Glossary of terms
| Great War | the term used to describe World War I by the generation that lived through it - also 'First World War' |
| green line | a line of demarcation between two enemies in a conflict |
| grenade | a small bomb that can be thrown by hand |
| gross domestic product (GDP) | the total value of goods and services produced by a nation in a year |
| guerrilla | person who fights as part of an unofficial army, usually against an official army or police force |
| hardtack | a hard, flat, saltless biscuit that formed part of navy or army rations |
| heave to | to stop moving forward, especially a ship or vessel |
| heliograph | an instrument with mirrors and a shutter used for sending messages in Morse code by reflecting the sun's rays |
| home front | the country where civilians live |
| homemaker | a person in a household who spends time caring for their home and family, usually without paid employment |
| howitzer | a large gun with a short barrel that fires shells high up into the air so that they drop down onto a target |
| human rights | basic rights that many societies believe all people should have, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of opinion and the right to education and work. |
| humanitarian | relates to the promotion of human welfare, dignity and respect |
| illiterate | unable to read or write |
| in perpetuity | describes as action or activity that's intended to last forever |
| incendiary | describes a weapon designed to cause a small fire; dropped together from aircraft to cause widespread damage |
| indemnity | an amount of money paid to someone because of some damage or loss they have suffered |
| infantry | soldiers who fight on foot |
| insurgent | person who fights against the army or government of their own country |
| internee | a person put in prison for political reasons, especially an enemy citizen during wartime or a terrorism suspect |
| internment | the practice of putting people, usually civilians, in prison for political reasons, especially enemy foreign nationals during wartime or terrorism suspects |
| invalided | remove someone from active service in the armed forces because of injury or illness |
| investiture | a ceremony in which someone is given an official title |
| jaunty | naval slang for the master-at-arms, a senior sailor responsible for good order and discipline |
| kamikaze | An attack on an enemy where the actor knows that they will be killed doing it |
| kriegies | military slang term for an Allied prisoner of war in a German camp during World War II |
| landmine | an explosive placed on the ground or just beneath the surface |
| light case | patient with lower-grade wounds or illness |
| lighter | a flat-bottomed barge used for transporting cargo, especially to load or unload a ship |
| mackintosh | a waterproof material made by cementing layers of cloth with rubber |
| mandate | the authority to carry out a particular policy or task as a result of winning an election or vote |
| manoeuvre | a military training exercise that involves the movement of soldiers and equipment over a large area |
| mateship | comradeship of friends, usually male, viewed as an institution |
| mediate | trying to settle an argument between 2 groups by talking to them both and finding things that they can both agree to |
| medic | a doctor who works with the armed forces, as part of a medical corps |
| Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) | an official report by a superior officer naming a person in recognition of their bravery or distinguished service |
| merchant navy | the ships or crew engaged in a nation's commercial shipping |
| merchant ship | a ship that is part of a country's commercial shipping fleet, involved in transporting goods or carrying passengers; also known as a 'merchantman' |
| militant | describes a person with a very strong belief who tries to bring about political or social change, often in extreme ways that others find unacceptable |
| military junta | a government led by a committee of military leaders |
| military observer | a military official deployed as part of a peacekeeping force to provide support to a coordinated mission or peace operation |
| militia | a group that operates like an army but whose members are not professional soldiers |
| Militia | an armed force of part-time members trained for Australia's home defence that operated from 1930 to 1942. Its members were all volunteers until conscription was introduced on 1 January 1940. Militiamen could not serve outside Australia and its territories. |
| mine | a bomb hidden in the ground or in water that explodes when something touches it |
| minelayer | a warship or aircraft designed for the carrying and laying of mines |
| mobilise | to prepare a military forces for a conflict; mobilisation (noun) |
| Morse code | a telegraph code used for sending messages |
| musketry | the technique of using small arms |
| mustard gas | a chemical weapon used during World War I that caused blistering, sore eyes and internal injuries |
| muzzle velocity | the speed of a projectile as it leaves a gun's muzzle |