107 (etc) RAC Regiments, Royal Armoured Corps

10H 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)

11H 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)
12L 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)
13/18H 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)
14/20H 14th/20th King's Hussars
15/19H 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars
16/5L 16th/5th Lancers
17/21L 17th/21st Lancers
1b Pound(s)
2 sub Second Subaltern
22 DGNS 22nd Dragoons
23H 23rd Hussars
24L 24th Lancers
25 DGNS 25th Dragoons
27L 27th Lancers
2IC Second in command
3 DG 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales Dragoon Guards)
3H 3rd King's Own Hussars
4/7 DG 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
48(etc) R TKS - Battalions, Royal Tank Regiment
48(etc) RECCE REGT Regiments Reconnaissance Corps
4H 4th Queen's Own Hussars
5DG 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
7H 7th Queen's Own Hussars
8H 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
9L 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
A & SH Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)
A per Anti-personnel
AA Anti-aircraft or Army Act
AA Army Act or anti-aircraft
AAC Army Air Corps
AAD Advance ammunition dept
AAI - Allied Armies Italy.
AB Army book
ABCA Army Bureau of Currrent Affairs
ACK Acknowledge
ACC Army Catering Corps
accn Accommodation
ACG Army Chaplain General
ACI Army Council Instruction
ack Acknowledge, acknowledged or acknowledgment
ACV Armoured command vehicle
AD CORPS Army Dental Corps
ADC Aide de Campe
addrsd Addressed
ADGB Air Defence of Great Britain
adjt Adjutant
adm Administration or administrative
ADS Advanced dressing station
adv Advance or advanced
AEAF Allied Expeditionary Air Force
AEC Army Educational Corps
AF Army form
AFHQ Allied Forces Headquarters
AFV Armoured fighting vehicle(s)
AG Adjutant General
AG Anti-gas
AGRA Army Group, Royal Artillery
AGRE Army Group, Royal Engineers

AHQ Army Headquarters (India)

airtps Airborne troops
AL sec Air liaison section
ALFSEA Allied Land Forces South East Asia
ALG Advanced landing ground
ALO Air liaison officer
amb Ambulance
AMGOT Allied Military Government of Occupied Territories
amn Ammunition
AMQ Assistant Quartermaster General
annx Annexure
AO Army Order
AOC Air Officer commanding
AOD Advanced ordnance depot
AP Ammunition point or armour piercing
AP Armour piercing or ammunition point
APIS Army photographic interpretation section
APO Army post office
approx Approximately or approximate
appx Appendix
APS Army Postal Service
APTC Army Physical Training Corps
ARG Armoured replacement group
ARH Ammunition railhead
armd Armoured
armd C Armoured car
ARO Army routine order
ARP Air raid precautions or ammunition refilling point
ARP Ammunition refilling point or air raid precautions
art wks coy Artizan works company
arty Artillery
arty R Artillery reconnaissance
ASD Ammunition sub-depot
aslt Assault
ASSU Air support signal unit
AT Animal transport
ATC Air Training Corps
ATI Army Training Instruction
Atk Anti-tank
ATM Army Training Memorandum
Atps Army Troops
ATS Auxiliary Territorial Service
att Attach, attached or attachment
Aust Australia or Australian
aux Auxiliary or auxiliaries
AVRE Assault vehicle, Royal Engineers
AWD Advanced workshop detachment
B sup airfd Base supply airfield
B wksp Base workshop
BAD Base ammunition depot
BAOR British Army of the Rhine
BAYS Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards)
BBP Bulk breaking point
BC Battery commander
BD Base depot or bomb disposal
BD Bomb disposal or base depot
bde Brigade
bdr Bombardier
bdy Boundary
BED HERTS Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment

BEF British Expeditionary Force

BGS Brigadier General Staff
BMA Beach maintenance area
BMM British Military Mission
bn Battalion
BOD Base ordnance depot
bomrep Bombing report
BORDER Border Regiment
BOWO Brigade Ordnance Warrant Officer
BQMS Battery quarter-master-serjeant
br Bridge or bridging
BRA Brigadier Royal Artillery
BRAC Brigadier Royal Artillery (Canada)
BRECKNOCK Brecknockshire Battalion, South Wales Borderers (TA)
Brit British
BSD Base supply depot
BSM Battery-serjeant-major
bty Battery
BU Bath unit
BUCKS Buckinghamshire Battalion, Oxfordshire & Buckingham
BUFFS Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
BW Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
C comd Chief Commander
C contr Chief Controller
C tps Corps troops
CA Civil affairs or coast artillery
CA Coast artillery or civil affairs
cam Camouflage or camouflaged
CAMBS Cambridgeshire Regiment (TA)
CAMERONIANS Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
CAMERONS Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
capt Captain
cas Casualty (ies)
CAS Chief of the Air Staff
cav Cavalry
CB Confinement to barracks or counter-battery
CB Counter-battery or confinement to barracks
CBO Counter-battery officer
CCHA Corps Commander Heay Artillery
CCMA Corps Commander Medium Artillery
CCP Casualty collecting post
CCRA Corps Commander Royal Artillery
CCRE Corps Commander, Royal Engineers
CCRS / CCRSigs Corp Commander Royal Signals
CCS Casualty clearing station
CD Coast defence
Cda Canada
CDI Command driver increment
Cdn Canadian
cdo Commando
CF Chaplain to the forces
cfn Craftsman or craftsmen
CGS Chief of the General Staff
chem Chemical
CHESHIRE Cheshire Regiment
CID Committee of Imperial Defence
CIGS Chief of the Iperial General Staff
C-in-C Commander-in-Chief
civ Civil or civilian
CL Centre line

