'Proelicas Ave' Military records

[Ceci]

Does anyone know the meaning and/or significance of 'Proelicas Ave' which appears at the end of some military telegraphs giving details of a soldier in the Royal Garrison Artillery who had been wounded in France in 1918? I know he  was transported back to England where he died as a result of his wounds.

Ceci

[Berlin-Bob]

Hi Ceci,

I haven't seen the phrase before but the latin translates (word for word) as follows:

proelicas
Two words           
It may be two words written together    proeli + cas
proeli               N      2 4 GEN S N                   Early   
proelium, proeli(i)  N  N 
battle;

and

ave
av.e                 N      2 1 VOC S M                 
avus, avi  N  M 
av.e                 N      2 6 VOC S M                 
avos, avi  N  M    veryrare
grandfather; forefather, ancestor;
av.e                 V      2 1 PRES ACTIVE  IMP 2 S   
aveo, avere, -, -  V  INTRANS 
hail; (only IMP/INF greeting/leaving; ~ jubeo => I send greetings); fare/be we
be eager or anxious; desire, wish for, long after, crave;
ave                  INTERJ                             
ave                 INTERJ 
hail!, formal expression of greetings;
av.e                 N      3 3 ABL S F                 
avis, avis  N  F 
bird; sign, omen, portent;

(courtesy of : http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe )


so my guess is, that it was a standard entry, meaning (literally) "Greetings from the Battlefield !" and symbolically: "sent direct from the field"

Anybody know for sure ?

[Ceci]

Hi Berlin-Bob

Thanks for your interpretation. I had thought that it might be a farewell to the soldier, or the soldiers farewell to battle, or perhaps a motto of that particular regiment. I hadn't considered a general greeting from the battlefield, but it could easily be that.

Regards Ceci

[rosibowyer]

My grandfather was also in the Royal Garrison Artillery and died in hospital in France in March 1918 of shock pneumonia after a gun carriage ran over his leg.  The telegram also carried the words 'Proelicas' (not 'Ave'). I googled the word and this thread came up. I'd be grateful of any explanation anyone can find.

[ShaunJ]

The most likely explanation I have seen is that Proelicas was " the telegraphic address for the War Office department dealing with casualties. It is from the Latin "proelium" meaning battle and the abbreviation "cas" meaning casualty."

http://www.circlecity.co.uk/wartime/board/index.php?page=75

See examples "To PR3 from PROELICAS Liverpool"
http://tinyurl.com/o6zakob

"from C.O.C. Ceylon to “PROELICAS LIVERPOOL”  http://www.cofepow.org.uk/lists/ss_rooseboom_passenger_listv3.0.0_march_2012.docx

[Scarletwoman]

That's exactly what it was - all sorts of odd words used for telegraphic addresses relating to the War Office and the Admiralty.

Sue

[rosibowyer]

Thanks both of you. I found that explanation in the end too. It makes sense. It definitely looked more like a form of signature than a blessing or prayer.