V.A.D. Volunteer Air Detachment.
V.E. soldiers troops fighting on the Italian side.
vermouth a sweet or dry, white fortified wine flavored with aromatic herbs, used in cocktails and as an aperitif.
Verona town in Veneto region of north Italy.
Vevey a town in west Switzerland, on Lake Geneva. Significantly, it is the setting at the start of Henry James's Daisy Miller, a story that ends with the tragic death of its heroine.
Via Manzoni a street in Milan.
Vicenza commune in north Italy.
Villa San Giovanni, Messina, Taormina various locales in Italy.
"Viva la Pace!" (Italian) "Long live peace!"
Vive la France (French) Long live France.
wallahs persons connected with a particular thing or function.
"We may drink — " As before, the dash replaces an obscenity, in this case a slang reference to urine, most likely.
"We will get Nice and Savoia from the French. We will get Corsica and all the Adriatic coast-line." The major is alluding to territories held at one time or another by Italian city-states but not currently in their possession.
Wengen a winter resort.
"What are you eating meat for? . . . Don't you know it's Friday?" Traditionally, Roman Catholics refrain from eating meat on Friday.
"What if I have it. Everybody has it. The whole world's got it. First . . . it's a little pimple. Then we notice a rash between the shoulders. Then we notice nothing at all. We put our faith in mercury." A description of the symptoms and treatment of syphilis.
wistaria a twining woody vine or shrub of the pea family, with fruits that are pods and showy clusters of bluish, white, pink or purplish flowers.
woodcock a migratory European shorebird, with short legs and a long bill: it is hunted as game.
wop (slang) an Italian or a person of Italian descent: an offensive term of hostility and contempt.
wound-stripes insignie, like the American Purple Heart, indicating that the wearer has been wounded in battle.
zabaione a frothy dessert or sauce made of eggs, sugar, and wine, typically Marsala, beaten together over boiling water.
Zona di Guerra (Italian) war zone.
Zurich capital of canton in north Switzerland, on the Lake of Zurich.