CMF Central Mediterranean Force

CMO Chief Medical Officer
CMP Corps of Military Police
CO Commanding officer
col Colonel
COLDM GDS Coldstream Guards
Coln Column
comd Command, commanded, commandant or commander
comn Communication
comp Composite
con R Contact reconnaissance
conc Concentrate, concentrated or concentration
constr Construct, constructed or construction
Contr Controller
COO Chief ordnance officer
coord Co-ordinate, co-ordinated, co-ordinating or co-ordination
COS Chief of Staff
COSSAC Chief of Staff to Supreme Allied Commander
coy Company
cpl Corporal
CQMS Company quarter-master-serjeant
CRA Commander Royal Artillery
CRE Commander Royal Engineers
CS Close support
CSM Company serjeant-major
CSO Chief Staff Officer
CTC - Combined Training Centre
CV Command vehicle
CW Chemical warfare
cwt Hundredweight(s)
DAAG Deputy Assistant Adjutant General
DAAQMG Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General
DADMS Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services
DADOS Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnance Services
DADQ Deputy Assistant Director of Quartering
DADST Deputy Assistant Director of Supplies and Transport
DAG Deputy Adjutant General
DAQMG Deputy Assistant and Quartermaster General
DAQMG Deputy Assistant Director of Quartering
DCIGS Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff
DCLI Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
DDME Deputy Director of Mechanical Engineering
DDMI Deputy Director of Military Intelligence
DDMO Deputy Director of Military operations
DDMS Deputy Director of Medical Services
DDMT Deputy Director of Military Training
DDST Deputy Director of Supplies and Transport
decn Decontamination
def Defend, defended, defence or defensive
del Deliver, delivered or delivery
dep Depot
DERBY YEO Derbyshire Yeomanry (TA)
derv fuel Diesel engined road vehicle fuel
det Detach, detached or detachment
DEVON Devonshire Regiment
DF Defensive fire or direction finding
DF Direction finding or defensive fire
DFC Distinguished Flying Cross
DID Detail issue depot
disP Disposal point

dist District
div Division or divisional
DLI Durham Light Infantry
DME Director of Military Engineering
DMI Director of Military Intelligence
DMO Director of Military Operations
DMS Director of Medical Services
DMT Director of Military Training
DOE - Duration of emergency
DORSET Dorsetshire Regiment
DP Delivery point
DQMG Deputy Quartermaster General
DR Despatch rider or motor-cyclist
DR Motor-cyclist or despatch rider
DRLS Despatch rider letter service
DS Dressing station
DSM Distinguished Service medal
DST Director of Supplies and Transport
dvr Driver
DWR Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)
DZ Dropping zone
E LAN R East Lancashire Regiment
E RIDING YEO East Riding Yeomanry (TA)
E YORKS East Yorkshire Regiment (Duke or York's Own)
EA East Africa, East African or enemy aircraft
ech Echelon
EF Expeditionary force
eg For example
EME Electrical mechanical engineer
emp Employ, employed or employment
engr Engineer
ENSA Entertainment National Services Association
eqpt Equipment
ESO Embarkation staff officer
ESSEX Essex Regiment
est Establish, established or establishment
etc And so on or and the rest
evac Evacuate, evacuated or evacuation
excl Exclude, excluded, excluding or exclusive
F sp Flash spotting
FBE Folding boat equipment
fd bchy Field butchery and cold storage depot
fd bky Field bakery
fd Field
FDL Ford ward defended locality
FDS Field dressing station
FF Field force or fire fighting
FF Fire fighting or field force
FF YEO Fife and Forfar Yeomanry (TA)
FGCM Field general court-martial
fit Flight
FMA Forward maintenance area
fmn Formation
FOO Forward Observation Officer
FORESTERS Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire
freq Frequency
FS Field service or field security
FSPB Field service pocket book
FSS Fixed signal service
FSU Field surgical unit

