• Newmarket Area
  • Brecklands Area
  • Haverhill Area
  • "Abbreviations and Glossary"




    Abbreviations and terms used in the British Armed Forces (until the computer age !)
    If there are any others that you feel ought to be included, please let me know on webmaster@undyingmemory.net



    A.B. Able Seaman
    AC 1 or AC2 Aircraftsman 1st or 2nd Class
    A.D.S. Advanced Dressing Station
    A.I.F. Australian Imperial Force
    A.S.C. Army Service Corps
    AWOL Absent without Leave
    B.E.F. British Expeditionary Force (France/Flanders)
    Bgde or Bde Brigade (see section as bottom of page)
    Bn or Battn Battalion (see section as bottom of page)
    By or Btty Battery (an Artillery unit)
    Bomber Aircraft, or a man throwing hand grenades
    Camouflet Underground explosion which does not breach the surface
    C.B. Confined to Barracks
    C.C.S. Casualty Clearing Station
    C.E.F. Canadian Expeditionary Force
    C.S.M. Company Sergeant Major
    Coy Company (see section at bottom of page)
    C.W.G.C. Commonwealth War Graves Commission
    D.A.C. Division Ammunition Column
    D.C.M. Distinguished Conduct Medal
    D.F.C. Distinguished Flying Cross
    Div. Division (see section at bottom of page)
    D.L.I. Durham Light Infantry
    D.S.C. Distinguished Service Cross
    D.S.O. Distinguished Service Order
    F.A. Field Ambulance ( a station, not a vehicle)
    F.F.A. Fleet Air Arm
    Fg/Off Flying Officer
    Flt/Lt Flight Lieutenant
    F/Sgt Flight Sergeant
    F/O Flying Officer
    H.L.I. Highland Light Infantry
    H.M.H.S. His/Her Majesty's Hospital Ship
    HMTS His/Her Majesty's Transport Ship
    Howitzer Short barrelled, high trajectory, low velocity artillery piece
    K.O.Y.L.I. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
    K.R.R.C. King's Royal Rifle Corps
    K.S.A. King's South Africa medal (Boer War)
    L/Cpl Lance Corporal
    Lt. Lieutenant
    M.C. Military Cross
    M.D. Mentioned in Dispatches
    M.M. Military Medal
    Mortar Close quarter weapon,high angle trajectory, muzzle loaded
    M.S. Merchant Ship
    M.S.M. Meritorious Service Medal
    N.C.O. Non Commissioned Officer
    O.C.U. Operational Conversion Unit
    O.T.U. Operational Training Unit
    L.A.C. Leading Aircraftsman
    O.R. Other Ranks (i.e. non commissioned)
    Plt Off Pilot Officer (RAF)
    P.O. Petty Officer (Navy)
    Pte Private
    P.U.O Pyrexia Unknown Origin (Fever, Army speak for Don't know what's wrong
    Q.S.A. Queen's South Africa medal (Boer War)
    R.A. Royal Artillery
    R.A.A.F. Royal Australian Air Force
    R.A.F. Royal Air Force
    R.A.F.V.R. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
    R.C.A.F. Royal Canadian Air Force
    R.F.A. Royal Field Artillery
    R.F.C. Royal Flying Corps
    R.G.A. Royal Garrison Artillery
    R.N.A.S. Royal Naval Air Service
    R.N.V.R. Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve
    R.N.Z.A.F. Royal New Zealand Air Force
    R.S.M. Regimental Sergeant Major
    sap deep covered trench or tunnel dug towards enemy lines
    Soldiers Died. the book "Soldiers Died in the Great War"
    Sqn/Ldr. Squadron Leader
    S.S. Steam Ship
    T.A. Territorial Army
    Tommy Colloquial term for British soldier
    wadi desert river or watercourse, usually dry
    W.O. Warrant Officer




    A British Army in the Great war was usually made up of :-

    Army of about 300,000 men, Commanded by a General
    Corps about 60,000 men, commended by a Lieut-General
    Division of 3 Brigades (12,000 men)commanded by a Major-General
    Brigade of 4 Battalions (around 3,500-4,000 men) commended by a Brigadier-General
    Battalion of 4 Companies (800+ men)commanded by a Lieut-Colonel, 2nd in command a Major
    Company of 4 platoons (200 men) commanded by a Captain
    Platoon of 4 or 5 sections (50 men) commended by Lieut or 2nd Lieut. 2nd in Command a Sergeant
    Section of 12 commanded by a Corporal or Lance Corporal

    These numbers are of course loose, circumstances often dictating lower or higher numbers and the higher
    up the formation, the more support troops were attached such as engineers, artillery, signals, medical, transport etc.

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    They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
    Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
    At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
    We will remember them.