| Word |
Meaning |
| Army Service Corps (ASC) |
The Army Service Corps (or ASC) were the unsung heroes of World War One.
They were responsible for transport and logistics, and kept the troops at the front supplied with
ammunition, food and medical aid. |
| Battalion |
A battalion is a unit of military organisation, traditionally made up of three rifle companies, an HQ company and a support company. In World War One,
a battalion usually consisted of 1,007 men, of whom 30 were officers. A battalion was divided further into one Battalion Headquarters, and four other Companies. |
| British Expeditionary Force (BEF) |
The British Expeditionary Force (BEF), was created in case it was necessary
for Britain to take part in a foreign war. By August 1914, there were about 120,000 soldiers in the BEF.
The BEF was initially under the command of Sir John French, but in 1915 he was replaced by
Sir Douglas Haig. |
| F&F (France and Flanders) |
F&F was shorthand meaning 'France and Flanders'.
Many soldiers who fought on the Western Front were killed in France or in Flanders. The expression "k.in a. F&F" was often used in records, to mean Killed in Action, in France
and Flanders. |
| First hundred-thousand (or 'Kitchener's Army') |
On 11th August 1914, Lord Kitchener issued an order, 'Your King and Country need you. A call to arms'. This
explained the conditions of service, and called for 100,000 men to enlist. This figure was achieved within two weeks.
Six new Divisions were created, and these were called Kitchener's Army or K1. |
| First World War |
The First World War started in 1914 and ended in 1918.
Countries and soldiers from all over the world were involved, although much of the land fighting involving the British Army
took place in France or Belgium, on what is known as The Western Front. |
| Front Line |
This was the area on the battlefield closest to the enemy.
About 100 metres behind the front line was the support line, which held supplies. The space between
the front lines of the Allies and the Germans was known as 'no-man's land'. Soldiers would advance,
or go 'over the top', from their front line and into no man's land. |
| Killed in Action (k in a) |
A soldier who was killed in the fighting was listed as "k. in a.", or Killed in Action.
Letters were then issued to his family explaining this, and expressing grief and sympathy for the loss of his
life. |
| King's Shropshire Light Infantry |
The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (or KSLI) was formed in 1881.
With its base in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, it called upon men of the Shropshire region to enlist
and fight. |
| Kitchener of Khartoum |
Lord Kitchener was the Secretary of State for War at the beginning of World War One.
He knew that in order to win the war, vast numbers of men would be needed. He was responsible for encouraging people
to enlist. For example, his face appears on the famous recruitment poster, saying "Your country needs YOU". |
| Demobilization |
The process whereby a serviceman is released from further duty in the armed forces. Thousands of men were demobilised after the end of the war. The men were given documents to say that they had been demobilised and other documents containing their service history and character reference. |
| The Pals |
A 'Pals Battalion' was one in which a group of neighbours, friends or people from
a local institution decided to join up together. It might be the workforce of a company, the members of a local football club, a group of friends from a particular area.
|
| Service Number |
Unique identification number given to every serviceman. We can use this number to identify individual servicemen when researching. |
