"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 |
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.