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The naming of landmarks on a battlefield

Discussion in 'WWII General' started by Fatboy Coxy, Sep 11, 2021.

  1. Fatboy Coxy

    Fatboy Coxy Member

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    Often, reading through the text of a particular battle, I come across a named landmark, which has become a reference point for one or the other sides in a battle

    Some may well be already known locations, eg Spion Kop, already marked on their maps, but many, possibly less significant in size, but owing to their position on the battlefield, just as important, hadn’t been given a name, or the name wasn’t marked on their map, or even worse, there was no map! For these, names were created. Some given a number, reflecting the height of the hill, eg Hill 70 or Hill 355, the number being the height in metres, as marked on the map.

    But others were named because of their shape, ie Kidney Ridge, or Pork Chop Hill, given nicknames in reference of places back home, ie Bloody Gulch, or to express the troops feeling towards the landmark, ie Hamburger Hill.

    And then there was the naming of man-made fortifications, trench systems like Piccadilly Circus in WW1, or defensive areas, like “The Cauldron” in the Western Desert WW2.

    Who named these features, was it just a staff officer on his own initiative, was it something agreed by a commanding officer?

    Regards
    Fatboy Coxy
     
  2. bronk7

    bronk7 Well-Known Member

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    ..it is my understanding that they are named by a lot of the '''GIs'''/Marines and the name just sticks ....we had a ''hill'' or mountain near our base in Hawaii [ Oahu ] and the Marines that were there before us gave it a name--I think it was sexual in nature [ I can't remember the exact name, this was about 30 years ago ] .....
    ...in Boot Camp they had a hill named Mount M***er F****r, because it ''was''' that...hahahhahahahahah....it was a MF to climb it ..seemed like it was at a 45' degree angle
     
  3. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    Yes, just like many slang words or during the Corona epidemic we started touching with elbows, things just spread among people. I recall many slang words 40 years ago but Nobody uses them anymore and new ones replace them.
     

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