WW2 Abbreviations and Acronyms

When you research a soldier who served in either the British or Indian Army during the Second World War you’ll be confronted by a wide range of military jargon. This is often in the form of abbreviations and acronyms and can make reading military documents very difficult. To further complicate matters, you will often find multiple abbreviations and acronyms together. This is one of a series of guides I’ve written to help you research soldiers who served in the British Army during the war:

Guides to Researching Soldiers who Served in the British Army

Learn About my Second World War Soldier Research Service

Below is a list of abbreviations and acronyms which you may come across while researching a soldier who served in the Second World War. This list is by no means complete and also includes abbreviations and acronyms found both before and after the war. Many soldiers who served in the Second World War also saw service in the First World War. The two links below will take you to pages containing abbreviations and acronyms on my website Researching WW1:

If you hold down the CTRL key (bottom left of your keyboard) and press F you can search this page for letter combinations.

WW2 Abbreviations and Acronyms

A, Acting or Assistant or Anti
(A), Accountant Branch Officer
AA, Anti-Aircraft or Army Act or Assistant Adjutant or Assembly Area or Armament Artificer
AAA, Anti-Aircraft Artillery
AAC, Army Air Corps
AACD, Army Air Corps Depot
AA & CD, Anti-Aircraft and Coast Defence
AAD, Advanced Ammunition Depot or Anti-Aircraft Defence
AAEE, Anti-Aircraft Experimental Establishment
AAF, Auxiliary Air Force or Allied Air Force
AAFVS, Army Armoured Fighting Vehicles
AAG, Assistant Adjutant General or Anti-aircraft Guns
AAGS, Air Armament and Gas School
AAI, Allied Armies in Italy
AALMG, Anti-Aircraft Light Machine Gun
AAM, Army Achievement Medal
AAMP, Anti-Aircraft Medical Post
AAOD, Anti-Aircraft Ordnance Depot
AAOR, Anti-Aircraft Operations Room
AA&QMG, Assistant Adjutant & Quartermaster General
AAS, Advanced Air Station
AASC, Army Air Support Control
AASF, Advanced Air Striking Force
AASL (Coy), Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Company
AATE, Anti-Aircraft Training Establishment
AATO, Army Air Transport Organization
AAW, Army Auxiliary Workshop
AB, Army Book or Able Seaman or Airborne or Advanced Base
ABCA, Army Bureau of Current Affairs
ABMR, Assistant Beachmaster
ABN, Airborne
ABOD, Advanced Base Ordnance Depot
ABOW, Advanced Base Ordnance Workshop
ABRO, Army in Burma Reserve of Officers
ABS, Army Board Secretariat
ABW, Advanced Base Workshop/s
AC, Armoured Car or Aircraft or Aircraftman or Alternating Current
AC, Air Component or Army Class
AC Austria, Allied Commission Austria
ACC, Army Cycling Corps or Army Catering Corps or Ambulance Car Company or Accounted
ACCE, Alternate Current Control Element
ACCN, Accommodation
ACD, Army Chaplain’s Department or Assistant Chaplain General
A-CDRE, Air Commodore
ACES, Amenities Comforts and Entertainments for the Services
ACG, Assistant Chaplin-General or Aerodrome Construction Group
ACI, Army Council Instruction
AI (I), Army Instruction India
ACIGS, Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff
Ack, Acknowledge
Ack-ack, Anti-Aircraft
ACL, Apparatus Cable Laying
ACM, Air Chief Marshal
ACO, Air Cadet Organisation
ACP, Army Composite Platoon or Army Collecting Point
ACPO, Assistant Command Post Officer
ACRC, Air Crew Reception Centre
ACSEA, Air Command South East Asia
A C Sqn, Army co-operation squadron
ACT, Activity
ACV, Armoured Command Vehicle
AD, Artillery Depot or Air Defence or Armoured Division or Air Despatch
Ad, Administrative or Admission
A/D, Airborne Division
ADA, Assistant-Director of Accounts
ADATS, Assistant Director Auxiliary Territorial Service
ADC, Aide de Camp or Air Defence Centre or Army Dental Corps or Ammo Dumping Craft
ADCA, Assistant-Director of (Home) Civil Aviation
ADCC, Air Defence Cadet Corps
ADCR, Australian Divisional Cavalry Regiment
Addsd, Addressed
ADG, Assistant-Director-General (in combination)
ADGB, Air Defence of Great Britain
ADGD, Assistant-Director of Ground Defence
ADG Tn, Assistant-Director-General of Transportation
ADH, Assistant-Director of Hygiene
ADLS, Air Despatch Letter Service
ADHP, Assistant Director of Hydrogen Production
ADI, Assistant Director of Intelligence
ADJ, Adjutant
ADJT, Adjutant
ADM, Administration or Admiral or Admitted or Administrative
AD MAPS, Assistant Director of Maps
ADMC, Assistant-Director of Military Co-operation
AD (Mech), Assistant Director (Mechanization) (Ministry of Supply Staff)
ADMO, Assistant-Director of the Meteorological Office
ADOS, Assistant Director of Ordnance Services
ADOS(E), Assistant Director of Ordnance Services (Engineering)
ADOS(P), Assistant Director of Ordnance Services (Provision)
ADMS, Assistant Director of Medical Services
ADO (Est), Assistant-Director of Organisation (Establishments)
AD of S(2), Assistant-Director of Signals (Civil Aviation)
AS of S(3), Assistant-Director of Signals (Ground Communications)
ADOS, Assistant Director of Ordnance Services
ADPL, Assistant-Director of Pioneer and Labour
ADPR, Assistant-Director of Public Relations
ADRC, Assistant-Director of Regional Control
ADS, Advanced Dressing Station or Army Dental Services or Air Despatch Service
ADSM, Assistant-Director of Servicing and Maintenance
AD SVY, Assistant-Director of Survey
ADST, Assistant-Director of Supplies and Transport
ADT, Armoured Division Troops
AD TN, Assistant-Director Training
ADV, Advanced or Advance
ADV BSD, Advance Base Supply Depot
Adv Bse, Advanced Base
Adv Gd, Advanced Guard
ADVS, Assistant Director of Veterinary Services
ADW (M&E), Assistant-Director of Works (Mechanical and Electrical)
ADWAAF, Assistant-Director of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
AE, Aircraft Establishment or Air Efficiency Award or Army Equipment or Ammunition Examiner
A&E, Ammunition and Explosives
AEC, Army Education Corps or Army Educational Company or Associated Equipment Company
AEDM, Army Education
AEF, Allied Expeditionary Force
AEFAF, Allied Expeditionary Air Force
AEFLC, Allied Expeditionary Force Line Control
AEME, Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
AEO, Assistant Embarkation Officer
AER, Army Emergency Reserve
AERE, Assault Engineers Royal Engineers
AEV, Armoured Engineer Vehicle
AF, Army Form or Air Formation
AFA, Australian Field Ambulance
AFC, Air Force Cross or Australian Flying Corps
AFD, Airborne Forces Depot
AFDU, Air Fighting Development Unit
AFH, Allied Forces Headquarters
AFHQ, Allied Forces Headquarters
Afm, Aforementioned
A Fd Wkshop, Army Field Workshop
AFS, Air Formation Signals or Auxiliary Fire Service
AFW, Army Field Workshop
AFV, Armoured Fighting Vehicle
AG, Adjutant-General or Air Gunner or Anti-Gas
AGRA, Army Group Royal Artillery
AGRE, Army Group Royal Engineers
AFHQ, Airfield Headquarters
AFM, Aforementioned or Air Force Medal
AFV, Armoured Fighting Vehicle
AG, Air to Ground or Air Gunner or Anti-Gas or Adjutant General
AGC, Automatic Gain Control
AGDU, Army Guard Dog Unit
AGO, Automotive Gas Oil
AGR, Army General Reserve
AGRA, Army Group Royal Artillery
AGRE, Army Group Royal Engineers
ah, Ampere-hour
A.HAV, Acting Havildar
AHTD, Advanced Horse Transport Depot
AIBO, Army In Burma Orders
AIF, Australian Imperial Force
AIGU, Army Industrial Gas Unit
AILO, Air Intelligence Liaison Officer
AIOC, Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
AIPT, Assistant Inspector of Physical Training
AIR, Melbourne
Air Bse, Air Base
AIR FMN SIGS, Air Formation Signals
AIRO, Army of India Reserve of Officers
AK, Army Kinematography
AKP, Altin Kopru
AKS, Army Kinema Service
AL, Air Landing or Air Liaison
ALA, All Arms
A-L-DAF, Acting-Lance Daffadar
ALC, Assault Landing Craft
ALEX, Alexandria
ALFM, Allied Land Forces Norway
ALFSEA, Allied Land Forces South East Asia
ALG, Advanced Landing Ground
ALGER, Algiers
ALM, American Liaison and Munitions
A-L.NK, Acting-Lance Naik
ALO, Air Liaison Officer or Army Liaison Officer
ALOP, Advanced Lookout Posts
AL Sec, Air Liaison Section
AM, Air Marshal or Air Ministry or Albert Medal
AMA, Amatol
AMB, Ambulance
AMC, Armoured Cars
AMCU, Anti-Malaria Control Unit
A/MEN, Anti-personnel (ammunition)
AMFO, Assistant Military Forwarding Offices
AMGOT, Allied Military Government of Occupied Territories
A M INSR C E, Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
AMLO, Assistant Military Landing Officer
Amn, Ammunition
AMNL, Ammonal (bulk explosives)
AMNL CH, Ammonal with charcoal
AMO, Army Medal Office
AMPC, Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps
Amph, Amphibian
AMS, Assistant Military Secretary
AMU, Anti-malaria Unit
AMYA, Amiriya
ANNZ, Annexure
ANTI-MAL, Anti-Malarial
ANXF, Allied Naval Force North-West Europe
ANZAC, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
AO, Army Order or Accounts Office or Administration Officer
AOB, Army Observer Battery/Batteries
AOC, Air Officer Commanding
AOD, Advanced Ordnance Depot or Army Ordnance Depot
AOER, Army Officers’ Emergency Reserve
AOFP, Army Ordnance Field Park
A of S, Line/angle of sight
AOME, Assistant Ordnance Mechanical Engineer
AOP, Air Observation Post or Armoured Observation Post
AOR, African Other Ranks
AOW, Army Ordnance Workshop
AP, Armour Piercing or Aircraft Park or Aid Post or Ammunition Point or Army Pension
APC, Armoured Personnel Carrier or Armour-piercing capped (projectile)
APCBC, Armour-piercing capped with ballistic cap (projectile)
APD, Air Personnel Department
A PER, Anti-personnel
APIS, Air Photo Interpretation Section
APO, Army Post Office
APM, Assistant Provost Marshal
APPTD, Appointed
APPX, Appendix
APR, Army Plotting Room
A. PRS, Anti-personnel
APS, Army Pigeon Service
A Pt, Aiming Point
APSHOT, Armour-piercing (inert)
APTC, Army Physical Training Corps
APTS, Army Physical Training Staff
APV, Average projectile velocity or armoured patrol vessel
AQ, Assistant-Adjutant and Quarter-Master-General
AQMG, Assistant-Quarter-Master-General
AR, Army Reserve or Automatic Rifle
ARA, Army Rifle Association
ARC, Automatic Remote Control
ARCM, Associate Royal College of Music
ARE, Assault Squadron Royal Engineers
ARG, Armour Replacement Group
ARH, Ammunition Railhead or Advanced Railhead
ARIBA, Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Armd C, Armoured Car
Armn, Airman or Airmen
ARO, Army Routine Order
ARP, Air Raid Precautions or Aircraft Repair Park
ARP, Ammunition Refilling Points
ARRC, Associate of the Royal Red Cross
ART, Artillery or Artisan
ARTY, Artillery
ARTY R, Artillery Reconnaissance
ARU, Aircraft Repair Unit
ARV, Armoured Recovery Vehicle
ARW, Air Raid Warden
AS, Air Staff
ASLT, Assault
ASW, Anti-Submarine Warfare
A&R, Assignments and Requirements Branch
A/S, Anti-Submarine
AS, Anti-Submarine or Air School
ASA, Ammunition Small arms
ASC, Army Service Corps
ASD, Ammunition Sub-Depot
ASE, Ammunition Section (En Cas Mobile)
A&SH, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s)
ASI, Airspeed indicator
ASLT, Assault
ASLTS, Assaults
ASO, Assistant Section Officer
ASP, Air Stores Park or Asphalt
ASR, Air Sea Rescue
ASS, Artillery Signal Section
ASSAM. RIF, Assam Rifles
Asst, Assistant
ASTU, Army Selection Training Unit
AT, Army Troop or Anti Tank or Animal Transport
ATA, Air Transport Auxiliary
ATC, Air Traffic Control or Air Training Corps
ATM, Army Training Memorandum
ATR, Anti Tank Rifle
ATS, Auxiliary Territorial Service or Air Training Squadron or Amphetamine-type stimulants
ATSTC, Auxiliary Territorial Service Training Centre
ATT, Attached or Attachment or Adsorbed Tetanus Toxoid
ATTD, Attached
att, Attached
AUIT, Armoured Unit Initial Training
AUS, Assistant Under-Secretary of State
