918


Mesopotamy Mesopotamia name for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, corresponding to modern-day Iraq, Kuwait, the northeastern section of Syria and to a much lesser extent southeastern Turkey and smaller parts of southwestern Iran.

19.11.1917

Milliemes Small unit of Egyptian currency 27.01.1916Mind my p’s & q’s "Mind my pleases and thankyous" that is - "be on my best behavaiour"- phrase comes from the

printing trade where it was a common mistake to mix up p and q while type setting 07.10.1915

MinnenwerferMinenwerfer ("mine launcher") - name for a class of short range mortars used extensively during WW1 by the German Army. They were intended to be used by engineers to clear obstacles, including bunkers and barbed wire, that longer range artillery would not be able to accurately target.

Miss Paul Head of private Girl's School at the time? 04.10.1916

Mistral A strong, cold and usually dry regional wind in France 08.01.1916Moke Slang name for a donkey here referring to his horse 01.12.1915Mons On August 23 and 24, 1914, Mons was the site of the first battle fought by the British Army in World

War I. The British were forced to retreat and the town was occupied by the Germans until its liberation by the Canadians during the final days of the war.

04.05.1916

Moorunia Hills had Russian relatives--his Mother was born in St Petersberg- He refers to this place after mentioning the possible evacuation of Petrograd

15.08.1915

Morval & Les BoeufsThe Battle of Morval, 25–28 September 1916, was an attack during the Battle of the Somme by the British Fourth Army on the villages of Morval, Gueudecourt and Lesboeufs held by the German 1st Army, which had been the final objectives of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15–22 September).

26.09.1916

Mowing down business Machine Gunning? Killing the enemy head on in persoal combat? 10.04.1918Mr Atkins Tommy Atkins Common name for a British ordinary rank soldier 15.08.1915 (Poem)Mustard Gas Chemical warfare agents which form large blisters on exposed skin and in the lungs. When used in

impure form, as in warfare agents, they are usually yellow-brown in color and have and smell like mustard plants, garlic, or horseradish, hence the name. This was introduced into the War in 1917 and became much more effective once it could be fired from speical artilery shells not just released from, cylinders

25.05.1918

My faithful Bosworth His personal servant or "batman" 01.12.1915N.C.O.s Non Commissioned Officers 11.11.1916N’est- ce -pas Isnt it ? (French) here meaning "that's rignt isnt it? 29.09.1915


Nahpoo Gone, finished --from the French "I'l n'y en a plus" - "There is no more" 12.07.1916Nairn /Lothian N-I-N John Arbuthnot Nairn Head of Merchant Taylor's School 1900 -1927Never–to–be- sufficiently-ridiculed broadsheets

Many "do gooding" institutions sent literature to the trenches the aim being to give "moral guidance" to the troops -hence the variety of topics listed

04.10.1915

Nevsky Prospect Nevsky Avenue is the main street in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia 01.10.1917New beet sugar scheme Scheme to produce more sugar form UK grown sugar beet rahter than rely on imports of sugar cane

from abroad ?12.10.1916

New blue hat bands Blue Hat Band worn by Departmental Staff eg Transportation, Ondinance, Veterinary etc 04.05.1916New method of bayonet instruction

Hills describes this in his book. The course was given my Major Campbell of the army Gymnastics Staff. His training did away with the old drill book methods and relied instead on "training arm & rifle to act with the eye not on word of command."

13.05.1916

No 16 16 Somerset St London the Hills' Home 14.10.1918Noel Boosey Captain, London Regiment. Age: 23 Died 22.07.1915 Buried in Chocques Military Cemetery the son

of Arthur and Lucy A Boosey of "The Cedars," Bromley Common, Bromley in Kent. Ex pupil of Hindlesham House School. He had an elder brother Leslie Arthur Boosey who Hills refers to in the letterd dated 07.10.1915

01.08.1915

Notre Dame de la Garde "Our Lady of the Guard " (French) 29.12.1915Nouvelle Ane New Year 31.12.1915O. Locals Time of Ordination of new Clergy in the Church of England 19.07.1915O.C. Officer CommandingO.M.T.s Old boys of the Merchant Taylor's SchoolO.P. Observation post or "oh pip"Oakley Oakley V.A.D. Hospitla Bromley Common Kent-near to Hills' family home 08.10.1916Oie rotie Roast goose (French) 15.09.1916On les arretera (French) We will stop them 01.11.1916Orczyish/Baroness Orczy Baroness Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála "Emmuska" Orczy de Orczi 23.09.1865 –

