Canadian Military History Gateway
www.cmhg-phmc.gc.ca
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Glossary
Select a letter to browse an alphabetical listing of terms and definitions.
Corvette
Historically, a flush-decked warship with one tier of guns. Later, a small, fast and lightly-armed warship used for patrol, communications and escort duties. During the Second World War, corvettes were the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy and most were deployed on convoy escort duty. As a result, the RCN was nicknamed, the "Corvette Navy".
Court Martial
Judicial court of military officers convened to try infractions of military law, including crimes such as theft, murder and desertion.
Croix Saint-Louis
French military decoration instituted by King Louis XIV in 1693 as an order of chivalry, raising members to the status of "chevalier" (knight). Knights of the order wore an enamel and gold cross suspended on a scarlet silk ribbon in a upper buttonhole of their uniform. The first Canadian officer to become a knight of Saint-Louis was Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in 1698, followed by 230 others in the 18th century. It was the first military medal to be worn by Canadians.
Cruiser
Warship of high speed and medium armament designed as a scout for the main battle fleet in late 19th century steamship navies. The first two warships in the Royal Canadian Navy, HMCS Niobe and HMCS Rainbow, were former Royal Navy cruisers transferred to Canada in 1910.
