GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1732, 20 September 1917, Page 1

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

FLYING LEXICON. The Royal Flying Corps has a lexicon of its own. “Archie” is an anti-aircraft gun. “Baggage” is the observer. A “chuka” is a patrol over the enemy’s lines. “Flying speed” is the lowest speed at which an aeroplane can retain its stability in the air. “Flaming onions” are incendiary anti-aircraft shells.. “Gedoonk” is on cx'prcssion used to illustrate the sound of bursting anti-aircraft shell. “Humming bird” is a hostile aeroplane; “Hot staffer,” a pilot.who exaggerates his achievements; “Immelmann turn,” a steep or vertical turn close to the ground; “Joy stick,” the control lever in an aeroplane;” “Poohpooh,” a term used to denote tEe condition of a nervous pilot; “Zooming,” an aeroplane climbing almost vortical for a short distance; “Bloater,” “Blimpf,” “Jumbo,” “Quirk,” and “Rumpcty” are the 'Flying Corps names for various types of planes. UNDERGROUND “CASTLE” In going over the ground recently captured by them from the Austrians on the Carso, the Italians have made many interesting discoveries. The special correspondent of the Giornale d’ltalia describes a natural cave south of Jamiauo which had been converted into a sort of subterranean “topsy-turvy castle.” It was reached- by a long flight of stairs, and consisted of four floors; but, of course, one descended from the first to the last, instead of ascending, and the total depth was nearly 500 ft. On the first and uppermost floor lived the regimental staff, and the officers had their quarters on the second. Troops were accommodated on the third floor, and below them was a depot for material, arms, munitions, food, and so forth, which the enemy, in his hasty retreat, had no time to remove. ARMY PUNISHMENT. The Australian Government has refused to allow Australian soldiers accused of military “crimes” to be tried before British court-martial, on account of the severity of the sentences, and is pushing forward the construction of now detention barracks at Tidworth, so that men assigned to detention punishment may bo saved from the treatment which has been meted out to them in a detention barrack's in a London suburb. The methods of the noncommissioned officers in charge, who are in many instances old soldiers of the bad old long-service type, has caused a revolt against the methods of the British Army being applied to Australian soldiers. It is more than our cousins from down yonder can stomach when applied to their boys for “crimes” which arc more often due to thoughtlessness than vice, says an exchange,