12.11.1947. Hungarian-born British novelist, playwright and artist of noble origin. Most well known for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel- Sir Percey Blakeney an English Arictcrat who uesed this secret identity while saving French Aristos from the Guillotine during the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution

28.09.1916

Ours Members of our division/regiment 02.03.1916


P of W Hospital MaryleboneIn 1916 the War Office took over the 700-bedded Great Central Hotel in Marylebone for use as a military hospital for wounded and sick officers, and named it the Prince of Wales Hospital. In November 1918, it had 780 patients, cared for by 43 nurses, 30 nursing orderlies and 30 members of the local Voluntary Aid Detachment. Today it is the Landmark Hotel.

14.10.1918

P. of W. Prince of Wales 10.12.1915P.L.M. express The Calais-Mediterranée Express was a luxury French night express train which operated from 1886

to 2003 It used the "Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée"( Paris Lyon & Mediterranean Railway) or PLM

23.12.1915

Parapet The front of a trench protected and built up using sandbags Paris Plage Paris Beach ie To Paris 02.09.1918Parisian “Parvenue” A person who has risen socially or economically but is considered to be an upstart or to lack the

appropriate refinement for her new position23.04.1916

Pate de fois gras Pate made from goose liver 22.12.1915Pates Heads 30.11.1915Patum Patum Peperium a type of gentleman's relsigh made from anchovy paste 10.04.1916Pave roads Literally roads covered with a surface-could be tar concrets or perhaps here -cobbles 10.12.1915Per diem Each Day/ Daily (Latin) 26.06.1915Peregrinations A journey especially a long wondering and humerous one 04.02.1916Pericles Speech to the AthenianFamous speech from Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War- delivered by Pericles the

eminent Athenian politician, at the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) as part of the annual public funeral for the war dead.

04.10.1915

Persia SS Persia - a P&O passenger liner, built in 1900 by Caird & Company in Greenock Scotland. It was torpedoed and sunk without warning on 30 December 1915 by German U-Boat commander Max Valentiner.

03.01.1916

Petit dejeuner Breakfast (French) 01.01.1916Petrograd St Petersburg in Russia 14.07.1918Peu plus gai " A little more cheeful" (French) 06.01.1916Phizz "Fizz" -Champagne 12.02.1916

Piastres Unit of Egyptian Currrency 27.01.1916


PickelhaubeThe Pickelhaube (plural Pickelhauben; from the old German Pickel = "point" or "pickaxe", and Haube = "bonnet", a general word for headgear), also "Pickelhelm," was a spiked helmet worn in the 19th and 20th centuries by German military, firefighters, and police. Although typically associated with the Prussian army, the helmet was widely imitated by other armies during this period

01.10.1917

Picquet An early 16th-century trick-taking card game for two players 05.03.1918Piece de resistance The most important or remarkable feature (French) 13.05.1916/19.05.0916Pip Squeaks Small calibre shell-sometimes gas shell-or a rifle grenadePitchers Cylinder shaped bomb with a segmented iron body - 3 ½” by 1 ½”Piver Eau de Cologne mande by the French perfume house Piver They make the famous 4711 brand 06.12.1916

Pour boir Tip (French meaning "for a drink") 14.02.1918Praeludium Musical prelude 07.07.1918Prince Imperial Napoléon, Prince Imperial (Full name: Napoléon Eugène Louis Jean Joseph Bonaparte, 16.03.1856 –

1.06.1879), Fils de France, prince impérial de France, was the only child of Emperor Napoleon III of France and his Empress consort Eugénie de Montijo. His early death in Africa sent shock waves throughout Europe, as he was the last dynastic hope for the restoration of the Bonapartes to the throne of France.