ft Foot or feet
FTU Field transfusion unit
FUP Forming up place
fus Fusilier(s)
fwd Forward or forwarded
gal Gallon
GCM General court-martial
gd Guard
gdsm Guardsman or guardsmen
gdsn Guardsman or guardsmen
gen General
GHQ General Headquarters
GLAS H Glasgow Highlanders (TA)
GLIDER P REGT Glider Pilot Regiment
GLOSTERS Gloucestershire Regiment
gnr Gunner
GOC General Officer Commanding
GOC-in-C General Officer Commanding-in-Chief
GORDONS Gordons Highlanders
gp Group
GREEN HOWARDS Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales Own
GREN GDS Grenadier Guards
GREYS Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons)
grn Garrison
GRO General routine order
GS General service or general staff
GSC General Service Corps
GSO General Staff Officer
GSO General staff officer (with Arabic or Roman enumeration appended to show gra
de)
GT coy General transport company
HAA Heavy Anti-Aircraft
HALLAMSHallamshire Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment (TA)
HAMPS Hampshire Regiment
HD Home Defence or horse drawn
HD Horse drawn or home defence
HE High explosive
HEREFORD Herefordshire Regiment (TA)
HERTS Hertfordshire Regiment (TA)
HF Harrassing fire or high frequency
HF High frequency or harrassing fire
HG Home Guard
HIGHLAND R Highland Regiment
HLI Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment)
hosp Hospital
how Hozitzer
HP High power or horse power
HP Horse power or high power
HQ Headquarter(s)
hr Hour
HT High tension or horsed transport
HT Horsed transport or high tension
hy Heavy
hyg Hygiene
IA Indian Army
IA Indian Army
IAC Indian Armoured Corps
IAMC Indian Army Medical Corps
IC In charge or internal combustion
IC Internal combustion or in charge of

IDC Imperial Defence College

ie Namely or that is to say
ie That is to say or namely
IEF Indian Expeditionary Force
IG Irish Guards
IMS Indian Medical Service
in inch
incl Include, included, including or inclusive
Ind India or Indian
indep Independent
inf Infantry
infm Inform, informed or information
INNISKS Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
INNS OF COURT Inns of Court Regiment
instr Instruct, instructed, instruction or instructor
INT CORPS Intelligence Corps
int Intelligence
intercomm Intercommunication
IO Intelligence officer
IOO Inspecting ordnance officer
IS Internal security
It Lieutenant or light
It Light or lieutenant
IWT Inland water transport
J comd Junior Commander
junc Junction
KAR King's African Rifles
KDG 1st King's Dragoon Guards
KENSINGTONS Kensington Regiment (TA)
KINGS King's Regiment (Liverpool)
KING'S OWN King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
KOSB King's Own Scottish Borderers
KOYLI King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
KRRC King's Royal Rifle Corps
KSLI King's Shropshire Light Infantry
L bdr Lance-bombardier
L cpl Lance corporal
L of C Line, or lines of communication
L sjt Lance serjeant
LAA Light Anti-Aircraft
lab Laboratory or labour
LAD Light aid detachment
Ldg Landing
LEICESTERS Leicestershire Regiment
LF Lancashire Fusiliers
LG Life Guards
LINCOLNS Lincolnshire Regiment
LIR London Irish Rifles (TA)
LIVPL SCOT Liverpool Scottish (TA)
LMG Light machine gun
LO Liaison officer
LOND SCOT London Scottish (TA)
lor Lorried or lorryborne
lor Lorryborne or lorried
LOTHIANS Lothians and Border Yeomanry (TA)
LOVATS Lovat Scouts (TA)
LOWLAND RLowland Regiment
LOYALS Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)
LT Line telegraphy or low tension
LT Low tension or line telegraphy

LZ Landing zone
MA Military assistant or Military Attache
MAC Motor ambulance convoy
mag Magazine or magnetic
mag Magnetic or magazine
maint Maintain, maintained or maintenance
maj Major
MANCH Manchester Regiment
MC Military Cross
MC Motor-cycle or movement control
MC Movement control or motor-cycle
mech Mechanic, mechanical or mechanized
med Medium or medical
MEF Middle East Force
MELF Middle East Land Forces
met Meteorological or meteorology
MFO Military forwarding officer
MFPS Mobile field photographic section
MG Machine gun
MGA Major General in charge of Administration
MGGS Major General - General Staff
MGO Master General of the Ordinance
mi2h Miles in two hours
mih Miles in the hour
mil Military
min Minute
mk Mark
MLBU Mobile laundry and bath unit
MMG Medium machine gun
MO Medical officer
mob Mobile or mobilization
MON Monmouthshire Regiment (TA)
mot Motor or motorized
mov Movement
MP Meeting point or military police
MP Military police or meeting point
mph Miles per hour
MPSC Military Provost Staff Corps
msg Message
MT Mechanical transport
mtd Mounted
mtn Mountain
MTP Military Training Pamphlet
MX Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own)
N STAFFS North Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's)
N YEO Northamptonshire Yeomanry
NAAFI Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (sacrilege to leave this out)
NCC Non-Combatant Corps
NCO Non-commissioned officer
NF Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
Nfld Newfoundland
NIH North Irish Horse
NORFOLK Royal Norfolk Regiment
NORTHAMPTONS Northamptonshire Regiment
NOTTS YEO Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (TA)
NZ New Zealand
OBD Ordnance Beach detachment
OC Officer commanding
OCTU Officer Cadet Training Unit
offr Officer