Auto, Automatic
AVC, Army Veterinary Corps
AVF, All Volunteer Force
AVM, Air Vice Marshal
AVO, Administrative Veterinary Officer
AVRE, Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers
AVRP, Advanced Vehicle Reception Park
AVTC, Army Vocational Training Centre
AW, Artisan Works
AWAS, Air Warfare Analysis Section
AWD, Advanced Workshop Detachment
AWE, Awaiting Evacuation
AWL, Absent Without Leave
AWOL, Absent Without Leave
AWRE, Atomic Weapons Research Establishment
AU, Assault Unit
AUTH, Authorised
AUXY, Auxiliary
AV, Anti-verminous
AXP, Ambulance Exchange Point
AYR YEO, Ayrshire Yeomanry
AZ Test, Aschheim Zondrek Test
B, Barracks
BAC, Brigade Ammunition Column
BAD, Base Ammunition Depot
BAF, Burma Auxiliary Force
BAFF, British Air Forces in France
BAFSEA, British Air Force South East Asia
BALCAP, Ballistic Cap
BALLIST, Ballistite
BANU, British Army News Unit
BAO, Base Accountant Officer or Burma Army Order
BAOR, British Army of the Rhine
BAP, Baptist
BAR, Browning Automatic Rifle or British Army of the Rhine or Barrage
BART, Baronet
BARV, Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle
BAS, Beach Approach System or British Army Staff
BASFUZ, Base Fuze
BATY, Battery
BAYS, The Queen’s Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards)
BB, Blood Bank
BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation
B/BY, Booby (as in traps)
BBRC, British Base Reinforcement Camp
BC, Battery Commander Bomber Command or Battle Captain or Battle Cruiser
BC, Battery Captain
BCC, Beach Company Commander
BCOF, British Commonwealth Occupation Force
BCP, Beach Clearance Party
BD, Base Depot or Bomb Disposal or Battledress or Baghdad
BDE, Brigade
BDE IO, Brigade Intelligence Officer
BDE SIGS, Brigade Signal Officer
BDE TO, Brigade Transport Officer
BDG, Bridge
BDR, Bombardier
bdr, Bandolier
BDS, Bomb Disposal Section or Beach Dressing Station
BD & S, Base Depot and School (Royal Corps of Signals)
BDSM, Bandsman
BD TR CEN, Base Depot Training Centre
BDY, Boundary
BE, Base ejection
BEDF R, Bedfordshire Regiment
BEDFS HERTS, The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
BEF, British Expeditionary Force
BEM, British Empire Medal
BERKS, Berkshire
BESA, British Engineering Standards Association or Bengal Entertainment Services Association
BETFOR, British Element Trieste Force
BF, Bring Forward
BFAP, British Forces Aden Protectorate
BFBS, British Forces Broadcasting Service
BFF, Burma Frontier Force
BFG, British Forces in Germany
BFH, British Field Hospital
BFM, British Food Mission, Washington
BFPO, Branch Field Post Office
BG, Brigadier General or Battle Group or Box-girder (bridge) or Brigade of Guards
BGH, British General Hospital
BGLR, Bugler
BGM, Burma Gallantry Medal
BGPC, Beach Group Commander
BGS, Bombing and Gunnery School or Brigadier General Staff
BHP, Brake Horsepower
BIB, Baby Incendiary Bomb
BID, Bulk Issue Depot
BIDs, Bulk Issue Depots
BIGU, Base Industrial Gas Unit
BIO, Brigade Intelligence Officer
BIS, Bulk Issue Store
BIQ, Basic Infantry Qualification
BIV, Bivouac
BKY, Bakery or Bakeries
BL, Breech Loading or Bricklayer’s Labourer
BLA, British Liberation Army
BLR, Beyond Local Repair
BM, Brigade Major or Bomb or Beachmaster
BMA, Beach Maintenance Area
BMH, British Military Hospital
Bmr, Beachmaster
BMRA, Brigade Major Royal Artillery
BMM, British Military Mission
BMP, Burma Military Police or Beach Maintenance Pack
BMWT, British Ministry of War Transport
BN, Battalion
BNAF, British North Africa Force
Bndy, Boundary
BOMB, Bombardier
BOD, Base Ordnance Depot
BOFS, Bofors
BOP, Base Ordnance Park or Battery Observation Post
BOR, British Other Rank or Battalion Orderly Room
BORDER, The Border Regiment
BOS, Battalion Orderly Sergeant
BOW, Base Ordnance Workshop
BOWO, Brigade Ordnance Warrant Officer
BP Battle Post
BPC, British Purchasing Commission
BPFC, Base Petrol Filling Centre
BPO (S), Base Provision Officer, Supplies
BPSO, Base Personnel Staff Officer
BQMS, Battery Quarter-Master Sergeant
BR, Bridge or Bridging
BRA, Brigadier Royal Artillery
BRC, Base Reinforcement Camp
BR CONSTR SEC, Bridging Construction Section
BRCS, British Red Cross Society
BRD Base Remount Depot
BRIG, Brigadier
BRIG GEN, Brigadier General
Brit, British
BRK, Brick
BRM, Basic Rifle Marksmanship
BR SEC, Bridging Section
BRT, British Reinforcement Training
BR WIR, British West Indies Regiment
BSA, Birmingham Small Arms Company or Base Sub-Area
BSD, Base Supply Depot
Bse, Base
BS&M, Burma Sappers and Miners
BSM, Battery Sergeant Major or British Ministry of Supply Mission
BT, Brevet or Bayonet Training or Benign Tertian
BTA, British Troops Austria or Bomb Thrower
BTC, British Transit Camp
BTE, British Troops in Egypt
BTF, Burma Territorial Force
BTI, British Troops in Ireland
BTN, Battalion
BTNI, British Troops in Northern Ireland
BTO, Battery Transport Officer
BTTN, Battalion
BTU, Blood Transfusion Unit or British Thermal Units
BTY, Battery
BU, Broken Up or Bath Unit
BUCO, Build-up Control Organization
BUCKS YEO, Buckinghamshire Yeomanry
BUFFS, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
BV 10, Boom Vessel No.10
BVAC, British Volunteer Ambulance Corps
BW, Black Watch
BWIR, British West Indies Regiment
B.WKSP, Base Workshop
BWM, British War Medal
BWP, British Way and Purpose
BX, Beeswax
C, Corps or Coastal or Coldstream or Car
CC, Confined to Camp
CA, Coast Artillery or Civil Affairs
CAC, Central Advisory Council or Ceylon Army Command
CAD, Central Ammunition Depot
CAEE, Coast Artillery Experimental Establishment
CAGRE, Commander Army Group Royal Engineers
CAL, Calibre
CAM, Camouflage
CAMB R, Cambridgeshire Regiment
CAM, Canadian Army Medical Corps
CAMERONS, The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders
CAMMS, The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders
CAMN HIGHS, Cameron Highlanders
CAN, Canteen
CANTT, Cantonment
CANTT MAGTE’S DEPT, Cantonment Magistrate’s Department
CAO, Chief Accountant Officer or Canadian Army Overseas
CAP, Captain
CAPT, Captain
CAREP, Casualty Reports
CARR, Carrier
CART, Cartridge
CAS, Casualty or Casualties or Coastal Artillery School or Castle
CASC, Ceylon Army Service Corps
CASL, Coast Artillery Searchlight
CAT, Catering
CATC, Coast Artillery Training Centre
CATTLE STK SEC, Cattle Stock Section
CAV, Cavalry
CAV ARMD, Cavalry Armoured
CAV BDE, Cavalry Brigade
CAV TRNG REGT, Cavalry Training Regiment
CB, Confined to Barracks or Counter Battery
CB, Commander of the Most Honourable Order of Bath
CBBOP, Counter-bombardment Battery Observation Post
CB & CM Ord, Counter Battery and Counter Mortar Organization
CBE, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
CBO, Counter Battery Officer
CBP, Corps Backloading Point
CC, Confined to Camp or Camp Commandant
CCB, Combined Communications Board
CCD, Civilian Clothing Depot
CCF, Combined Cadet Force
CCI, Chief Chemical Inspector or Central Card Index
CCMA, Commander Corps Medium Artillery
CCP, Casualty Collecting Point
CG, Constant Following
CD&TC, Camouflage Development and Training Centre
CCP, Casualty Collecting Point
CCRA, Commander Corps Royal Artillery
CCS, Casualty Clearing Station
CD, Coast Defence
CDA, Civil Defence Area or Canada
CDBOP, Coast Defence Battery Observation Post
CD/CHH, Coast Defence Chain (Station) High Angle
CD/CHL, Coast Defence Chain (Station) Low angle
CDG, Croix de Guerre
CDL, Canal Defence Light
CDMU, Coast Defence Maintenance Unit
CDO, Commando
CDR, Commander
CDS, Corps Delivery Squadron
CD & TC, Camouflage Development and Training Centre
CE, Chief Engineer or Canadian Engineers or Church of England or Commander Engineers
CEF, Canadian Expeditionary Force
CEPO, Civilian Establishment and Pay Officer
CER, Combat Engineer Regiment
CF, Chaplin to the Forces or Clean Fatigues
CFA, Cavalry Field Ambulance
CFD, Commander Fixed Defences
CFN, Craftsman or Craftsmen
CGE, Controller-General of Economy
C of E, Church of England
C of G, Croix de Guerre
C Guards, Coldstream Guards
CGM, Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
CGMP, Controller-General of Munitions Production
CGS, Chief of the General Staff
CH, Chaplain or Chain (Station) or Chapel
CHD Convalescent Horse Depot
CHEM, Chemical
CHES R, The Cheshire Regiment
CHES. YEO, Cheshire Yeomanry
CHH, Chain (Station) high angle
CHL, Chain (Station) low angle
CI, Chief Inspector or Compression Ignition
CI (A), Chief Inspector of (Armaments) or (Accidents)
CIC, Commander in Chief or Cookery Instruction Centre
CIC, Combined Intelligence Committee
CID, Committee of Imperial Defence
CIE, Companion Order of the Indian Empire
CIE, Chief Instructor of Equipment
CIEME, Commander Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
CIESS, Chief Inspector of Engineer and Signal Stores
CIG, Chief Instructor of Gunnery
CIGS, Chief of the Imperial General Staff
CIH, Central India Horse
CIMT, Chief Inspector of Mechanical Transport
CIN, Cinema
CIOO, Chief Inspecting Ordnance Officer
CIPAS, Chief Inspector of Passive Air Defence
CIRES, Chief Inspector of Royal Engineer Stores
CIS, Control Intelligence Section
CIST, Chief Inspector of Supplementary Transport
CIV, Civilian or Civil
C-in-C, Commander-in-Chief
C&J, Carpenter and Joiner
CKD, Completely knocked down
CL, Casualty List or Centre Line
CLK, Clerk
CLM, Cancel Last Message
CLO, Closed
Cl R, Close reconnaissance
Cl Sp Tp, Close Support Troop
CLY, County of London Yeomanry
CL YEO, City of London Yeomanry
CMA, Corps of Military Accountants
CMB, Coastal Motorboat or Civilian Medical Board/s
CMD, Command or Combined Military Disembarkation
CMDRE, Commodore
CMF, Central Mediterranean Force
CMG, Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George
CMH, Centimetre Height Finding or Combined Military Hospital
CMHB, Colaba Military Hospital Bombay
CMO, Chief Medical Officer or Chief Maintenance Officer
CMP, Corps of Military Police or Civilian Medical Practitioner
C(M)T, Command (Mixed) Transport
CMU, Civilian Maintenance Unit
CMTWC, Commando Mountain Warfare Training Centre
CMVS Cavalry Mobile Veterinary Sections
CNO, Cannot Observe
CO, Commanding Officer or Conscientious Objector
COD, Command Ordnance Depot or Central Ordnance Depot
C of A, Chief of Artillery
C of AS, Corps of Army Schoolmasters
C of G, City of Glasgow
C of HRS, Corps of Hussars
C of I, Court of Inquiry
C of LRS, Corps of Lancers
COHQ, Combined Operations Headquarters
Col, Colonel or Column
COLDM GDS, Coldstream Guards
COLN, Colonel or Column
COLO, Combined Operations Liaison Office
COM, Competition
COMD, Command or Commander or Commanding
COMDG, Commanding
COMDR, Commander
COMDT, Commandant
COME, Chief Ordnance Mechanical Engineer
Comn, Communication
COMP, Component or Composite or Complete
COMPO, Composite
CON, Control or Convoy or Concrete
CONC, Concentrated or Concentration
CONDG, Conducting
CONDR, Conductor
CONG, Congregationalist
CONST, Construction
CONSTR, Construct or Construction
CONTGT, Contingent
CONTR, Controller
COO, Chief Ordnance Officer
COOD, Co-ordinate or Co-ordinating
Coord, Co-ordinating or co-ordinate
COP, Combined Operations Portsmouth
COPO, Central Ordnance Provision Office
COS, Chief of Staff or Controller of Ordnance Services
COS, Colonel of Staff or Called out for Army Service
COSSAC, Chief of Staff Supreme Allied Command
COSU, Combined Operations Sonic Unit
COSUP, Co-ordination of Supplies
COXE, Combined Operation Experimental Establishment
COY, Company
CP, Command Post or Command Paymaster or Car Park
CPCO, Chief Petrol Control Officer
CPO, Chief Petty Officer or Command Post Officer or Central Provision Office
CPL, Corporal
CP&PU, Central Purchase and Production Unit
C Prep, Counter-preparation
CPSO, Command Personnel Selection Officer
CQMS, Company Quarter Master Sergeant
CQSC, Camp Quartering Staff Captain