04.06.1918

Pte PrivatePte R Cattley of the S.B. section of the Winnipeg Rifles

Charles Robert (Robin]) Cattley, b.1871 St. Petersburg, d.1952 nr. Winnipeg, Canada. He emigrated to Canada in 1893; served in the Winnipeg Rifles in WW1, and was severely wounded. He was Hills' Uncle. SB -service Battalion?

27.02.1916

Ptomaine poisoning Food poisoning caused by bacteria or bacterial products 04.08.1916Pusat Tasek of Panama 'The Navel of Ocean'. In Malay cosmology, Pusat Tasik is the deepest part of the sea 17.01.1916Quartermasters/QM/ QM Store

An individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troopsQui vive

French sentry challenge "who goes there?" To be on the Qui vive is to be alert ready for action29.03.1918

Quoit A ring of iron, rope, or rubber thrown in a game to encircle or land as near as possible to an upright peg

R.B. Rifle BrigadeR.D.F. Royal Defence Force ? 04.05.1916R.E. Royal Engineers


R.G.A Royal Garrison ArtilleryR.I.P. Requiescat in pace (Latin) may he rest in peace-uesd when someone dies 15.08.1915(poem)R.M.A. Royal Marine ArtillaryR.T.O. Regiment Transport Officer 02.01.1916R.T.O. Railway Transport Officer 04.05.1916RAMC Royal Army Medical CorpsRecherché Exquisite- lavishly elegant and refined (French) 02.03.1916RED HOUSE Trench near Hill 60. The Battle of Hill 60 (17.04 – 07.05 1915) took place in Flanders south of Ypres

on the Western Front 01.07.1918

Red-hats /Red tabsRed Tabs – British staff officers. Rear echelon officers wore bright red shoulder tabs and hat bands. This was a visible symbol that the wearer did not belong at the front where such markings would have drawn attention from enemy snipers and, therefore, this was a term of disdain.

Redoubt A fort usually made of earthworks. Used to protect soldiers outside the main line of defense - can be a permanent structure or a hastily-constructed temporary fortification

Redresser the barrier (French) Straighten the barrier 01.11.0916rendez-vous Meeting place (French) 14.02.1918Retreat Beating Retreat is a military ceremony dating back to 16th century England and was first used to

recall nearby patrolling units to their castle. Originally it was known as watch setting and was initiated at sunset by the firing of a single round from the evening gun.

14.02.1918

Retreat from Moscow Retreat from Moscow by Napoleon and the French invading armies after the Battle of Borodino in 1812. The French suffered terrible losses.

02.03.1918

Revett To reinforce an embankment or earth work with a supporting layer of other material stone/concrete/earth

06.09.1915

Rhinogs A range of mountains located east of Harlech in North Wales. 31.12.1915Rifle grenades A grenade which uses a rifle-based launcher to achieve a longer range than is possible if the grenade

is thrown by handRomany Rye The Romany Rye is a novel by George Borrow - written in 1857- in the Romany language it menas

"Gipsy Gentleman"06.12.1915

Rubiconed The Rubicon is a shallow river in northeastern Italy. The idiom "Crossing the Rubicon" means to pass a point of no return, and refers to Julius Caesar's army's crossing of the river in 49 BC. It meas "no going back"

05.03.1918


Rudder GrangeNovel by Frank Richard Stockton (1879) originally serialized in Scribner's Monthly, recounted the whimsically fantastic and amusing adventures of a family living on a canal boat.

28.09.1916

Russian Hospital in S. Audley St St Mary's Russian Hospital for British Officers 8 South Audley Street, Mayfair, W1K 1HF 1916 - 1918 a popular and successful convalescant hospital entirely funded by Russian money Today it is the Nehru centre

14.10.1918

S S Megantic Sailing Ship Megantic was built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast in 1908 for the Dominion Line. Her name was to be Albany, but she was turned over to the White Star Line prior to launching to serve the Canadian route and renamed Megantic after Canada's Lake Megantic. In 1910, when Scotland Yard's Inspector Dew arrested the infamous Dr. Crippen and his mistress Ethel Le Neve in Quebec, they were escorted back to England aboard Megantic

S.E.C.R. The South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR) was a working union of two neighbouring rival railways, the South Eastern Railway (SER) and London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR), which operated between London and south-east England. Between 1899 and 1923 the SE&CR had a monopoly of railway service in Kent, and to the main Channel ports for ferries to France and Belgium

03.12.1916

Salient A salient is an area of the battlefield that extends into enemy territory and is surrounded on three sides.

