More actions
Getting up the blood spirit: An Army instructor's phrase in bayonet fighting exercise. Sacks stuffed with straw served as dummies, and the men had to attack them not only in scientific form, but with suitable ferocity – the "blood spirit." The phrase was invented during the war at the musketry school at Hardelot (see Spirit of the bayonet). The exercise formed part of the Army training course. The "enemy" (dummy stacks), were placed in alignment, the assailants were drawn up in front of a parapet or wall, which they scaled and then rushed forward to tackle the dummies, afterwards pressing on in pursuit.[1]
References / notes
- ↑ Edward Fraser and John Gibbons (1925). Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases. Routledge, London p.27.
The above term is listed in our Compendium of the Great War.
This compendium forms the central hub of words, phrases, people, and places relative to the Great War period of 1914–1918. These also include battles, political events, ships, trench slang, British and American service terms and expressions in everyday use, nicknames, sobriquets, the titles of British and Commonwealth Regiments and their origins, and also warfare in general. These words and phrases are contemporary with the war, which is reflected in the language used, some of which may seem derogatory by today's standards. Feel free to expand upon and improve this content.