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Glossary of the First World War - K

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K: The War Bureau of the German War Ministry; covered recruiting and labour.
K1 / K2 etc. : Each successive 100,000 volunteers to the British Kitchener’s Army.
K ammunition: German armour piercing ammunition.
Kabalac: Alternative name for the Turkish enverieh sun helmet.
Kagohl: Kampfgeschwader der Obersten Heeresleitung, German airplane battle squadron.


Kaiser: 1. The German Emperor 2. A class of German battleship, the most modern available to them when the war began.
Kaiserschlacht: ‘Kaiser’s Battle’, the opening German offensives of Spring 1918.
Kaiserschutzen: Austrian rifle corps.
Kalpac: Turkish fur cap.
Kamerad: Literally ‘pal’ or ‘comrade’, used by German troops to surrender.
Kamerad Schnürschuh: Literally ‘comrade with laced boots’, colloquial term used by Germans to describe Austro-Hungarian troops.
Kapitan: Russian captain.
Kaplar: Serbian Private First Class.
KAR: King’s African Rifles.
Kazak: Cossack Private.
KdK: Kommandeur der Kraftfahrtruppen, German commander of mechanized transport.
Keep: Strongly fortified defensive point.
Kest: Kampfeinsitzerstaffeln, German flights to defend friendly targets.
Khakis: German nickname for British troops.
Khorunji: Cossack Second Lieutenant.
KIA: Killed in Action.
KiH: Kanone in Haubitzlafette, German artillery piece on howitzer carriage.
Kilo: shortened version of kilometre.
Kilometerschwein: Literally ‘kilometer pig’, colloquial term for an infantryman.

Kilometerfresser: Literally ‘kilometer eater’, colloquial term for an infantryman.
Kindermore: The deaths of thousands of volunteers killed early in the war thanks to ill-thought out offensives.
Kindjal: Cossack Dagger.
Kitch: Anzac slang for a British soldier.
Kitchener’s Army: The British ‘New Armies’ created from volunteers in response to a call for volunteers by Kitchener.
Kite Balloon: An observation balloon controlled by a cable from the ground.
Kiwi: 1. Slang for a New Zealander. 2. Slang for RFC or RAF ground crew 3. The immaculately turned out.
KJ: Kaiserjäger, the Austro-Hungarian rifle corps.
KK: Kaiserlich Königlich, the title of Austrian Landwehr formations.
Kleif: Kleinflammenwerfer, a German light flame thrower.
Knife rest: Movable barbed wire structure used to fill in defensive gaps.
Knut: Someone obsessed with their appearance.
Kodofea: Kommandeur der Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung, Commander of German aircraft training squadron.
Kofern: The German officer commanding the HQ Corps telephone section.
Kofl: Kommandeur der Flieger, German commander of an army’s air units.
Koflak: German officer in charge of army anti-aircraft units.
Kogenluft: Kommandierender General der Luftstreitkräfte, GOC German aircraft service.
Kokky-olly birds: King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
Koluft: Kommandeur der Luftschiffer, German army officer commanding balloon units.
Kommandir: Montenegrin officer.
König Class: A class of German battleship.
Korvettekapitän: German naval officer equivalent to Major.
Kosbies: King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
Kot daffadar: Indian cavalry sergeant major.
KOYLI: King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
KR: King’s Regulations, British military handbook.
KRA: Kriegsrohstoffarbteilung, German Department of War Raw Materials.
Kreuzer: German cruiser.
Kriegsbrot: Literally ‘war bread’, German black bread.
Kriegsfreiwillige: Literally ‘war volunteer’, Germans who volunteered instead of being conscripted.
KRRC: King’s Royal Rifle Corps.
KS: Kaiserschützen.
KSLI: King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
KTD: Kavallerie-Truppen-Divisionen, Austro-Hungarian cavalry divisions.
KU: Kaiserlich Ungarische, Hungarian Landwehr.
KuK: Kaiserlich und Königlich: the Austro-Hungarian ‘common’ army.
Kulla / kullah: Indian skull cap.
Kultur: Allied nickname for their perception of German culture as destructive and boorish.
KV: Kriegsverwendungsfähige: German medical term for 'fit for active duty'.
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