Salisbury, Gladstone, Churchill Former British Prime Ministers 26.09.1916San Joy London Musical Theaatre show of the time 26.06.1916Sang froid Coolness (French) 02.12.1915Sanguinary Bloody (latin) 05.12.1915Sap

Probing out from the front line were trenches usually called 'saps' A listening post in no man's land, connected at ninety degrees to the fire trench by a narrow communication trench. During an advance, saps were often joined together to make the new front line trench.

Saucy Squibs A squib is a miniature explosive device used in a wide range of industries, from special effects to military applications. It resembles a tiny stick of dynamite, both in appearance and construction, although with considerably less explosive power.

20.04.1916

Sausage German heavy trench mortar bomb 26.03.1916Savasi

Battle of Gallipoli or the Battle of Çanakkale (Turkish: Çanakkale Savaşı) a campaign that took place on the Gallipoli peninsula] in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916.

28.07.1916


Sawbath Sabbath/Sunday 15.08.1915Sawbridgeworth The Town the battalion left for the front from in 1915 04.06.1915Scabies A contagious, extremely itchy, skin disorder that leads to a rash. It is caused by an infestation with a

parasite - the scabies mite31.08.1916

Scarlet Pimpernels Annual wild flowers with pale scarlet flowers which bloom from May to October. 28.07.1916Second star Promotion from 2nd Lt (one Star) to Lieutenant ( 2 stars) 24.08.1915Senior Service The Navy 03.02.1916Seriatum & Privatum Latin phrase one after the other & privately (on their own) 24.08.1915/31.08.1916Sevenpennys Novels costing 7d published by George Newnes Limited London 16.12.1915Shanks’ pony On foot 07.05.1916Sharpe Lieut Aubrey Temple Sharpe Formerly of the Machine Gun Corps A talented amateur cricketer who

became Captain of Leicestershire in 192116.07.1915/26.07.1915

Sherwoods Sherwood Foresters Regiment 11.09.1915Shoveller Stanley Howard Shoveller 2.9.1881 - 24 .2. 1959 a field hockey player won a gold medal with the

England team at the 1908 London Olympics09.06.1915

Show down South The First Battle of Arras (28th March 1918) ? 29.03.1918Shrewsbury Shrewsbury School 13.02.1916Sir Edward Grey Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon Foreign Secretary 1905-1916 19.07.1915Sister Service Navy 20.06.1916Sketch British illustrated weekly newspaper which focused on high society and the aristocracy. It ran for

2,989 issues between 1 February 1893 and 17 June 1959.Published by the Illustrated London News Company - primarily a society magazine with regular features on royalty and the aristocracy, theatre, cinema and art studies

21.02.1916

Skin Huskisson 28.10.1916Slingsby Baby A legal case about the legitimacy of a child who inherited a share of the estate Rev. Charles Slingsby

died in 1912 leaaving a considerable estate. The bulk of this was left to Lieutenant Slingsby and the remainder went to his son . Slingsby’s younger brother went to court to contest the legitimacy of his brothers’ son 23.08.1915 entry Hills refers to Williams as "young & innocent looking" -this proboably explains the nickname

23.11.1915

Somerset Street16 Somerset Street London W1 was where the Hills family had (?) a flat. The street no longer exists

01.02.1918

Soupe Light Cavalry Light Cavalry Overture is the overture to Franz von Suppé’s operetta Light Cavalry premiered in Vienna in 1866

02.07.1916


Sous chef Second in command in a kitchen 14.01.1916Southern Cross A constellation (group of stars) found in the southern region of the night sky 13.12.1915Speshul "Special" perhaps a reference to "Special Constables" who were paid of volunteer Police reservists.

