Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada
Skip to content | Skip to institutional links

Common menu bar links

CMHG Home

Institutional links

  • CMHG

  • My Gateway






  • Timeline
    (1000-2000)


  • Go to HTML Site
Maximize Timeline

Glossary

Select a letter to browse an alphabetical listing of terms and definitions.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. #
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

SMLE

Short Magazine, Lee-Enfield. See: Lee-Enfield rifle

Sniper

Expert marksman armed with a rifle. Snipers were best armed with accurate target rifles with telescope and became numerous in the First World War. They worked alone or in small groups on the front lines, targeting enemy soldiers who could be seen momentarily in trenches and rear areas.

Special operations

Extraordinary and often secret operations performed by elite forces.

See also: Commando

Squadron (Air Force)

Air forces adopted the squadron structure during the First World War, the first Canadian Squadrons being formed in 1917 when the short-lived Royal Canadian Naval Air Service was established. Distinct Canadian squadrons in the Royal Flying Corps were not formed until August 1918. Squadrons were formed in the Canadian Air Force from 1920 and the RCAF from 1924, which expanded tremendously during the Second World War.

Squadron (Army)

Sub-unit within cavalry, horse artillery, armoured regiment and train/transport units. In cavalry regiments, a squadron usually had two troops. During the Second World War, a Canadian armoured squadron consisted of a headquarters troop of 3 tanks and four fighting troops, each of 4 tanks.

See also: Troop
Date Modified:

Top of Page
Important Notices