CR, Coast Regiment or Closed Recoil
CRA, Commander Royal Artillery
CRAC, Commander Royal Armoured Corps
CRAOC, Commander Royal Army Ordnance Corps
CRASC, Commander Royal Army Service Corps
CRC, Combined Recruiting Centre
CRE, Commander Royal Engineers
CREME, Commander Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
CRO, Corps Routine Order or Chief Recruiting Officer
CRS, Camp Reception Station/s
CRT, Cathode Ray Tube
CRU, Civil Resettlement Unit or Corps Reinforcement Unit
C/S, Cases
CSAA, Controller of Small Arms Ammunition
CSB, Combined Signals Board
CSBCS, Close Support Bomber Control Sections
CSC, Combined Selection Centre
C. SCI, Christian Scientist
CSD, Command Supply Depot or Cold Storage Depot
CSDIC, Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre
CSDU, Central Salvage Depot Unit
CSE, Course
C. SGT, Colour Sergeant
CSI, Companion of the Most Exalted Star of India
CSM, Company Sergeant Major
CSO, Chief Signal Officer
CSRD, Chief Superintendent Research Department
CST, Coast
CST BTY, Coast Battery
CSU, Central Statistical Unit
CT, Communication Trench or Chief Technician or Clothing and Textiles or Combatant Temperament or Combat Team
CTBA, Ceased to be Attached
CTBE, Ceased to be Entitled
CTC, Combined Training Centre or Cavalry Tank Corps
CTN, Carton
C TPS, Corps Troops
CTR, Coast Training Regiment or Cavalry Training Regiment
CTTB, Central Trade Test Board
CTW, Corps Troops Workshop
CU, Camouflage Unit or Communications Unit
CV, Command Vehicle or Closed Vessel
CVO, Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
CVTC, Civilian Vocational Training Centre
CW, Chemical Warfare or Continuous Wave
CWAC, Canadian Women’s Army Corps
CW COY, Chemical Warfare Company
CWGC, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
CWO, Chief Warrant Officer
CWP, Coast Watching Post (or Patrol)
CWS, Central Wireless Station
CWT, Hundredweight
CY, Cheshire Yeomanry
CYC, Cyclist
D, Driver or Docks or Detonation or Day
d, penny
DA, Deputy Adjutant or direct action (fuze) or Deputy Assistant
DAA, Divisional Administrative Area
DAA & CD, Deputy Assistant-Director of Anti-Aircraft and Coast Defence
DAAG, Deputy Assistant Adjutant General
DAC, Divisional Ammunition Column or Director of Army Contracts
DACG, Deputy Assistant-Chaplain General
DAD, Deputy Assistant-Director or Defence Aid Post
DADG, Deputy Assistant-Director-General (in combination)
DADG Tn, Deputy Assistant-Director-General of Transportation
DADH, Deputy Assistant-Director of Hygiene
DADME, Deputy Assistant Director of Mechanical Engineering
DADMS, Deputy Assistant Director Medical Services
DADOS, Deputy Assistant Director Ordnance Services
DADPS, Deputy Assistant-Director of Postal Services
DADR, Deputy Assistant-Director of Remounts
DADS, Director of Army Dental Services or Deputy Assistant-Director of Supplies
DADT, Deputy Assistant-Director of Transportation
DADVR Deputy Assistant Director Veterinary and Remounts
DAE, Director of Army Education
DAF, Desert Air Force
DAFL, Director of Allied Air Co-operation and Foreign Liaison
DAFV, Director of Armoured Fighting Vehicles
DAG, Deputy Adjutant General
DAI, Director of Aeronautical Inspection or direct action impact (fuze)
D AIR, Director of Air
DALM, Director of American Liaison and Munitions
DAP, Divisional Ammunition Park
DAPM, Deputy Assistant Provost Marshal
DAQMG, Deputy Assistant-Quarter-Master General
D Arm D, Director of Armament Development
D Arm P, Director of Armament Production
DATS, Director Auxiliary Territorial Service
DAQMG, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General
DB, Depot Battalion
DB Ops, Director of Bomber Operations
DBO, District Barrack Officer or Divisional Burials Officer
DBRE, Depot Battalion Royal Engineers
DC, District Commissioner or Direct Current
D/C, Date Captured
DCB, Distant Control Boat
DCD, Director Communication Development
DCE, Deputy Chief Engineer
DCG, Deputy Chaplain-General
DCIGS, Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff
DCLI, The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
DCOS, Deputy Chief of Staff
DCM, Distinguished Conduct Medal or District Court Martial
DCN, Decontamination
DCR, District Coke Representative
DCRE, Deputy Commander Royal Engineers
DCRP, Director of Civil Research and Production
DCS, Director of Clothing and Stores
DCT, Director of Clothing and Textiles
DCTU, Depot Control Transport Unit
DCU, Dispersal Camp Unit
DD, D-Day or Duplex Drive
D&D, Devon and Dorsetshire Regiment
DDA, Deputy Director of Accounts
DDAFV, Deputy Director of Armoured Fighting Vehicles
DDALM, Deputy Director of American Liaison and Munitions
DDAT, Deputy Director of Air Tactics
DDC (AM), Deputy Director of Contracts (Air Ministry)
DDE, Deputy Director of Equipment
DDGCA, Deputy Director-General of Civil Aviation
DDGCD, Deputy Director-General of Chemical Defence
DDG of M, Deputy Director-General Mechanisation
DDGMS, Deputy Director-General of Medical Services
DDGNC, Deputy Director-General of Operations (Naval Co-operation)
DDGOF, Deputy Director-General of Ordnance Factories
DDG of TS, Deputy Director-General of Tank Supply
DDGTD, Deputy Director-General of Tank Design
DDHG, Deputy Director of the Home Guard
DDL. Deputy Director of Labour
DDHO, Deputy Director of Operations (Home)
DDMI, Deputy Director of Military Intelligence
DDME, Deputy Director of Mechanical Engineering
DDMO, Deputy Director of the Meteorological Office
DDMO, Deputy Director of Military Operations
DD (Movements), Deputy Director of Movements
DDMS, Deputy Director of Medical Services
DDMT, Deputy Director of Military Training
DDO, Deputy Director of Organisation
D Docks, Director of Docks Service
DD of M, Deputy Director of Manning
DD of P, Deputy Director of Postings
DD of S(1), Deputy Director of Signals (Air Communications)
DD of S(4), Deputy Director of Signals (Radio Services)
DD of SI, Deputy Director of Signals (Wireless Intelligence)
DDOP, Deputy Director of Organisation Planning
DDOR, Deputy Director of Operational Requirements
DDOS, Deputy Director of Ordnance Services
DDOS (P), Deputy Director of Ordnance Services (Provision)
DDOSI, Deputy Director of Organisational Services and Intelligence
DD Photos, Deputy Director of Photography
DD Plans, Deputy Director of Plans
DD PR, Deputy Director of Public Relations
DD PS, Deputy Director of Personal Services
DD (Q Maint), Deputy Director (Quartermaster Maintenance)
DD RA, Deputy Director of Royal Artillery
DDRS, Deputy Director of Repair and Servicing
DDSD (O), Deputy Director of Staff Duties (Operations)
DDSD (W), Deputy Director of Staff Duties (Weapons)
SS Sigs, Deputy Director of Signals
DDSM, Deputy Director of Servicing and Maintenance
DDST, Deputy Director of Supplies and Transport
DDT (A), Deputy Director of Training (Armament)
DDTA, Deputy Director of the Territorial Army
DDTF, Deputy Director of Flying Training
DDTS, Deputy Director of Technical Training (Schools)
DDTT, Deputy Director of Technical Training
DDV, Deputy Director of Vehicles
DDVRS Deputy Director Veterinary and Remount Services
DDW, Deputy Director of Weapons
DDWO, Deputy Director of War Organisation
DE, Duration of Emergency
DEC, Decorator
DECN, Decontamination
DEF, Defence or Defend or Defensive or Deferred
DEF EMBMT, Deferred Embodiment
DEFT POS, Defensive Position
DEL, Defence Electric Lights
DEMS, Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship
DENT, Dental
DEO, Direct Entry Officer
DEP, Depot
DEPT, Department
DERBY Yeo, Derbyshire Yeomanry
DERV, Diesel Engine Road Vehicle
DES, Director of Educational Services or Director of Engineer Stores
Dest, Destroyer
DET, Detached or Detachment
Detn, Detention
DEVON, The Devonshire Regiment
DF, Defensive Fire or Direction-finding (by radio)
DFC, Distinguished Flying Cross
DFM, Distinguished Flying Medal
DF Ops, Director of Fighter Operations
DFP, Defended Post
DFT, Director of Flying Training
DFW, Director of Fortifications and Works
DG, Dragoon Guards
DGAE, Director-General Army Equipment
DGAMS, Director-General of Army Medical Services
DGAP, Director-General of Ammunition Production
DGAR, Director-General of Army Requirements
DGCA, Director-General of Civil Aviation
DG & CP, Director of Gun and Carriage Production
DGD, Director of Ground Defence
DGE (S), Director-General of Equipment (and stores)
DGHG & TA, Director-General of the Home Guard and Territorial Army
DG Mech E, Director-General of Mechanical Equipment
DGMS, Director-Genera of Medical Services
DGNS, Dragoon Guards
DGO, Director-General of Organisation
DGOF, Director-General of Ordnance Factories
DG of A, Director General of Armaments
DG of E, Director-General of Economy
DGP, Director-General of Programmes
DGR, Director of Graves Registration
DGR & E, Director of Graves Registration and Enquiries
DGS, Director of General Stores
DGSS, Director-General of Supply Services
DGTA, Director General of the Territorial Army
DG Tn, Director-General of Transportation (Services)
DGTP, Director-General of Tank Production
DGW, Director-General of Works
DGW & E, Director-General of Welfare and Education
DGWP, Director-General of Weapons and Instruments Production
DH, Director of Hygiene
DHCA, Director of Civil Aviation
D Hgs, Director of Hirings Service
DHP, Director of Hydrogen Production
DI, Dangerously Ill
DID, Detail Issue Depot
DIG, Digging
DIL, Dangerously Ill List
D.Infantry, Director of Infantry
D Inst P, Director of Instrument Production
Dir, Director (aiming circle)
DIS, Discharged or Discipline
DIS, Director of Investigation and Statistics
DIS pt, Dispersal point
DIST, District
Dist R, Distant Reconnaissance
DIV, Division or Divisional
DIWT, Director of Inland Water Transport Service
DG, Dragoon Guards
DJAG, Deputy Judge Advocate-General
DKO, Dock Officer
DL, Dead Load
D Lab, Director of Labour Service
D Lds, Director of Lands Service
DLI, Durham Light Infantry
DL Ry, Director of Light Railways
DM, Driver Mechanic or Adamsite
D&M, Driving and Maintenance
DMA, Divisional Maintenance Area
DMC, Director of Military Cooperation
DME, Director of Military Engineering
DMG, Deputy Military Governor
DMI, Director of Military Intelligence
DML, Demolition
DMM, Director of Mechanical Maintenance
DMO, Director of Military Operations
DMO & P, Director of Military Operations and Plans
D Mov, Director of Movements
DMR, Drummer
dmr, Diameter
DMS, Director of Medical Services or Driver Mechanical School
DMT, Director of Military Training
DNO, Director of Operations (Naval-Co-operation)
DNR, Date Not Reported
DNS, Dragoons
DO, Drill Order or Daily Order or Duty Officer
DOB, Date of Birth
DOC, Docks Operating Company
DOCKS OP COY, Docks Operating Company
DOCA, Director of Overseas Civil Aviation
DOE, Duration of Emergency
DOF, Director of Ordnance Factories
D of A, Director of Artillery (Ministry of Supply) or Director of Accounts
D of C (AM), Director of Contracts (Air Ministry
D. of CORN L.I., Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
D of E, Duration of Engagement or Director of Equipment
D of E, Director of Establishments
D of H, Director of Hygiene
D of I, Director of Intelligence
D of M, Director of Manning or Director of Mechanisation
D of O, Director of Organization
D of Ops (Home), Director of Operations
D of Organ, Director of Organisation
D of P, Director of Postings
D of Plans, Director of Plans
D of S, Director of Signals
D of W, Director of Works
DONC, Director of Operations (Naval Co-operations)
DOO, Director of Operations (Overseas)
DOR, Director of Operational Requirements
DORA, Defence of the Realm Act
DORSET, The Dorsetshire Regiment
DOS, Director of Ordnance Service
DOSI, Director of Operational Services and Intelligence
DOT, Director of Operational Training
DOW, Died of Wounds
D of W, Duration of War
DP, Delivery Point or Dispersal Point or Director of Postings
