Glossary of terms
| reconnaissance | an activity to obtain military information about a place by sending soldiers or planes there or by using satellite data |
| referendum | a national vote for people to decide whether or not they agree with a policy |
| reinforcements | extra people in a military force who are sent to help or to replace those who have been killed or wounded |
| reparation | a sum of money paid after a war by the defeated country for the damage and injuries it caused in other countries |
| reparations | a sum of money paid after a war by the defeated country for the damage and injuries it caused in other countries |
| repatriation | returning a veteran home after they have been injured, become sick or been killed in another country; also refers to returning a military force when conflict has ceased |
| sabotage | to deliberately damage or destroy an object during a war |
| salvage | to save useful or valuable items from a damaged ship or building |
| salvo | the firing of several guns or missiles at the same time in a battle |
| sapper | a soldier whose job is to do building, digging and similar construction work |
| scapegoat | a person who is publicly blamed for something bad that has happened, even though it was not their fault |
| screening | a military tactic that uses either a body of cavalry to screen the advance of an attacking infantry force or a naval force to protect the main body of ships |
| scuttle | to sink a ship deliberately |
| serge | a strong woollen cloth used to make clothes, such as nurses' uniform dresses |
| shell | a metal container full of an explosive substance and fired from a large gun; (verb) to fire shells at something from a large gun - shelled, shelling, shellfire |
| shell shock | a confused or nervous mental condition of people who have been under fire in a war |
| shrapnel | consists of small pieces of metal that are scattered from exploding bombs or shells |
| siege | a military tactic where soldiers surround a place in an attempt to force its people to come out or give up control of the place |
| skirmish | a small short-lived military battle |
| smoke shell | a shell filled with white phosphorus fired by artillery to screen advancing troops |
| sniper | a person who shoots at people from a hidden position |
| Somme | a river in northern France where battles took place during World War I |
| squalor | very dirty, unpleasant conditions |
| stalemate | a military situation where two opposing forces find that further action is either impossible or pointless |
| stall | a compartment in a stable or shed for confining or feeding an animal |
| Stolen Generations | describes the children of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were forcibly removed from their families between 1871 and 1970 under various federal and state laws |
| strafe | to attack a place from an aircraft by flying low and firing a lot of bullets - also 'ground strafing' |
| stretcher case | someone who has to be taken away on a stretcher because they are too injured or sick to walk |
| strong-point | a crucial point in a defensive position, usually strongly fortified and heavily armed, and protected by other positions nearby |
| surrender | to give up to an enemy or to relinquish control or power over something |
| theatre | a large area or region where a war is being fought - can be on land, on the sea or in the sky |
| theatre of war | xxx |
| torpedo | a bomb that is shaped like a tube and travels under water |
| tourniquet | a strip of cloth tied tightly around an injured arm or leg to stop bleeding |
| tow | a towboat or tug used for pushing a barge or group of barges |
| transport | a military vehicle, especially a ship or plane, that's used to carry soldiers or equipment |
| traverse | a protective bank or other barrier across a trench |
| treaty | a written agreement between countries to show they agree a particular action or to help each other |
| triage | the practice of sorting battle casualties (sick and wounded people) into categories of priority for treatment |
| troopship | a ship that carries a large number of soldiers from one place to another |
| Turk | a person from the principal ethnic group of Turkey or, formerly, the Ottoman Empire; a Turkic-speaking person |
| Turkey | the centre of the Ottoman Empire; became a republic in 1923 |
| U-boat | a German submarine |
| undercarriage | the part of a plane, including the wheels, that provides support when it is on the ground and when it is landing or taking off |
| United Kingdom (UK) | refers to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 January 1801 to 5 December 1922, or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 5 December 1922 |
| upper class | describes a group of people in a society who have the highest economic or social status |
| vanguard | the part of a military force that goes into battle first; 'van' for short |
| veteran | a person who served in the armed forces of their country during a war or peacekeeping mission |
| Victoria Cross (VC) | the highest decoration for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces |
| Viet Cong | a communist guerrilla force that sought to overthrow the South Vietnamese government, later allied with North Vietnam |