from 1943
An audacious RAF bombing raid into the industrial heartland of Germany last night has wrecked three dams serving the Ruhr valley. ... They were barrel-shaped, and used the principle of a "ducks and drakes" stone bouncing on the water to bypass the defences around the dams.
4 letter word for a row of soldiers e.g on parade. It's also a word used to give an individual's "status" within the service. Look up the definition of this word backwards.