Cadet

Cadet: A new military significance was given to the word during the war. The cadets of the war were a temporary emergency organisation formed to make good the shortage of officers through casualties. They were mostly selected from NCO ranks at the front and OTC youth nearing military age, and underwent a course receiving Temporary Commission and being drafted to units overseas. They wore officer's uniform, without rank badges, and with a white cap band. There was also a special Mercantile Marine Cadet establishment, with schools at Chatham, Portsmouth, Cardiff and Greenock, for training apprentices and officers in gunnery, and methods of dealing with submarine attack.

References / notes

The above term is listed in our Compendium of the Great War on this day.

Included are trench slang, service terms, expressions in everyday use, nicknames, the titles and origins of British and Commonwealth Regiments, and warfare in general. These words and phrases are contemporary with the war, which is reflected in the language used. Sources include: Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases, The War Book-of-Facts and Odhams' A.B.C. of the Great War. Feel free to expand upon and improve this content.

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