Hills says here his job is as a "policeman"01.11.1916

Spike To the west of Porthmadoc in Wales is the mountain Moel-y-Gest which rises 860 feet above the town

22.09.1916

Sportsman Possibly the National Sportsman Magazine devoted to Hunting Shooting & Fishing 02.03.1918St Beesman Former pupil of St Bees School in Cumbria 20.10.1916St Stephens Green A city centre public park in Dublin 04.05.1916Staffords Staffordshire RegimentStalky "Stalky & Co" by Kipling- a collection of linked short stories about Stalky & his friends at an English

Boarding School09.06.1915

Stand to Be in a state of readiness for action or attack. 6.1916Steorra Mary Steorra Hayes Hills his sister born 1908 25.09.1916Stickleback photo Sticky backed photo? 06.12.1916Stoneyhurst Roman Catholic Independent School Which follows the Jesuit traditions of education (The Society Of

Jesus founded by Ignatius of Loyola in 1534.)22.07.1916

StrafedStrafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. Hills sometimes uses the term to refer to "Tellings off" by superior ranks

29.03.1916

Stu Quo Status Quo Ante (Latin) The way things were before 29.09.1915Subaltern British military term for a junior officer. Literally meaning "subordinate," subaltern is used to

describe commissioned officers below the rank of captain and generally comprises the various grades of lieutenant

SuffragettesWomen who were members of the "right to vote organistion" particularly associated with activists in the British women's suffrage movement in the early 20th century, whose demonstrations included chaining themselves to railings and setting fire to mailbox contents

22.09.1916

Switch Riding whip 23.10.1915T.F. Territorial ForceTalbot (Gilbert) /The Great Gilbert

Lieutenant Gilbert Walbert Lyttelton Talbot 7th Battalion Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort‘s Own) 1.9.1891-30.7.1915 Killed in action aged 23.Buried in Sanctuary Wood British Military Cemetery, Zillebekenear Ieper.

04.06.1915/26.06.1915/07.08.1915/25.09.1915

23.10.1916


Talsarn Town in North Wales in Ceredigion County 27.03.1915Taylorian The magazine of Merchant Taylor's School 24.07.1916Terra Firma Dry land--on shore 07.02.1916Thackeray’s “Snobs” The Book of Snobs is a collection of satirical works by William Makepeace Thackeray first published

in1848 in Punch as The Snobs of England, By One of Themselves.23.12.1916

The "Vicarage" Hill's Family home-- Holy Trinity Vicarage Church Lane Bromley Common Kent 04.06.1915/07.08.1915

The Bull-pup See entry for 26.11.1915 nick name for one of the 3 new officers to join the brigade 14.12.1915The Golden Butterfly Novel written in 1876 by Sir Walter Besant & James Rice 07.02.1916The Hon Rawdon Hastings Captain Paulyn Charles James Reginald RAWDON-HASTINGS 1/5th Leicestershire Regiment (27-11-

1889 - 31-10-1915) killed in action, aged 25, during the attack by the North Midlands Division on the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 31 October 1915. No known grave.

23.05.1915

The long day closes The Long Day Closes is a part song by Henry Fothergill Chorley and Arthur Sullivan published in 1868. This song is one of seven part songs that Sullivan published that year, and it became Sullivan's best-known part song.

14.06.1916

The memorable 13th Hohenzollern Redoubt battleinvolving the Regiment on 13.10.1915 12.10.1916Thermogene wool Thermogene Medicated Wadding (Beecham Pharmaceuticals) is impregnated with capsicum

oleoresin 2'86% and methyl salicylate 0-03%. A square put on your chest before your vest was supposed to ease your chest and your cough. It was pink or orange.

23.10.1917

Think of “sugar" Think about nice things -don't worry ? 08.06.1916Third line regiment/ reserve batallion

A third-line battalion of the Leicester Regiment was formed in 1915 but stayed in England until it was absorbed into the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment in 1917

Third" Pip" Promotion forn Second Lieutenant to Captain -the rank wears 3 brass pips (as opposed to the 2 of a 2nd Lieutenant)

13.11.1917

Tipperary British Music Hall Song associated with WW1 07.12.1915Tom His brother Thomas Henry Hills born 1910 29.09.1915Tommies British soldiers --Tommy Atkins was the common name for a British ordinary rank soldierToute de suite French Straight away 12.10.1918Tres Chic Very smart / fashionable (French) 06.11.1917T's off my old tunic The T stood for Territorial (Force) and was part of the insignia of the 4th and 5th battalions. They were

literally letter Ts made of brass.17.03.1915


Uncle R/Uncle Rob Charles Robert (Robin]) Cattley, b.1871 St. Petersburg, d.1952 nr. Winnipeg, Canada. He emigrated to Canada in 1893; served in the Winnipeg Rifles in WW1, and was severely wounded. He was Hills' Uncle.