DP, Displaced Persons or Dual Purpose
D Path, Director of Pathology
DPET, Director of Pre-Entry Training
D Plans, Director of Military Operations (Plans)
Dpo, Depot
DPPO, Deputy Press and Publicity Officer
D Post, Director of Postal Services
DPR, Director of Public Relations
DPS, Director of Personal Services
DPs, Delivery Points
DPSD, Deputy Director of Staff Duties
DPSD (W), Deputy Director of Staff Duties (Weapons)
DPSS, Director of Printing and Stationery Services
DPW, Director of Prisoners of War
DQ, Director of Quartering
DQMG, Deputy Quarter-Master General
DR, Director of Remounts or Driver or Despatch Rider or Dead reckoning
DRA, Director of Royal Artillery
DRAE, Director of Royal Aircraft Establishment
DR Compass, Distant-reading Compass (German)
D REMOUNTS, Director of Remounts
DRLS, Despatch Rider Letter Service
DRM, Director of Reuniting and Mobilisation or Director of Raw Materials
DRO, Daily Routine Order or Orders
DRP, Director of Radio Production
DRSE, Dresser
DRUM MAJ, Drum Major
DS, Dressing Station or Directing Staff
DS, Dental Surgery or Director of Signals
DSAF, Depot and School Airborne Forces
D Sal, Director of Salvage
DSC, Divisional Signal Company or Distinguished Service Cross
DSD, Director of Staff Duties
DSD (W), Director of Staff Duties (Weapons)
D Sigs, Director of Signals
DSM, Distinguished Service Medal or Drill Sergeant Major
DSM, Director of Servicing and Maintenance
DSO, Distinguished Service Order
DSP, Director (or Directorate) Directorate for Selection of Personnel
DSR, Director of Scientific Research
DSSR, Daylight Signalling Short Range
DST, Director of Supplies and Transport
D Svy, Director of Survey
DT, Duty Troop
D&T, Development and Training
DTC, Driver Training Centre
DTD, Director of Tank Design
DTMA, Director of Technical and Military Administration
D Tn, Director of Transportation
DTO, Director of Operational Training
DTT, Director of Technical Training
DTW, Driver Training Wing
DURH LI, Durham Light Infantry
DUS, Deputy Under-Secretary of State
DVP, Drowned Vehicle Park
D Vets & Remounts, Director of Veterinary Services and Remounts
DVR, Driver
DW, Director of Works or Duration of War or Dead weight
DWAAF, Director of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
DWO, Director of War Organisation
DWR, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
DWS, Director of Warlike Stores
DWV, Director of Weapons and Vehicles
DY, Derbyshire Yeomanry
DYS, Days
DZ, Drop Zone
E, English (Nationality) or Echelon
(E), Equipment Branch Officer
EA, East Africa or African or Enemy Ammunition
EAAOC, East African Army Ordnance Corps
EAASC, East African Army Service Corps
EAC, Equipment Assembly Company or East Africa Command
EADCU, Enemy Ammunition Depot Control Unit
EAM, Equipment Ammunition Magazine
EAU, Equipment Assembly Unit
EB, Empty Beads
EBL, Erbil
E Branch, Equipment Branch
EBW, Engineer Base Workshop
EC, Engineer Captain or Eastern Command
E&C, Egypt and Cyrenaica
ECC, Emergency Cooks Course
ECH, Echelon
ECTC, Emergency Cookery Training Centre
ED, Efficiency Decoration or Examination Deferred or Elementary Drill
EDC, Extended Defence Commander
EDU, Explosives Disposal Unit
EDUCTN DEPT, Education Department
EEF, Egyptian Expeditionary Force or The Experimental Establishment Foulness or Emergency Field Force
EF, Expeditionary Force or Elevation Finder
EFI, Expeditionary Forces Institutes
EG, For Example or Eastern Group
EGM, Empire Gallantry Medal
EGSC, Eastern Group Supply Council
EIB, Explosive Incendiary Bomb
E-in-C, Engineer-in-Chief
EL, Electric Light
E L Cr, Engineer Lieutenant-Commander
El L Cr, Electrical Lieutenant-Commander
E LAN R, East Lancashire Regiment
ELEM, Elementary
ELO, Express Letter Office
ELOP, Electric Light Observation Post
ELOs, Electric Light Officers
ELS, Emergency Landing Strip
ELU, Electric Light Unit
E & M, Excavation and Maintenance or Electrical and Mechanical
EMB, Embarked
EMBMT, Embodiment
E&M COY, Electrical and Mechanical Company
EME, Electrical and Mechanical Engineer
EMER, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Regulations
EMO, Embarkation Medical Officer
EMP PL, Employment Platoon
EMS, Emergency Medical Service
EN, Enemy
ENG, English
ENGR, Engineer or Engineers
ENS, Ensign
ENSA, Entertainments National Services Association
ENTL, Entitled
EO, Emergency Operations or Education Officer or Engineer Officer
EP, Equipment Park or Electrical Power
EPIP, Egyptian Pattern, Indian Production (tent)
EQPT, Equipment
EQPT O, Equipment Officer
E/R, Elevation/Range
ER, Equipment Regulations or Employment Record
ERA, Engine Room Assistant
E RIDING YEO, East Riding Yeomanry
ERS, Engine Repair Section
ERY, East Riding Yeomanry
ES, Electrician Signals or Educational Standard or East Sussex
ESA, Expense Store Account
ESBN, Engineer Stores Base Depot
ESD, Engineer Stores Depot or Embarkation Supply Depot
ESE, Engineer Stores Establishment
ESO, Embarkation Staff Officer
EST, Established or Establishment
ESTB, Established
ET, Early Treatment
ETH, Compressed Earth
ETO, European Theatre of Operations
EV, Evacuated
EVA, Engineer Vice-Admiral
EVAC, Evacuate
EX, Exercise
EXCL, Exclude or Excluded or Exclusive
EXP, Exemplary
E YORKS, The East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York’s Own)
F, Fighting or Fighter (plane)
FA, Field Ambulance or Field Artillery f Financial Advisor or Fixed Ammunition
FAA, Fleet Air Arm
FAD, Forward Ammunition Depot
F. AMB, Field Ambulance
FAMO, Forward Airfield Maintenance Organization
FANY, First Aid Nursing Yeomanry
FAP, First Aid Post
FAR, Farrier
FAS, Forward Area Sight/s
FASL, Forward Air Support Link
FAT, Field Artillery Tractor
FAVO, Fleet Aviation Officer
FB, Field Branch or Flying Boat
FBE, Folding Boat Equipment
FC, Foot Constable or Frontier Constabulary or Fighter Command or Fire Commander
FC, Fire Command or Fire Control
FCB, Ferro Cement Barge
FCC, Field Force Conspectus
FCG, Facing
FCP, Fortress Command Post
FCS, Fire Command South
FCU Fly Control Unit
FD, Field
FDB, Fighter Dive Bomb
FD BTD, Field Brigade
FD BTY, Field Battery
FD COY, Field Company
FD ENGR, Field Engineer
FD HYG SEC, Field Hygiene Section
FD IMP, Field Imprisonment
FDL, Forward Defended Locality
FD PK Coy, Field Park Company
FD SQN, Field Squadron
FDS, Field Dressing Station
FDT, Fire Direction Table
FE, Far East or Flight Engineer
FEAR, Far East Air Force
FEC, Fixed Electrical Communications
FEPOW, Far East Prisoner of War
FF, Frontier Force or Field Force or Fire Fighting or Fleet Fighter
FFC, Field Force Consumption or Field Force Committee
FFI, Free From Infection
FFR, Fleet Fighter Reconnaissance
FF RIF, Frontier Force Rifles
FFY, Fife and Forfar Yeomanry
FG, Frigate
FGCM, Field General Court Martial
FG OFF, Flying Officer
FH, Field Hospital
FI, Firing Interval or Fuze Ignition
FID, Fuze Instantaneous Detonating
FIU, Fighter Interception Unit
FL, Flight Lieutenant
FLAK, Anti-Aircraft (gun)
FLLR, Follower
FLOT, Flotilla
FLT, Flight
FLT LT, Flight Lieutenant
FLT Sgt, Flight Sergeant
FM, Field Marshal
FMA, Forward Maintenance Area
FMAS, Forward Maintenance Ammunition Section
FMC, Forward Maintenance Centre
FMD, Field Militia Depot
FMN, Formation
FMSS, Forward Maintenance Stores Section
FO, Field Officer or Flying Officer
FOB, Forward Operating Base or Forward Observer Bombardment
F of S, Factor of safety
FOO, Forward Observation Officer
FOOB, Forward Observation Officer Bombardment
FOP, Future Operational Planning
FORESTERS, The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment)
FP, Field Punishment
F/P, Forfeits Pay
FPH, Foot Pedal Hold
FPO, Field Post Office
FQ, Fully-qualified (in regards to a Tradesman)
FR, Fighter Reconnaissance or Fracture or First Reinforcements
FRD Field Remount Depot
FRE, Fortress Royal Engineers
FREQ, Frequency
FR & G Star, France and Germany Star
FRIBA, Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
FRT, Fortress
FS, Flying School or Flight Sergeant or Field Service or Field Security
FS, Flash Spotting
fs, Feet per Second
FSD, Field Supply Depot or Field Service Dressing
F Sgt, Flight Sergeant
FSL, Field Searchlight
FSM, Field Service Manual
FSMO, Field Service Marching Order
FSO, Field Security Officer
FS Offr, Field Security Officer
FSP, Forward Staging Post of Field Security Police
F Sp, Flash Spotting
FSPB, Field Service Pocket Book
FSR, Field Service Regulations
FSS, Field Security Section or Fixed Signal Services
FS Sec, Field Security Section
FSTC, Field Security Training Centre
FSTY COY, Forestry Company
FSU, Field Surgical Unit
FSW, Field Security Wing
FT, Foot or Feet or Flame Thrower or Field Training or Fort
FTB, Fleet Torpedo Bomber
FTF, Flame Thrower Fuel
FT Fuel, Flame Thrower Fuel
FTR, Fitter or Failed to Return or Field Training Regiment
FTS, Flying Training School
FTU, Field Transfusion Unit
FUP, Forming Up Place
FUS, Fusilier
FW, Fortifications and Works or Fire Watch or Fire Watching
FWD, Forward or Forwarded
G1, General Staff Officer Grade 1
G2, General Staff Officer Grade 2
G3, General Staff Officer Grade 3
G, General Staff
GAD, Guards Armoured Division
GAF, German Air Force
GAHW, Guards Armoured Holding Wing
GAL, Gallon
GAR, Garrison
GATW, Guards Armoured Training Wing
G Guards, Grenadier Guards
GBD, General Base Depot
GBE, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
GC, Group Captain or Good Conduct or George Cross or Guncotton or Gin Control
GCB, Concentration of hostile batteries in action
GCC, General Construction Company or Gun Control Centre
GC Coy, General Construction Company
GCI, Ground Controlled Interception
GCM, General Court Martial
GCMG, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George
GCSI, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India
GCVO, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
GD, Guard or General Duties
GDA, Gun Defended Area
GDS, Guards
GDSM, Guardsman or Guardsmen
GEN, General
GEN HOSP, General Hospital
GEP, General Equipment Park
GF, Gun Fire
GI Wire, Galvanised Iron Wire
GH, General Hospital
GHQ, General Headquarters
GG, Ground Gunnery
GL, General List or Gun Laying or Gun Light (radio direction finding)
GLIDER, Glider Pilot Regiment
GLOSTERS, The Gloucestershire Regiment
GLOUC, Gloucester
GM, George Medal or Ground-Maximum (horse power) or Guard Mounting
GMT, General Military Training or Greenwich Mean Time
GNF, Guns now firing
GNR, Gunner
GNS, Guns in action but not firing
GO, General Order
GOC, General Officer Commanding
GOR, Gun Operations Room
GORD, The Gordon Highlanders
GP, Group or General Purpose or Gunpowder
GP (C), Group Captain
GP (COMDR), Group Commander
GPO, Gun Position Officer
GPOA, Gun Position Officer’s Assistant
GPT, General Purpose Transport
GPR, Glider Pilot Regiment
GPWWC, German Prisoner of War Working Camp
GR, Gunner or Gurkha Rifles or General Reconnaissance
GR, George Rex (George King) or Graves
GR, Garhwal Regiment
GRC, Gurkha Regimental Centre
GREF, General Reserve Engineer Force
GREN, Grenades
GREN GDS, Grenadier Guards
GRI, George Rex et Imperator (George King and Emperor)
GREYS, The Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons)
GRN, Garrison
GRO, General Routine Order
GRTD, General Reinforcement Training Depot
GRU, Graves Registration Unit or Gunnery Research Unit
GS, General Staff or General Service or Gliding School
GSC, General Service Corps
GSM, General Service Medal
GSO, General Staff Officer
GSO 1, General Staff Officer Grade 1
GSO 2, General Staff Officer Grade 2
GSO 3, General Staff Officer Grade 3
GSR, Greek Sacred Regiment
GSS, Greek Sacred Squadron
GSW, Gunshot wound or General Service Wagon
GT, Granted
GTB, Guards Training Battalion
GTC, General Transport Company
GTD, Granted
GTS, Glider Training School
GTTB, General Trades Training Battalion
