|
A walking sword was formerly a short, light-weight sword. The term was in use when most swords were large, two-handed weapons.
 Research Walking Sword
Wapenshaws were a Scottish military meeting or review, especially stringent and compulsory under the Stuarts, when the lieges were compelled to collect themselves, at certain times and within certain specified areas, to 'show their weapons' of military defence, and prove that they were fit - according to their rank - to take the field at a moments notice. Various kinds of sport, such as shooting at the butts, were in vogue at these gatherings.
Research Wapenshaw
A watering call was a sound of trumpet or bugle formerly summoning cavalry soldiers to assemble for the purpose of watering their horses.
Research Watering Call
In fortifications, a way of the rounds is a space left for the passage of the rounds between a rampart and the wall of a fortified town.
Research Way of the Rounds
Webley and Scott were a British gun-making firm founded in about 1900 by a merger between the gunsmith firms of P Webley and W and C Scott.
Research Webley And Scott
The Welch Regiment was formed in 1783 from the 41st Regiment of Foot and the 69th Regiment of Foot for recruiting purposes.
Research Welch Regiment
The Welsh Guards was raised on the 26th of February 1915 by order of King George V, in order to include Wales in the National Complement of Regiments of Foot Guards identified with the countries of the United Kingdom. Two days after their formation the Battalion mounted its first King's Guard at Buckingham Palace on the 1st of March 1915 - St David's Day. On the 17th of March 1915 the 1st Battalion sailed for France and formed part of the Guards Division. Its first battle was fought at Loos on the 27th of September 1915 and the Regiment's first Victoria Cross was won by Sergeant Robert Bye at Pilckem in July 1917. Between the wars, the 1st Battalion was stationed in Cologne, Egypt and Gibraltar, where it was at the outbreak of war in 1939. The Regiment was expanded to three Battalions during the Second World War. The 1st Battalion fought in all the campaigns of North West Europe. The 2nd Battalion was formed in 1939 and fought in Boulogne in 1940, whilst the 1st Battalion was in Belgium as part of the British Expeditionary Force.
In May 1940, at the Battle of Arras, the Regiment's second Victoria Cross was won by Lieutenant The Hon Christopher Furness, who was killed in action. In 1941, a 3rd Battalion was raised and fought throughout the Tunisian and Italian Campaigns. Meanwhile, the 1st and 2nd Battalions formed part of the Guards Armoured Division - the 1st Battalion as Infantry and the 2nd Battalion as an Armoured Battalion. The two Battalions, working together, were the first troops to re-enter Brussels on the 3rd of September 1944 after an advance of 100 miles in one day, in what was described as 'an armoured dash unequalled for speed in this or any other war'. Shortly after the war, the 3rd Battalion was disbanded and the 2nd Battalion was placed in suspended animation.
Since 1945, the 1st Battalion has served in the United Kingdom, Palestine, Egypt, Germany, Aden and Cyprus and has exercised in many other parts of the world including Canada, Greece, Norway, Kenya and Belize. In more recent years the 1st Battalion has carried out five six-month and one two-year operational tours in Northern Ireland and in 1982 formed part of the Task Force in the Falklands Campaign, the Battle Honour for which is now borne on the Colours.
Research Welsh Guards
The West Suffolk Militia was a special reserve battalion of the Suffolk Regiment during the early part of the 20th century.
Research West Suffolk Militia
Wheelbarrow is a series of British remote handling tool used for bomb disposal and similar applications. Wheelbarrow Mk 7 had a range of 100 metres and an enduarnce of two hours and was fitted with a Philips LDH 0025/04 CCTV camera connected back to a 9-inch monitor. Wheelbarrow can be fitted with various tools, including a rifle, and is often used for remotely investigating suspicious parked vehicles for booby traps. Wheelbarrow is in use in over 20 countries world wide.
Research Wheelbarrow
White meat is the Al Qaeda codename for American citizens. It is used with other code words in planning documents for attacks upon American installations and Americans under the Fatwa declared by Osama Bin Laden against Americans in 1998.
Research White Meat
White phosphorus (known colloquially as 'Whisky Peter' to US troops) is a chemical which burns producing a thick white smoke. Traditionally white phosphorus is used to lay down smoke screens to hide troop movements and to mark targets for aerial attack. In 2005 it was revealed that the US army also use white phosphoris rounds as anti-personnel incendary rounds. White phosphorus upon contact with flesh sticks firmly to it and quickly burns the flesh through to the bone, and when inhaled burns the throat and lungs from the inside out making it a very effective terror weapon, even more so than napalm. The use of chemical weapons was banned by international law during the 20th century, but the American government continue to use white phosphorus as a chemical weapon, notably during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent siege of Fallujah.
Research White Phosphorus
The Wigtown Militia was a special reserve battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers during the early part of the 20th century.
Research Wigtown Militia
Wild Indians was a nickname of the 100th Regiment of Foot from their Canadian origins.
Research Wild Indians
|
Abbreviations
Warfare
