| MESSINES | A successful operation by the British to take this ridge in June 1917 was a prelude to the battle of Passchendaele (8) |
| VIMYRIDGE | The battle of which, in April 1917, was a great victory (though at a high cost) for Canadian troops against the German defenders (4,5) |
| LEDUP | Was a prelude (to) |
| IMPLICATE | Involve politician in a licit operation by the end (9) |
| ENABLE | Empower girl, British, to take on the French |
| OSHAKATI | Namibian city was used as a base of operations by the South African Defence Force during the South African Border War and Namibian War of Independence |
| OPERATIONDESERTSHIELD | Codename for operations by the US and allies before the combat stage of the Gulf War |
| BOMBE | WWII decryption device used by the British to help break the German Enigma-machine signals |
| PUKKA | Indian origin word for "perfect" used by the British to prefix "sahib" |
| HILLTOP | Successful operation, seizing lines in exposed position (7) |
| FIELDDAY | Very successful operation |
| FLUTE | One of the woodwind instruments played in Claude Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun or Olivier Messiaen's The Blackbird, for example (5) |
| WARDANCE | Major steps taken by one of those prior to the Battle of Charleston presumably (3,5) |
| GEORGIA | Last of the Thirteen Colonies in the US that revolted against the British to be established (7) |
| ENTREE | A culinary prelude to the main course of a formal dinner, traditionally between fish and roast meat (6) |
| CRAWL | It's a bit childish to take this position to credit producer of hole in wall perhaps (5) |
| CONFESSOR | Edward the -. king whose death eventually led to the Battle of Hastings (9) |
| CUSTERSLASTSTAND | Name given to the Battle of the Little Bighorn |
| TRIBAL | Try to get the British to enter in the race (6) |
| SKISTICK | Inclined to take this in hand perhaps for one of those on the slippery slope (3,5) |