GWA, Ganewalpola
GWR, Great Western Railway
H, Head or Honorary or Horse or Household or Hussars or Hygiene
H1, Haifa Pumping Station 1
H2, Haifa Pumping Station 2
H3, Haifa Pumping Station 3
H4, Haifa Pumping Station 4
HA, Heavy Artillery or High Angle
HAA, Heavy Anti-Aircraft
HAB, High-altitude Bombing
HAC, Honourable Artillery Company
HAD, Heavy Air Defence
H CAV, Household Cavalry
HAG, Heavy Artillery Group
HAMPS, The Hampshire Regiment
HAR, Heavy Artillery Reserve
HAV, Havildar
HAVR, Havildar
HB, Heavy Bomber
HBT, Hambantota
HBTD, Homeward Bound Trooping Depot
HC, Height Control
HCD, High Current Density
HCR, Household Cavalry Regiment
HD, Head or Home Defence or Horse-drawn
H & D District, Hants and Dorset District
HDT, Horse-drawn transport
HE, High Explosive or Home Establishment or Home Embarkation
HE, Horizontal Equivalent or Higher Establishment
HEAP, High Explosive Armour-piercing
HEDA, High Explosive delayed-action fuze
HEGRAZ, High Explosive graze fuze
HEDELAY, High Explosive Graze Fuze With Delay
HEIT, High Explosive Incendiary Tracer
HERT, Hertfordshire Regiment
HES, High Explosive Substitute
HETF, High Explosive Time Fuze
HETIM, High Explosive Time Fuze
HF, Home Forces or High Frequency or Home Fleet or Hostile Fire or High Frequency
HFTC, Highland Fieldcraft Training Centre
HG, Hotchkiss Gun or Home Guard
HGS, Hirings
HIH, His (Her) Imperial Highness
HIM, His (Her) Imperial Majesty
HK, Hong Kong
HKVDC, Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps
HL, Harbour Launch
HLC, Harbour Launch Company
HLI, The Highland Light Infantry
HM, His/Her Majesty
HMAS, His Majesty’s Australian Ship
HMCS, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship
HMG, Heavy Machine Gun
HMIS, His Majesty’s Indian Ship
HMS, His/Her Majesty’s Ship
HMSAS, His Majesty’s South African Ship
HO, Hostilities Only
HOFOR, Home Forces
HOR, Horses
HOS, Hospital
HOSP, Hospital
HOW, Howitzer
HP, High power (radio set) or Horse Power or Hospital Pattern (tent)
HQ, Headquarters
HQBA, Headquarters Base Area
HQMA, Headquarters Medium Artillery
HR, Hour
HRC, Heavy Recovery Section
HRFD, Herefordshire Regiment
HRH, His (Her) Royal Highness
HRS, Horse or Hours
HS, Home Service or Hospital Ship
HT, Horse Transport or Hired Transport or Half Track or High Tension (voltage)
HTU, Holding & Transit Unit
HV, High Velocity
HY, Heavy
HY ART MAINT SEC, Heavy Artillery Maintenance Section
HY BR COY, Heavy Bridge Company
HYG, Hygiene
I, India or Indian or Intelligence
(I), Intelligence Officer
IA, Indian Army or Immediate Action
IAC, Indian Armoured Corps
IACC, Indian Army Corps of Clerks
IAD, Intermediate Ammunition Depot
IAF, Indian Air Force
IAFVR, Indian Air Force Volunteer Reserve
IAMC, Indian Army Medical Corps
IAO, Indian Army Order
IAOC, Indian Army Ordnance Corps
IAOS, Inspector of Army Ordnance Services
IAOWS, Inspector of Army Ordnance Workshops Services
IASC, Indian Army Service Corps
IARO, Indian Army Reserve of Officers
IAVC, Indian Army Veterinary Corps
IAZ, Inner Artillery Zone/s
IB, Infantry Brigade
IBD, Infantry Base Depot
IC, In Command or In Charge or Intelligence Corps or Inns of Court Regiment or Internal Combustion
ICC, Indent Clearing Centre
ICCS, Indian Casualty Clearing Station
ICD, Indian Convalescent Depots
ICI, Imperial Chemical Industry
ICCY, Inns of Court and City Yeomanry
ID, Identification
IDC, Imperial Defence College
IDENT, Identification
IDF, Indian Defence Force
IDSM, Indian Distinguished Service Medal
IE, Initial Establishment or Initial Equipment
IEF, Indian Expeditionary Force
IE, Illegal Enlistment
IEME, Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
IFC, Instructor of Fire Control
IFF, Identification Friend or Foe
IG, Irish Guards or Instructor in Gunnery
IGH, Indian General Hospital
IGN SAFE, Igniter’s Safety Fuze
IGSM, India General Service Medal
IGT, Inspector General of Training
IIB, Independent or Indian Infantry Brigade
ILL, Illuminating
ILRS, Indian Long Range Squadron
ILS, Indicator Loop Station
IM, Instrument Mechanic
IMA, Indian Mountain Artillery
IMD, Indian Medical Department
IMPT HL, Imprisonment with Hard Labour
IMS, Indian Medical Service
IMT, Indian Mechanical Transport or Inspector Mechanical Transport
IAU, Intelligence Assault Unit
IN, Inch
INC, Incendiary
INCL, Include or included or inclusive or including
IND, India or Indian
IND A, Indian Army
IND ADV FD V H, Indian Advance Field Veterinary Hospital
IND A L SEC, Indian Air Liaison Section
IND AMFO SEC, Indian Assistant Military Forwarding Office Section
IND BRANCH VH, Indian Branch Veterinary Hospital
IND CAMEL (S) COY, Indian Camel (Silladar) Company
IND CATTLE CONDG SEC, Indian Cattle Conducting Section
IND CATTLE STK SEC, Indian Cattle Stock Section
IND C W COY, Indian Chemical Warfare Company
IND C W GP, Indian Chemical Warfare Group
INDEP, Independent
INDEPT, Independent
IND ENG BN, Indian Engineer Battalion
IND FD AMB TP, Indian Field Ambulance Troop
IND FD COY, Indian Field Company
IND HY BR COY, Indian Heavy Bridge Company
IND LP CONTROL O, Indian Local Purchase Control Offices
IND LPS, Indian Local Purchases Sections
IND MA SEC, Indian Motor Ambulance Section
IND MC & MF AREA, Indian Movement Control and Military Forwarding Area
IND MC OFFRS PARTY, Indian Movement Control Officers Party
IND ME COY, Indian Mechanical Excavating Company
IND MVH, Indian Military Veterinary Hospitals
IND M W SEC, Indian Mineral Water Section
IND S E R SEC, Indian Searchlight Engine Room Section
IND S S D, Indian Station Supply Depots
IND SWK EREC SEC, Indian Steelwork Erection Section
IND VETY RECEPT HOSP, Indian Veterinary Reception Hospital
IND VET S LINES, Indian Veterinary Sick Lines
IND WKSHOP PK COY, Indian Workshop and Park Company
INF, Infantry
INFM, Inform or Information
INFO, Information
INFY, Infantry
INNIS DG, 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
INNISKS, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
INST Instant
INSTAL A, Installations type A
INT, Intelligence
INTER, Interpreter
INTERCOMM, Intercommunication
INT O, Intelligence Officer
INTR, Interpreter
INTREPS, Intelligence Reports
IO, Indian Officer of Intelligence Officer
IOD, Indian Ordnance Department
I of RE, Inspector of Royal Engineers
IOM, Indian Order of Merit
IOO, Inspecting Ordnance Officer
IOR, Indian Other Rank/s
IORA, Intelligence Officer Royal Artillery
IORE, Intelligence Officer Royal Engineers
IOW, Isle of Wight
IP, Indian pattern (tent)
IPC, Iraq Petroleum Company
IPS, Indian Postal Service
IQMGS, Inspector Quartermaster General’s Service
IR, Immediate Reserve
IRA, Irish Republican Army
IRASC, Inspector Royal Army Service Corps
IRC, Infantry Regiment Connection
IRO, International Refugee Organisation
IRTD, Infantry Reinforcement Training Depot
IRV, India Rubber Vulcanized (wire)
IS, Imperial Service or Internal Security
ISC, Indian Signal Corps or Infantry Section Carrier
ISI, Imperial Service Infantry
I.SIG.S., Indian Signal Service
ISO, Companion of the Imperial Service Order
ISTD, Interservice Topographical Department
IT, Indian Troops
ITC, Infantry Training Centre
ITD, Infantry Training Depot
ITS, Initial Training School
ITW, Initial Training Wing
IW, Isolation Ward
IWT, Inland Water Transport
JAG, Judge Advocate General
J COMD, Junior Commander
JGO, Junior Grade Officer
JHQ, Joint Headquarters
JLS, Junior Leaders’School
JNCO, Junior Non-commissioned Officer
JNO, John
JP, Joint Planning or Justice of the Peace
JPS, Joint Planning Staff
JR, Joiner
JT, Junior Technician
JTC, Junior Training Corps
JUNC, Junction
KAF, Kenya Air Force
KAR, King’s African Rifles
KB, King’s Bench or Knight Bachelor of Kite Balloon
KBE, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
KC, Kilocycles
KCB, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
KCIE, Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire
KCMG, Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St.George
KCSI, Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India
KCVO, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
KD, Khaki Drill
KDG, 1st King’s Dragoon Guards
KFA, Kenya Farmers’ Association
KG, Knight of the Garter
KGF, Kolar Gold Fields
Kh, Khandala
KIA, Killed in Action
KING’S, The King’s Regiment (Liverpool)
KING’S OWN, The King’s Own Royal Regiment
KK, Kirkuk
KKD, Katurkurunda
KKS, Kankesanthurai
KL, K Light (truck)
KOSB, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
KMS, Kermanshah
KOYLI, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
KP, Knight of St. Patrick
KR, King’s Regulations
KRRC, King’s Royal Rifle Corps
KRS, King’s Regulations
KSLI, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
Kt, Knight
KT, Knight of the Thistle
KZ, Killing Zone
L, Lance or Local or Lancers or Light (weight of fuzes)
(L), Legal Branch Officer
LAA, Light Anti-Aircraft
LAA REGT, Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
LAB, Laboratory or Light Armoured Brigade
LAC, Leading Aircraftman
Light AA TNG REGT, Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
LAB, Laboratory or Labour
LAC, Leading Aircraftman
LAD, Light Aid Detachment
LAF, Libyan Arab Force
LAT, Latitude or Latrine
LAV, Light Armoured Vehicle
LAW, Leading Aircraft Woman
LB, Local Battery or Labour or Light Bomber or Landing Barge
L/BDR, Lance-Bombardier
LBG, Large Box Girder
LBH, Lothian and Border Horse
lbs, Pounds
LBV, Landing Barge Vehicle
LC, Landing Craft or Line (or Lines) of Communications or Light Car
LCA, Landing Craft Assault
LCB (D), Landing Craft Barge (dumb)
L-CDR, Lieutenant-Commander
LCF, Landing Craft Flak
LCG, Landing Craft Gun
LCI, Landing Craft Infantry
LCM, Landing Craft Mechanised
LCOCU, Landing Craft Obstacle Clearance Unit
LCP, Landing Craft Personnel
LCP )L), Landing Craft Personnel (without ramp)
L-CPL, Lance-Corporal
LCS (L), Landing Craft Support (Large)
LCS (M), Landing Craft Support (Medium)
LCT, Landing Craft Tank
LCV, Landing Craft Vehicle
LD, Light Draught or Light Aid Detachment
LDF, Land Defence Force
LDG, Landing
L’DON, London
LDR, Leader
LDV, Local Defence Volunteers
LE, Low Explosive or Lower Establishment
LEICESTERS, The Leicestershire Regiment
LF, The Lancashire Fusiliers or Low Frequency or Left Flank or Land Forces
LFA, Light Field Ambulance or Land Forces Adriatic
LG, Landing Ground or London Gazette or Life Guards or Lewis Gun or Lying
LGA, Lieutenant-General in Charge Administration
L GDS, Life Guards
L-Gen, Lieutenant-General
LGOS, London General Omnibus Company
LGS Wagon, Limbered General-Service Wagon
LH, Lighthouse or Left Hand
LIAP, Leave in addition to Python
LIEUT, Lieutenant
LIEUT CMDR, Lieutenant-Commander
LINC R, Lincolnshire Regiment
LINCOLNS R, The Lincolnshire Regiment
LINC YOE, Lincolnshire Yeomanry
LIR, London Irish Rifles
LIVPL SCOT, Liverpool Scottish
LL, Latitude and Longitude
LMB, Light Mortar Battery
LMAB, London Munitions Assignment Board
L MAN, Lighterman
LMG, Light Machine Gun
LMS, London Midland and Scottish Railway
LNER, London and North Eastern Railway
LO, Liaison Officer
LOB, Left out of battle
LOC, Locate of Location
L of C, Line or Lines of Communications
LOCSTATS, Location Statement
LOG, Logistics
LOND, London
LOND SCOT, London Scottish
LONG, Longitude
LOR, Lorried or Lorryborne
LOS, Line of Sight
LOV, Lovat Scouts
LOYALS, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)
LP, Listening Post or Low Power or Local Purchase
LP CONTROL O, Local Purchase Control Office
LPS, Lord Privy Seal
LPTB, London Passenger Transport Board
LR, Lower rate or Light Railways
LRDG, Long Range Desert Group
LRS, Light Repair Section
LS, Leading Seaman or Land Service
LS & GCM, Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
LSG, Landing Ships Gantry
L-SGT, Lance-Sergeant
LSI, Landing Ship Infantry
L-SJT, Lance-Serjeant
