Killed in action

Killed in action, usually abbreviated to k.i.a., is the term used widely by the military to denote a casualty classification that describes a combatants death as a direct result of engagement with an enemy or hostile force. It was a term used widely throughout the First World War that established a soldiers death on the battlefield in actions against the enemy. Those that were injured on the battlefield but died as a result their injuries at a later date were classed as d.o.w. (died of wounds). This distinction separated the casualties into two specific casualty types. The term also relates to air and naval forces and is still in use today.

Rows of headstones in the quiet and picturesque Lonsdale Cemetery, near Authuille in nothern France.

Compendium entry: This is a collection of words and knowledge relative to the specific analysis of the Lonsdale Battalion and the wider Border Regiment, predominantly in connection with their actions and the places they were known to have been stationed or fought during the 1914-1918 period. Much of this information has come from primary sources including, but not limited to, the Lonsdale records and the Border Regiment War Diaries. Please feel free to expand and improve this resource.