“Show” is an informal British term for a Military action or engagement, especially one that soldiers expect to involve danger or combat. It can make a deadly event sound ordinary or routine, reflecting the slang and understatement often used by servicemen. In war poetry, this casual word may heighten the irony between soldiers’ everyday speech and the violence they face.

In this sense, “show” is chiefly British Military slang, particularly associated with the First World War period. It may refer to a planned attack, a battle, a raid, or an unspecified combat operation. The word does not mean a theatrical performance here, though its ordinary meaning creates an ironic undertone: war can seem like a grim, imposed “performance” in which soldiers must take part. Related Military terms include “action,” “engagement,” “operation,” “raid,” and, in First World War usage, “a stunt.”