LSP, Landing Ships Personnel
LSS, Landing Ships Stern
LST, Landing Ship Tank
LT, Lieutenant or Light or Local Time or Low Tension (voltage) or Line Telegraphy
LT, Line Telegraphy or Low Tension or Line Transport
L & TC, Leave and Transit Camp
LT COL, Lieutenant-Colonel
LT-Gen, Lieutenant-General
LTW, Landing Transport and WORKSHOP (COMPANY)
LUB, Lubricants or Lubrication
LUP, Lying Up Point
LVT, Landing Vehicle Tracked
LW, Long Wave
LWOP, Leave Without Pay
LX, Left Section
LZ, Landing Zone
M, Mixed or Married or Medical or Movements
(M), Medical Branch Officer
MA, Military Attache or Military Assistant or Military Advisor or Massage
MAAD, Manual of Anti-Aircraft Defence
MAAF, Mediterranean Allied Air Forces
MAC, Mediterranean Air Command or Motor Ambulance Convoy or Macadam or Malta Auxiliary Corps or Munitions Assignment Committee
MACAF, Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force
MAF, Mediterranean Air Forces
MAG, Magazine or Magnetic
MAINT, Maintenance or Maintain or Maintained
MAJ, Major
MAJ GEN, Major-General
MANCH R, The Manchester Regiment
MARM, Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car
MARU, Mobile Ammunition Repair Unit
M and V, Meat and Vegetable Ration
MAX, Maximum
MB, Mercian Brigade or Medium Bomber
MBE, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
MBLU, Mobile Bath & Laundry Units
MBU, Mobile Bath Unit
MC, Military Cross or Motorcycle or Movement Control or Message Centre
MC, Mule Company
(Mc), Marine Craft Officer
MC, Mule Company
MCC, Mobilization Control Centre
mc/s, Megacycles
MCDR, Motorcycle Despatch Rider
M/C DR, Motorcycle Despatch Rider
M’CHESTER, Manchester
MCLOS, Motor Contact Liaison Officers
MCMG, Motorcycle Machine Gun
MCO, Movement Control Officer or Motor Contract Officer
MC of S, Military College of Science
MCU, Movement Control Unit or Military Collecting Unit
MDCU, Military Disembarkation Camp Unit
MCW, Modulated Continuous Wave
MD, Military District or Mine Depot or Message Dropping or Militia Depot
MDC, Motor Driver Company (ATS) or Mobile Defence Company
MDCU, Military Disembarkation Camp Unit
MDS, Main Dressing Station
MDU, Military Dispersal Unit
ME, Middle East or Military Engineering or Mechanical Excavating
MEAC, Middle East Air Command
MEAF, Middle East Air Force
MEC, Medical Examination Centre
MECH, Mechanized or Mechanic or Mechanical
ME Coy, Mechanical Excavating Company
MED, Medical or Medium or Mediterranean
MED BN, Medical Battalion
MEDLOC, Mediterranean Lines of Communication
MEE, Mechanisation Experimental Establishment
MEF, Middle East Force
MELF, Middle East Land Force
MEP, Mechanical Equipment Park Company
MET, Meteorological or Meteorology or Mechanical Transport
METC, Middle East Training Centre
M E TP, Mechanical Excavating Troop
MEW, Ministry of Economic Warfare
MF, Medium Frequency
MFH, Military Families Hospital
MFO, Military Forwarding Officer
MFP, Military Foot Police
MFPS, Mobile Field Photographic Section
MFS, Military Forwarding Service
MFU, Mobile Flotation Unit
MFW, Military Foreman of Works
MG, Machine Gun
MGAT, Major General Armoured Training
MGB, Motor Gunboat
MGGS, Major General General-Staff
MGO, Master General of Ordnance
MGRA, Major General Royal Artillery
MGRE, Major General Royal Engineers
MGO, Master General of Ordnance
MGS, Machine Guns
M/H, Medium and Heavy
MH, Marmon Herrington
MI, Military Intelligence
MIA, Missing in Action
MID, Mentioned in Dispatches
MIDDX, Middlesex
MIGU, Mobile Industrial Gas Unit
mih, Miles in the hour
MIL, Military
MIL CONV DEPOT, Military Convalescent Depot
MIN, Minute
MINEFD, Minefield
MIN OF HS, Ministry of Home Security
M I Room, Medical Inspection Room
MK, Mark
ML, Motor Launch
ML&BU, Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit
MLC, Motor Landing Craft
MLO, Military Landing Officer or Military Liaison Officer
M/M, Motor Mechanic
MM, Military Medal or Motor Mechanic
MMG, Medium Machine Gun or Motor Machine Gun
MMP, Military Mounted Police
MNBDO, Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation
MO, Medical Officer or Military Operations
MOB, Mobile or Mobilisation
MOB CON CENTRE, Mobilisation Control Centre
MOB FD BTY, Mobile Field Battery or Military Oil Barges
MOB VET SEC, Mobile Veterinary Section
MOD, Ministry of Defence
M of S, Ministry of Supply
MO I/C, Medical Officer In Command
MON, Monmouthshire Regiment
MONMOUTH R, Monmouthshire Regiment
MOR, Mortar
MOS, Ministry of Supply
MOSM, Ministry of Supply Mission
MOT, Motor or Motorised
Mot CO, Motor Contact Officer
MP, Military Police or Meeting Point or Member off Parliament
MPB, Mean Point of Burst
MP&DB, Military Prison and Detention Barracks
MPDB, Military Provost Detention Barracks
MPFC, Mobile Petrol Filling Centre
mpg, Miles Per Gallon
mph, Miles per Hour
MPI, Mean Point of Impact or Master Parts Index
MPSC, Military Provost Staff Corps
MPTC, Mobile Petrol Transport Company
MPU, Message Picking Up
MQMS, Mechanist Quartermaster Sergeant/Serjeant
MR, Map Reading
MRAF, Marshal of the Royal Air Force
MRC, Mixed Reinforcement Camp or Militia Recruit Company
MRS, Medical Reception Station or Map Reproduction Section
m/s, Meters per second
MS, Master Seaman or Minesweeper or Military Secretary
MSD, Main Supply Depot
MSG, Maintenance Support Group
MSL, Mean Sea Level or Mosul
MSM, Meritorious Service Medal
MSR, Main Supply Routes
MSRU, Mobile Stores Repair Unit
MT, Mechanical or Motor Transport or Military Training or Malignant Tertian
MTB, Motor Torpedo Boat
MTC, Motor Transport Corps or Militia Training Company
MTD, Mounted
MTG, Mounting or Militia Training Group
MTN, Mountain
MTO, Mechanical Transport Officer or Military Testing Officer
MTP, Military Training Pamphlet
MTRU, Motor Transport Repair Unit
MTS, Motor Transport Stores
MTSD, Mechanical Transport Stores Depot
MTTD, Motor Transport Training Depot
MU, Maintenance Unit
MV, Motor Vehicle or Muzzle Velocity
MVO, Member of the 4th or 5th Class of the Royal Victorian Order
MVS, Mobile Veterinary Section
MVT, Movement
M’war, Mahabaleshwar
MWEE, Mechanical Warfare Experimental Establishment
MWSS, Minor War Signal Station
M/WTR, Mess Waiter
MX, Middlesex
MX YEO, Middlesex Yeomanry
N, Nursing
(N), Navigation Instructor Officer
NA, Not Applicable or North Africa
NAAFI, Navy Army and Airforce Institute
NAD, Naval Air Division or Navigation
NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
NAV, Navigator
NCC, Non-Combatant Company or Companies
NCDT, Naval Cadet
NCO, Non-Commissioned Officer
NCR, National Cash Register
NCS, Non-Combatant
ND, National Defence
NDC, National Defence Companies
NDHQ, National Defence Headquarters
NEC, Near East Command or Necessary
NED, Naval Equipment Depot
NES, Non-Effective Strength
NID, Northern Ireland District
NF, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
NFLD, Newfoundland
NFP, Night-Fighting Plotting
NG, Nitroglycerin
NGB, Negombo
NGCC, North German Coal Control
NIH, North Irish Horse
NK, Not Known
NLP, Naval Landing Pontoon
NMS, No Movement Seen
NO, Nursing Orderly or Not Observed
No., Number
NO3, Nursing Orderly Class III
NOB, Normal Opening Bearing
NOIC, Naval Officer in Charge
NOK, Next-of-Kin
NORFOLK R, The Royal Norfolk Regiment
NORTHAMPTONS r, The Northamptonshire Regiment
NR, Not Recorded or Non-registered
NS, Naval Service or National Service
NSA, National Service Act
NSO, Naval Staff Officer
NSR, Notts (Sherwood Rangers) Yeomanry
N STAFFS R, The North Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s)
NSY, North Somerset Yeomanry
N/T, Non-Technical (Trade)
NT, No trace
NTHWD, Northwood
NTO, Naval Transport Officer
NTR, Nothing to Report
NW, North West
NWEF, North Western Expeditionary Force
NWFP, North West Frontier Province
NYD, Not Yet Determined
NYK, Not Yet Known
NZ, New Zealand
NZE, New Zealand Engineers
NY, Northamptonshire Yeomanry
O.2E., Second Echelon
O, Operations Section or Operation(s) or Officer
OB, Order of Burma
OBD, Ordnance Beach Detachment
OBE, Order of the British Empire
OBJ, Objective
OB Ph, Oblique Photographs
OBSN, Observation
OC, Officer Commanding or Officer in Command
OC Div Sigs, Officer Commanding Divisional Signals
OCDT, Officer Cadet
OCRASC, Officer Commanding Royal Army Service Corps
OCT, Octane
OCTU, Officer Cadet Training Unit
OCSL, Officer Commanding Searchlight
OD, Ordnance Depot
OEO, Ordnance Executive Officer
OETA, Occupied Enemy Territory Administration
OFD, Ordnance Field Depot
OPC, Operator Fire Control
Offr, Officer
OFP, Ordnance Field Park
OG, Officer of the Guard
OH, Overhead
OHMS, On His Majesty’s Service
OIC, Officer in Charge or Officer Intelligence Rating
OL, Overseas Liaison (officer)
OLLA, Office of Lend Lease Administration
OKM, Operator Keyboard and Line
OM, Member of the Order of Merit
OMA, Office of Mutual Aid
OME, Ordnance Mechanical Engineer
OO, Orderly Officer or Operation Order or Observer Officer or Ordnance Officer
OOB, Order of Battle
OP, Operation or Observation Post or Operator
OPA, Observation Post Assistant
OPHTHAL, Ophthalmological
OPL, Operational
OPN, Open
Ops, Operations
OR, Other Rank/s or Orderly Room
OR.1, Officer Rating 1
ORB, Operational Records Book
ORBAT, Order of Battle
ORC, Other Ranks’ Club
ORD, Ordnance
ORG, Organization
ORS, Operational Research Section
ORTU, Other Ranks Training Unit
OS, Ordnance Services or Ordinary Seaman
OSDEF, Orkney and Shetland Defences
OSS, Office of Strategic Services
O SURVEY COY, Ordnance Survey Company
OT, Occupational Therapy
OTC, Officers Training Corps
OTS, Officer Training School
OTU, Operational Training Unit
OU, Official Use
OVL, Overland
OVS, Overseas
OW, Officers’ Ward
OWL, Operator Wireless and Line
OXF BUCKS, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
OXON, Oxfordshire
P, Postal or persistent (gas)
PA, Personal assistant or put away
P&A, Pay and Allowances
PAC, Prophylactic Ablution Centre or Pilotless Aircraft
PAD, Passive Air Defence or Port Ammunition Detachment
PAF, Polish Air Force or Provision Action Figure
PAIFORCE, Persia and Iraq Force
PAL, Palestine
Par, Paragraph
Para, Paragraph
PARA REGT, Parachute Regiment
PAS (G), Principal Assistant Secretary (General)
PAS (P), Principal Assistant Secretary (Personnel)
PAS (S & O), Principal Assistant Secretary (Supply and Organisation)
PAT, Pathology
PBMR, Principal Beachmaster
PBS, Prefabricated Bituminous Surface
PC, Permanent Commission or Principal Chaplain or Paymaster-Captain or Predictor Control
PC, Privy Councillor or Practice Camp or Predictor Control or Plotting Control
PCC, Port Construction Company
P CORPS, Pioneer Corps
PCLU, Pioneer and Civil Labour Unit
PCU, Power Controlled Unit
PD, Petrol Depot or per day (usually in lower caps)
P&D, Painter and Decorator
PDC, Physical Development Centre
PDD of S, Principal Deputy Director of Signals
P Det, Port Detachment
PDR, Pounder
PEE, Proof and Experimental Establishment
PEO, Principal Establishment Officer
PERC, Percussion
Pet, Petrol (gasoline)
PF, Position Finder
PG, Panzergrenadier
Ph, Photograph or photographic or photography
(Ph), Photographic Officer
PHOS, Phosphorus
Ph R, Photographic Reconnaissance
PHS, Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing
PII, Part Two Orders
Pl, Platoon or Painter’s Labourer
PIU, Photographic Intelligence Unit
PL, Platoon or Privilege Leave or Permanent Line
PK, Park
PLK, Princess Louise’s Kensington Regiment
PLUTO, Pipeline Under The Ocean
PM, Pipe Major or Provost-Marshal or Punjabi Mussalman (Muslim)
(PM), Provost-Marshal Duties Officer
PMC, President of the Mess Committee
PMNS, Princess Mary’s (Royal Air Force) Nursing Service
PMLO, Principal Military Landing Officer
PMO, Principal Medical Officer
PMR, Paymaster or Practical Map Reading
Pmr-in-Chief, Paymaster-in-Chief
P/N, Phonogram
PNE, Permanently Non Effectives
Pnr, Pioneer
PNRS, Pioneers
