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Glossary

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

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Permanent Force

Regular units of the Canadian army from 1871 to the First World War.

PIAT

Projectile, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT). An anti-tank weapon used by Canadian infantry during the Second World War.

Pickelhaube

Nickname for the spiked helmet worn by the German army from the 1840s to the beginning of the First World War. Allied soldiers frequently used the term and many "pickelhaubes" were brought back to Canada as souvenirs.

See also: Helmet

Pine Tree Line

Line of radar stations built north of the 49th parallel across Canada, from 1950 to 1954, to provide an early warning against nuclear attacks by Soviet bombers. It was built and manned jointly by Canada and the United States.

See also: DEW Line, NORAD, Mid-Canada Line

Pioneer

Artisan-soldiers skilled in construction. Until the 20th century, every regiment, including Canadian regiments, had a squad of pioneers. They were distinguished by wearing aprons and carried axes and saws.

See also ‘Sapper’
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