11.09.1916/06.10.1916/08.10.1916

Uppinghammians/Uppingham Old boys of Uppingham School in RutlandV.A. D. Hospital Voluntary Aid Detachment hospital The organisation was founded in 1909 with the help of the Red

Cross and Order of St. John. By the summer of 1914 there were over 2,500 Voluntary Aid Detachments in Britain. Each individual volunteer was called a detachment, or simply a VAD. Of the 74,000 VADs in 1914, two-thirds were women and girls.

Vacillatory Progress To wobble/sway from side to side 13.08.1915Valise Also "tent Valise" literally a tent stored and carried in a bag 26.06.1915Vampist or vampire In music, a vamp is a repeating musical figure, section, or accompaniment 16.08.1915Vanity of Vanities Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.” 04.10.1915Velma chocolate Popular brand of Suchard Chocolate 13.12.1915VERBOTENER DURCHGANG No right of way (German) 12.06.1916Verdun

The Battle of Verdun was fought from 21 February – 18 December 1916 on the Western Front between the German and French armies, on hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France

Vert Convert Hills from Church of England to Roman Catholicism 06.10.1916Veuve Cliquot A French champagne house based in Reims, specializing in premium products. Founded in 1772 by

Philippe Clicquot-Muiron, it played an important role in establishing champagne as a favored drink of high socicity and nobility throughout Europe

25.05.1916

View Halloa The shout made by a hunter on seeing a fox break cover 15.12.1917Villainous Le Bon at Arras Joseph Le Bon (29.09.1765 – 10.10.1795) was a French politician. He was born at Arras and showed

great severity in dealing with Revolutionaries23.04.1916

W.O. War OfficeWar savings Official Government backed Savings Scheme to raise money to support the War Effort 04.08.0918Waterloo

The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815, near Waterloo in Belgium. An Imperial French army under the command of Emperor Napoleon was defeated by the armies of the Seventh Coalition, comprising an Anglo-allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington combined with a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher.

16.15.1918

Weeds "Widow's weeds" Black clothing worn during mourning after the death of a loved one 30.12.1915


Whitechurch’s "Cannon In Residence" Victor Lorenzo Whitechurch (12.03.1868 – 2.05. 933) was a Church of England clergyman and author.

Canon in Residence is one of his best know novels. it has been adapted for the stage and radio04.11.1916

Whited Sephulcre Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean." A person who is inwardly evil but outwardly professes to be virtuous - a hipocrite

10.04.1916

Whizbangs High-velocity shell. From the noise of the rapid flight and the explosion. Usually applied to the German 77 mm

William 11Wilhelm II or William II (German: Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albrecht von Preußen; Frederick William Victor Albert of Prussia; 27.01.1859 – 4.07.1941) was the last German Emperor (Kaiser) and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15.07.1888 -09.11.1918. The eldest grandson of Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe.

26.09.1916

Worthy Teutonic friends ie the Germans the Teutons or Germanic peoples 16.05.1918Y.M.C.A. rest House Young Men's Christian Association rest house 09.11.1918Your congratulations On his promotion to Temp Captain from June 1 1916 18.06.1916Zep Zepellins - a type of rigid airship pioneered by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th

century

Zeppelin raid on London First one on January 19 1915 24.08.1915

Zig Zag at the London Hippodrome

1917 London Reveue Revue by Albert de Courville, Wal Pink & George Arnould. Staged by Ned Wayburn at The Hippodrome. A building on the corner of Charing Cross Road and Leicester Square in the City of Westminster London

14.02.1918

Zulu Wars The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. 12.12.1917

the March Brown 10.12.1915the Blue Upright 10.12.1915De Reske’s 13.12.1915Velma chocolate 13.12.1915Southern Cross 13.12.1915The Bull-pup 14.12.1915HMS Doleful 14.12.1915

word or phrase explanation letter date of entry 04.11...a.d.c. aide de camp (french) a military...

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