PO, Pilot Officer or Petty Officer or Potential Officer or Post Office
POC, Port Operating Company
POD, Port Ordnance Detachment
POL, Petroleum Oil and Lubricants
POME, Principal Ordnance Mechanical Engineer
PPO, Principal Priority Officer
PoP, Plaster of Paris
POSN, Position
POTTW, Port Operating Technical Training Wing
POW, Prisoner of War or Filled Powder
PP, Pilot Pupil or Petrol Point
P PARK, Petrol Park
PPI, Plan Position Indicator
PPO, Press and Publicity Officer
PPU, Priority of Preparation of Units or Peace Pledge Union
PR, Pounder or Public Relations or Pair
PRC, Polish Resettlement Corps
PRH, Petrol Rail Head
PRI, President Regimental Institutes
PRO, Provost
PROJ, Projectionist
PRP, Petrol Refilling Point
PRS, Prisoners or Port Repair Ship
PRTD, Palestine Recruits Training Depot
PRU, Photo Reconnaissance or Photographic Unit
PS, Parachute School or Printing and Stationary
P/S, Postogram
PSI, Permanent Staff Instructor
PSM, Platoon Sergeant Major
PSO, Personnel Selection Officer
PSP, Petrol Supply Point or Pierced Steel Plank
P.& S.S., Printing and Stationery Service
PSTO, Principal Sea Transport Officer
PT, Physical Training or Patrol Torpedo Boat
Pt, Point
(PT), Physical Training Officer
PTC, Primary Training Centre
PTD, Palestine Training Depot
PTE, Private
PTFOC, Petrol Tin Factory Operating Company
PTS, Parachute Training School
PTSD, Petroleum Technical Stores Depot
PTI, Physical Training Instructor
PTL, Patrol
PTO, Pacific Theater of Operations or Please Turn Over or Part Two Orders
PTT, Passed Trade Test
PTW, Primary Training Wing
PU, Pick Up
PUS, Permanent Under-Secretary of State
PV, Paravane
PW, Prisoner of War
PWD, Public Works Department or Port Workshop Detachment
PWE, Political Warfare Executive
PWSS, Port War Signal Station
PWV, The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers)
PY, Pay
Q, Quartering or Quartermaster
QAIMNS, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service
QC, Quarrying Company
QE, Quadrant Elevation
QF, Quick-firing
QL, Qualification Level
QM, Quartermaster
QMG, Quartermaster General
QMS, Quartermaster Sergeant
QS, Qualification Standard
QOOH, Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars
QOWH, Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars
QOWWY, Queen’s Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry
QUEEN’S, The Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
QYA, Qaiyara (Al Qayyarah)
R, Reserve or Receiver or Reconnaissance or Recce
RA, Royal Artillery or Royal Regiment of Artillery or Retirement Age
RA, Rear Admiral or Ration Allowance
RA DEPOT, Royal Artillery Depot
RAAF, Royal Australian Air Force
RABD, Royal Artillery Base Depot
RADC, Royal Army Dental Corps
RAC, Royal Armoured Corps or Royal Automobile Club
RACD, Royal Army Chaplains Department
RACHD, Royal Army Chaplains Department
R ADM, Rear Admiral
RAE, Royal Australian Engineers
RAEC, Royal Army Education Corps
RA(E)E, Royal Aircraft (Experimental) Establishment
RAF, Royal Air Force
RAAF, Royal Australian Air Force
RAFO, Reserve of Air Force Officers
RAFVR, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
RAIL, Railway
RAMO, Rear Airfield Maintenance Organization
RAMC, Royal Army Medical Corps
RAN, Royal Australian Navy
RAOC, Royal Army Ordnance Corps
RAOS, Regulations for Army Ordnance Services
RAP, Regimental Aid Post
RAPC, Royal Army Pay Corps
RAPWI, Recovery of Allied Prisoners of War and Internees
RARO, Regular Army Reserve of Officers
RASC, Royal Army Service Corps
RASC (C), Royal Army Service Corps (Ceylon)
RATD, Royal Artillery Training Depot
RATE, Royal Artillery Training Establishment
RATS, Rations
RAVC, Royal Army Veterinary Corps
RAVS, Royal Army Veterinary School
RAZCOL, Razmak Column
RB, Reconnaissance Battalion or The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)
RBD, Reinforcement Base Depot
R BERKS, The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s)
RC, Recruits or Recruiting Centre or Reserve Command
RC, Roman Catholic or Racecourse or Report Centre
RCAF, Royal Canadian Air Force
RCASC, Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
RCB, Regular Commissions Board
RCE, Royal Canadian Engineers
RCL, Ramped Cargo Lighter or River Craft Light
RCN, Royal Canadian Navy
RCOC, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
RCOS, Royal Corps of Signals
R Coy, Recruit or Reinforcement Company
RCRP, Road Convoy Regulating Post
RD, Repair Depot or Road or Rounds
RD CLEARANCE DET, Road Clearance Detachment
RD CONSTR COY, Road Construction Company
RDF, Royal Dublin Fusiliers or Range Direction Finding
RDI, Relief Driver Increment
RD Junc, Road Junction
RDL, Radio detection and location (by radio pulses)
RDX/BX, Research Department X beeswax
RDZ, Ruwandiz
RE, Royal Engineers
Rec, Recovery
RECCE, Reconnaissance or Reconnoitre
REC COY, Recovery Company
RED, Reduced Charge
Ref, Reference
REGT, Regiment or Regimental
REIN, Reinforced or Reinforcement
REINF, Reinforced or Reinforcement
REL, Relief
REME, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Rep, Representative or Replacement
REPAT, Repatriation
REPS, Representatives
RES, Reserve
RESTD, Restricted
Ret, Retired
RETD, Retired or Royal Engineers Training Depot
REVD, Reverend or Revised
R Ex, Rifle Exercises
RF, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) or Right Flank
R and F, Rank and File
RFC, Royal Flying Corps
RFN, Riflemen
RFT, Reinforcement
R FUS, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
RG, Rear Gunner or Range
RGH, Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
RGPF, Royal Gunpowder Factory
RH, Railhead or Riverhead or Roadhead or Relative Humidity or Right Hand
RHA, Royal Horse Artillery
RHE, Return to Home Establishment
RHG, Royal Horse Guards
RHO, Road Haulage Organization
RHQ, Regimental Headquarters
R H SUP DET, Railhead Supply Detachments
RHU, Reinforcement Holding Unit
RIAF, Royal Indian Air Force
RIASC, Royal Indian Army Service Corps
RIDG, Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
RIEME, Royal Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
RIN, Royal Indian Navy
R Ir F, Royal Irish Fusiliers
RIV, River
RLY, Railway
RM, Royal Marines or Remount
RMA, Royal Military Academy or Royal Malta Artillery or Royal Marine Artillery
RMA, Rear Maintenance Area
RMBPD, Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment
RMB, Royal Marines Brigade
RMC, Royal Military College
RMD, Royal Marines Division
RMIJ, Royal Militia Island of Jersey
RMO, Regimental Medical Officer
RMOM, Royal Marine Office Memoranda
RMP, Royal Military Police
RMS, Royal Mail Ship
RMW, Railway Mobile Workshop
RN, Royal Navy
RNC, Royal Naval College
RNPS, Royal Naval Patrol Service
RNR, Royal Naval Reserve
RNVR, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
RNZAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force
RO, Recruiting Officer or Retired Officer or Routine Order
ROC, Railway Operating Company or Royal Observer Corps
ROCK GRN, Rockets (signal) Green
ROF, Royal Ordnance Factory
R of O, Reserve of Officers
ROO, Railhead Ordnance Officer
ROTC, Reserve Officer Training Corps
ROYALS, 1st The Royal Dragoons
RP, Regimental Police or Refilling Point or Rules of Procedure or Regimental Paymaster
RP, Road Protection
rpg, Rounds per Gun
rpgpd, rounds per gun per diem
rpgpm, Rounds per gun per minute
rpm, Rounds per minute or revolutions per minute
RPs, Refilling Points
Rptd, Repeated
RQMS, Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant
RR, Recruits Reception
R&R, Refuelling and Rearming
RRA, Royal Regiment of Artillery
RRC, Royal Red Cross
RRS, Refuelling Receiving Strip
R RT, Royal Regiment
RR & Training Company, Recruits Reception and Training Company
RS, The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) or Ration Scale
RSAF, Royal Small Arms Factory
RSB, Regimental Stretcher Bearers
RSD, Returned Stores Depot
RSE, Reserve Storage Egypt
RSF, The Royal Scots Fusiliers
RSG, Returned Stores Group
RSM, Regimental Sergeant Major
R SIG, Royal Corps of Signals
RSM, Regimental Sergeant-Major
RSO, Regimental Survey Officer
RSP, Regimental Starting Point
RSR, Raiding Support Regiment
R SUSSEX, The Royal Sussex Regiment
R & T, Reception and Training
RT, Range Table
R/T, Radio Telephony
R TANKS, Royal Tank Regiment
RTB, Returned to Base
RTC, Returned to Corps or Railway Training Centre or Research and Training Centre
RTD, Returned to Depot
RT Hon, Right Honourable
RTO, Railway Traffic Officer
RTR, Royal Tank Regiment
RTU, Returned to Unit
RU, Radar Unit or Repair Unit
RUR, The Royal Ulster Rifles
RV, Rendezvous
RVH, Royal Victoria Hospital
RVP, Returned Vehicle Park
RW, Royal Warrant
RWAFF, Royal West African Frontier Force
R. WAR. R., Royal Warwickshire Regiment
RWF, The Royal Welch Fusiliers
RWK, The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
RWY, Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
RX, Right Section
Ry(s), Railway(s)
Ry Tel, Railway Telegraph
S, Supply (RASC prefix) or South or Shilling
SA, Small Arms or South Africa or African or Semi-automatic or Special Allowance
SAA, Small Arms Ammunition or School of Anti-Aircraft Artillery
SAAA, School of Anti-Aircraft Artillery
SAAD, School of Anti-Aircraft Defence
SAAF, South African Air Force
SAARF, Special Allied Airborne Rescue Force
SAB, Saboteur
SAC, Senior Aircraftman
SACSEA, Supreme Allied Commander South-East Asia
SAD, Single-axe drive
SAE, Society of Automotive Engineers
SAEC, South African Engineer Corps
SAIR, South African Irish Rifles
SAL, Salvage or Salvaged
SAN, Sanitation
SAO, Squadron Artillery Officer
SAP, Semi-armour-piercing (projectile)
SAQ, Sub-Area Quartering Commandant
SAR, Search and Rescue
SARG, Small arms rifle grenade
SAS, Special Air Service or Small Arms School
SASC, Small Arms School Corps
SASO, Senior Air Staff Officer or Senior Administrative Staff Officer
SAT, Small Arms Training or Scientific Adviser for Telecommunication
SAW, Senior Aircraftwoman
SB, Stretcher Bearer
SBG, Small Box Girder
SBS, Special Boat Section
SC, Salvage Centre or Strike Command or Staff Captain or Sub-calibre Sector Control or Scottish Command
SCD, Stores and Clothing Department
SCF, Senior Chaplin to the Forces
SCM, State Certified Midwife
SCO, Sector Control Officer (RAF)
SCMA, Signals Corps Medium Artillery
SCOTCO, Scottish Command
SCR, Signal Corps Radio or Radar
SCRA, Staff Captain Royal Artillery
SCU, Special Communications Unit or Stores Convoy Unit
SD, Special Duties or short delay (detonator) or Squad Drill
SDF, Sudan Defence Force
SDG, Siding
SDP, Supply Dropping Point
S Dpo, Stores Depot
SDR, Special Despatch Rider
SDS, Signal Despatch Service or Sheds
SD & T, Staff Duties and Training Section
S&E, Supply and Evacuation
SEAAC, South East Asia Air Command
SEAFORTH, The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs the Duke of Albany’s)
SEC, Section or Second
SEE, Signals Experimental Establishment
SELSA, South East London Sub-area
SER SEC, Searchlight Engine Room Section
SESO, Senior Equipment Staff Officer
SEWT, Signal Exercise Without Troops
SEU, Special Engineering Unit
SG, Scots Guards or Sitting or Selection Group
SGO, Senior Grade Officer
SGS, Sidings
SGSRD, Stores Group Supply Reserve Depot
SGT, Sergeant
SHA, South Highland Area
SHAEF, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
SHF, Super High Frequency
Shrapl, Shrapnel
SHQ, Station Headquarters
SIB, Special Investigation Branch or Stars in Battledress or Special Issues Branch
SIG, Signals or Signalman or Special Interrogation Group
SIG CEN, Signal Centre
SIGINT, Signals Intelligence
SIGMN, Signalman
SIGS, Signals
SIP, Self-igniting Phosphorus (grenade)
SITREPS, Situation Reports
SIU, Signals Intelligence Unit
SJT, Serjeant
SL, Sick Leave or Squadron Leader or Searchlight or Start Line
