WW2 SLANG
BATTLE BOWLER
Steel helmet, first introduced in numbers to British troops in February 1916. Named after the civillian hat. Term used mainly by officers.
BATTLE POLICE
Armed military police patrols deployed in the trenches following an attack to deal with (often by summary execution) stragglers and men who had refused to go over the top.
BEER BOY
An inexperienced person; a poor flyer. RFC/RAF expression, possibly derived from the phoenetic alphabet.
BEFORE YOUR NUMBER WAS DRY
Expression used by more experienced soldiers to rookies as a form of put-down: "I was killing Germans before your number was dry" - i.e.