SL BTY, Searchlight Battery
SLC, Searchlight Commander or Support Landing Craft
SL Comdr, Searchlight Commander
SLDS, Searchlight Directing Station
SLE, Searchlight Emplacement
SLER, Searchlight Engine Room
S LAN R, South Lancashire Regiment
SLL, Searchlight Laying
SLMD, Searchlight Militia Depot
SLO, Searchlight Operator
SLP, Supply Landing Point
S-LT, Sub-Lieutenant
SLR, Self Loading Rifle
SLT, Searchlight Training
SLW, Section Leader Wing
SM, Sergeant Major or Sergeants/Serjeants Mess
S & M, Sappers and Miners
SMB, Small Box Girder
SMC, Sten Machine Carbine or Staff Message Control
SME, School of Military Engineering
SMG, Sub Machine Gun
SMIG, Sergeant Major Instructor in Gunnery
SMLE, Short Magazine Lee-Enfield
SMO, Senior Medical Officer
SMT, Square-mesh track (building material)
SMTO, Senior Mechanical Transport Officer
SNCO, Senior Non-Commissioned Officer
SNOL, Senior Naval Officer Landing
SNO, Senior Naval Officer
SNOIS, Senior Naval Officer in Charge
SNS, Special Night Squads
SNU, Steam Not Up
SO, Senior Officer or Staff Officer or Section Officer
SOE, Special Operations Executive
S of A, School of Artillery
S of S, Secretary of State
S of SHRA, School of Super-Heavy Railway Artillery
SO in C, Signal Officer in Chief
S(O & M) Secretary, Organisation and Methods Division
SOLC, Staff Officer Landing Craft
SOME, Senior Ordnance Mechanical Engineer
SOM LI, Somerset Light Infantry
SOPs, Standing Operating Procedures
SOPT, Staff Officer, Physical Training
SOR, Sector Operations Room
SORE, Staff Officer Royal Engineers
SOS, Struck Off Strength or Static Officers Shop or Senior Officers School
SP, Staging Post or Supported or Starting Point or Support
SP, Self-propelled or Service Police or Spiritualist
(Sp), Special Duties Office
S/P, Signalling Projector
SP District, Salisbury Plain District or Selection of Personnel
SPEC, Special
SPR, Sapper
SPS, Ships
SPSO, Senior Personnel Staff Officer
SP Test, Senior Psychologist or Selection of Personnel Test
SQ, Squadron
SQD, Squadron
SQMS, Staff Quarter-Master Sergeant
SQN, Squadron
SQN O, Squadron Officer
SQN QMS, Squadron Quarter-Master Sergeant
SQN SM, Squadron Sergeant-Major
SR, Special Reserve or Sound Ranging or Spotter Reconnaissance or Supplementary Reserve
SR, Send Replies
SRDE, Signals Research and Development Establishment
S RG, Sound Ranging
SRH, Supply Railhead
SRP, Supply Refilling Point
SRS, Special Repair Service
SS, Staff Sergeant or Self-Sealing or Single Shot or Stiffkey Stick
SS, Signals School or Steamship or Signal Squadron
SSA, Special Service Allowance
SSAFA, Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families Association
SSC, Sector Searchlight Commander
SSCO, Searchlight Sector Control Officer
SSD, Station Supply Depots
SSF, Single-seater Fighter
SSGT, Staff Sergeant
SSM, Staff or Squadron Sergeant Major
SSO, Special Service Officer
SSRC, Small Scale Raiding Commando
S STAFFORDSHIRE, The South Staffordshire Regiment
SSTO, Superintending Sea Transport Officer
S SUP O, Senior Supply Officer
ST, Supply and Transport or Sticky type (grenade) or Stewards’ Store
S&T, Supplies and Transport
S/T, Sonic Telegraphy
STA, Station
STC, Signal Training Centre or Senior Training Corps or Special Training Centre
Stereo, Stereoscope or Stereoscopic
STK SEC, Stock Section
STMS, Special Technical Maintenance Section
STN, Station
STO, Sea Transport Officer (used for Station Transport Officer unofficially)
STR, Seater or Strength or Signal Training Unit
Strat T, Strategical Reconnaissance
STS, Special Training School
STSD, Stores Transit Sub-Depot
STU, Special Training Unit
SU, Salvage Unit
SUB, Subaltern
SUBJ, Subject
SUFFOLK, The Suffolk Regiment
SUP, Supply
SUP (Dpo) (O) (P), Supply (Depot) (Officer) (Point)
SUPERHY, Super heavy
SUP P, Supply Point
SUPS, Supplies
SUP SEC, Supply Sections
SURREYS, The East Surrey Regiment
SUS, Soldier/s Under Sentence
SUT, Scunthorpe
SV, Survey or Striking Velocity or Single Valve
SVY, Survey
SW, Shrapnel Wound or Static Workshop (REME) or Southwest or Short Wave or South Wales
SWB, South Wales Borderers
SWBD, Switchboard
SW DIST, South Wales District
SWG, Standard Wire Gauge
SWK, Steelwork
SWK EREC SEC, Steelwork Erection Section
SWLSA, South West London Sub-area
SWPA, South West Pacific Area
SY, Staffordshire Yeomanry
T, Transport or Territorial or Transmitter
TA, Territorial Army
TA (W), Territorial Army for Duration of War
TAB, Typhoid Paratyphoid A and Paratyphoid B
TAC, Tactical or Tactics
TAC R, Tactical Reconnaissance
TAD, Tactical Air Depots
T Admn, Administrative Training
TAF, Tactical Air Force
TANS, Territorial Army Nursing Service
TAR, Tar-penetrated Macadam
TARO, Territorial Army Reserve of Officers
TAT, Tetanus Antitoxin
TB, Training Battalion or Torpedo Bomber
TBRE, Training Battalion Royal Engineers
TC, Training Centre or Training Command or Traffic Control
TC, Tunnelling Company or Troop Commander or Troop Car
TCC, Traffic Control Company
TCH, Trench
TCK, Track
TCP, Traffic Control Post
TCV, Troop Carrying Vehicle
TD, Temporary Duty or Tractor drawn or Territorial Decoration
TD, Tank Destroyer
TDS, Tank Delivery Squadron
TDU, Torpedo Development Unit
TE, Training Establishment or Tangent Elevation
TECH, Technical
TECH TRNG GP Technical Training Group
TEE, Test and Evaluation Establishment
TEK, Tel el Kebir
TEL, Telephone
TELS, Telecommunications
TER TOX, Tetanus Toxoid
TEV, Telegraph Equipment Vehicle
TEWT, Tactical Exercise Without Troops
T EX, Telephone Exchange
TF, Training Flight
TFC, Traffic
TFD, Transferred
TG, Training
TH, Theatre
THI, Time Handed In
TID, Tug, Inland Distributional
TIMEX, Time Expired
TIS, Theatre Intelligence Section
TGT, Target
TGTS, Targets
TK, Tank
TK TPTR COY, Tank Transporter Company
TKV, Tracked Vehicles
TLC, Tank Landing Craft
TLS, Temperate Land Scheme
TM, Trench Mortar
TMB, Trench Mortar Battery
TMC, Thompson Machine Carbine
TMO, Technical Maintenance Officer
TMT, Technical Mechanical Transport
TN, Transportation
TNG, Training
TNG COY, Training Company
TNG REGT, Training Regiment
TNHP, TNH Praha
TNK, Tank
TNT, Trinitrotoluene or Tent
TNT/BX, TNT Beeswax
TO, Transport Officer or Technical Officer
TOET, Test of Elementary Training
TOF, Time of Flight
T of F, Time of Flight
TO-in-C, Tank Officer in Charge
TOO, Time of Origin
TOR, Time of Receipt
TOS, Taken on Strength or Terms of Service
TP, Test Pilot or Traffic Post or Troop or Training Progress
T/P, Test Point
TP CG COY, Troop Carrying Company
TPR, Trooper
TPS, Troops
TPT, Transport or Transportation
TPTD, Transported
TPTR, Trumpeter
TPR, Trooper
TR, Troop or Training Recommendation
TRAC, Tracer
TRE, Technical Research Establishment
TRG, Training or Goods Trucks (Reconnaissance Code)
TRH, Their Royal Highnesses
TRN, Railway Train (complete with engine)
TRP, Passenger Coaches
T/S, Temporary Service
TS, Training School or Transvaal Scottish
TSBO, Telephone Switchboard Operator
TSC, Technical Service Corps
TSM, Troop Sergeant Major
TSR, Torpedo Scout Reconnaissance (plane)
TSS, Temperate Sea Scheme or Twin Screw Steamer
TT, Tonic Train or Technical Training or Tetanus Toxoid
TTC, Technical Training Centre
TT & D, Technical Training and Depot
TTG, Technical Training Group
TU, Training Unit
TULO, Tank Unit Landing Officer
TVP, Transit Vehicle Park
TW, Transport Wing
T Wing, Transport Wing
U, Unpaid
UC, Undercarriage or Universal Call
UDF, Union Defence Force
UET, Unit Equipment Table
UEO, Unit Education Officer
UG, Underground
UHG, Ulster Home Guard
U/i, Unidentified
ULO, Unit Landing Officer
UK, United Kingdom
UKCC, United Kingdom Commercial Corporation
UM, Urgent Memorandum or Unit Mobilization
UMI, Unit Maintenance Inspectorate
UMS, Unit Medical Section
UNCLAS, Unclassified
UNSVC, Unserviceable
UP, Unrotated Projectile
URO, Unit Repair Organization
US, United States
U/S, Unserviceable
USA, United States of America or United States Army
USAAF, United States Army Air Force
USCE, United States Corps of Engineers
US of S, Under Secretary of State
u/t, Under Training
UTP Upper Thames Patrol
UV, Universal
UWKC, United Warehouse Keepers Conference
UXB, Unexploded Bomb
UXO, Unexploded Ordnance
V, Volunteers or Veterinary
VA, Vice-Admiral or Vickers-Armstrong
VAD, Voluntary Aid Detachment
V ADM, Vice Admiral
VAOS, Vocabulary of Army Ordnance Stores
VAU, Vehicle Assembly Unit
VC, Victoria Cross
VCAS, Vice-Chief of the Air Staff
VCC, Vehicle Collecting Centre
VCIGS, Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff
VCO, Viceroy’s Commissioned Officer
VCP, Vehicle Check Point
VD, Venereal Disease
VE, Verbal message
VEB, Variable Elevation Beam
VEH, Vehicle
VEH & EQPT DEM, Vehicle and Equipment Demonstration
VES, Veterinary Evacuation Station
VET, Veterinary
VF, Voice Frequency
VFT, Voice Frequency Telegraph
VHF, Very High Frequency
VI, Vertical Interval
VIC, Vicinity
VIE, Visual Indicating Equipment
VIR, Vulcanized India Rubber
VISIB, Visibility
VIT, Verbal Intelligence Test
VLR, Vehicle Landing Ramp
VMG, Vickers Machine Gun
VO, Verbal Order or Veterinary Officer
VOL, Voluntarily
VOR, Vehicle off the road
VP, Vulnerable Point/s
V&P, Vehicle and Plant (Electrician trade)
VP COY CMP, Vulnerable Points Company Corps of Military
VPP, Vulnerable Points Provost
VR, Voluntary Release
VRD, Vehicle Reception Depot
VRS, Vehicle Reception Stores
V/S, Visual Signalling
V/T, Visual Telegraphy
VTM, Vehicles to the mile
W, Works
WA, West Africa or African
WAAC, Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps
WAAF, Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
WAASC, West African Army Service Corps
WAC, Women’s Army Corps
WAOC, West African Ordnance Corps
WARWICK, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Wa/T, Warning Telephone
WC, Western Command
W/CARR, Water Carrier
W-CDR, Wing Commander
W-CMD, Western Command
WD, War Department or Westminster Dragoons
WDF, Western Desert Force
WE, War Establishment or Welfare
WEC, War Establishment Committee
WECIS, War Establishment Committee Investigation Section
WEF, With Effect From
WELCH, The Welch Regiment
WFC, War Forwarding Corporation
WG, Wing or Welsh Guards
WG CDR, Wing Commander
WH, Wheel or Wheeled
WI, Wireless Intelligence
WIA, Wounded In Action
WILTS, The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh’s)
WIS, Wireless Intelligence Screen
WKSHOP, Workshop
WKSP, Workshop
WL, Wing Leader or Wagon Line
WLO, Wagon Line Officer
WM, William
WNG O, Warning Order
WO, Warrant Officer or War Office
WO 1 or 2, Warrant Officer Class 1 or 2
WOHU, War Office Holding Unit
WOP, Wireless Operator
WOAS, While On Active Service
WORC R, The Worcestershire Regiment
WOSB, War Office Selection Board
WOU, Wireless Observer Unit
WP, Water Point
WPFG, Waterproofing
WPN, Weapon
WR, West Riding
WRNS, Women’s Royal Naval Service
WS, Wireless Set or Warlike Stores
W/S, War Substantive
WSI, War Service Increment
WSL, War Supplies Limited
WT, Weapons Training or Wireless Telegraphy
W/T, Wireless Telegraphy
WT COY, Water Tank Company
W/TO, Wireless Telegraphy Officer
WTPP, War Time Proficiency Pay
WTR, Waiter
WTS, Women’s Transport Service or Wireless Station
WTSFF, Weapons Technical Staff, Field Force
WV, Wheeled Vehicle
WVS, Women’s Voluntary Services
WVTA, Wheeled Vehicle Transit Area
WWCP, Walking Wounded Collecting Post
WY, Warwickshire Yeomanry
W YORKS, The West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s Own)
x, Yards
X, Section or Sections
XDO, Extended Defence Officer
XPM, Expanded Metal
X RD, Crossroad
XRU, X-Ray Unit
YD, Yard or Yorkshire Dragoons
YH, Yorkshire Hussars
Y & L, The York and Lancaster Regiment
YMCA, Young Man’s Christian Association
YORK & LANC R, York and Lancaster Regiment
YORKS H, Yorkshire Hussars
YWCA, Young Women’s Christian Association
YS, Young Soldiers (Battalion)
ZL, Zero Line