OIC Officer-in-charge (of)

OO Operation order or ordnance officer
OP-Ack Observation Post Assistant.
OP Observation post
op Operate, operated, operation, operational or operator
OR Other rank(s)
ord Ordnance
org Organize, organized or organization
OXF BUCKS Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
oz Ounce(s)
PAD Passive air defence
para Parachute or pargraph
para Paragraph or parachute- more usually pct -parachutist or parachute
Para Paratrooper
PARA REGT Parachute Regiment
pet Petrol
Ph Photograph or photographic
ph R Photographic reconnaissance
photogrid Gridded vertical air photograph
photogrid Photograph, vertical air, gridded
photogrod Vertical air photograph, gridded
Pk Park
pl Platoon
PM Provost marshal
PMA Personal Military Assistant
pmr Paymaster
Pnr Corps Pioneer Corps
pnr Pioneer
PO Post Office
POL Petrol, oil and lubricants
posn Position
POW Prisoner of War
PP Petrol point
pr Pounder
PRH Petrol railhead
pro Provost
PRP Petrol refilling point
pt Point
pte Private
PW Prisoner(s) of war
QAIMNS Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service
QM Quarter-master
QMG Quartermaster General
QMS Quarter-master-serjeant
QUEENS Queens Royal Regiment (West S Surrey)
R and O Railhead or roadhead, supply officer
R and O Roadhead or railhead, supply officer
R BERKS Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's)
R IR F Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's)
R Sigs Royal Corps of Signals
R SUSSEX Royal Sussex Regiment
R TKS - Royal Tank Regiment
R WILTS YEO Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry (TA)
RA Royal Regiment of Artillery
RAC Royal Armoured Corps
RAChD Royal Army Chaplains' Department
RADC Royal Army Dental Corps
RAMC Royal Army Medical Corps
RAOC Royal Army Ordnance Corps
RAP Regimental aid post

RAPC Royal Army Pay Corps

RARO Regular Army Reserve of officers
RASC Royal Army Service Corps
RAVC Royal Army Veterinary Corps
RB Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
rd Road
RDI Relief driver increment
RE Corps of Royal Engineers
rec Recover, recovered or recovery
recce Reconnaissance or reconnoitre
Ref reference
reg Regulate, regulated, regulating or regulation
Regiment
Regiment)
regt Regiment or regimental
REME Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
rep Represent, represented or representative
res Reserve(s)
RF Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
rfn Rifleman or riflemen
rft HU Reinforcement holding unit
rft Reinforcement
rft SU Reinforcement sub-units
RGA Royal Garrison of Artillery
RGH Royal Gloucestershire Hussars (TA)
RH Railhead
RHA Royal Horse Artillery
RHG Royal Horse Guards (The Blues)
RHMA Railhead or roadhead, maintenance area
RHMA Roadhead or railhead, maintenance area
rly Railway
RMA Rear maintenance area
RMA Royal Military Accademy
RMC Royal Military College (Sandhurst)
RN Royal Navy
RO Routine order
ROO Railhead or roadhead, ordnance officer
ROO Roadhead or railhead, ordnance officer
ROYALS 1st Royal Dragoons
RP Refilling point, regimental police or Rules of Procedure
RP Regimental police, refilling point or Rules of Procedure
RP Rules of Procedure, refilling point or regimental police
rpg(pm) Rounds per gun (per minute)
rptd Repeated
RQMS Regimental quarter-master-serjeant
RS Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)
RSD Returned stores depot
RSF Royal Scots Fusiliers
RSM Regimental serjeant-major
telephony
RT Radio
RTO - Railway traffic order
RTU - Returned to unit
RUR - Royal Ulster Rifles
RV Rendezvous
RW Royal Warrant for Pay and Promotion
RWF Royal Welch Fusiliers
RWK Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment
S comd Senior Commander or Southern Command (more usually SComd)
S contr Senior Controller
S LAN R South Lancs Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers)

S rg Sound ranging
S sjt Staff serjeant
S STAFFORDS South Staffordshire Regiment
S sup O Senior supply officer
SA Small arms, South Africa or South African
SA South Africa, South African or small arms
SAA Small arms ammunition
Sab Saboteur
sal Salvage or salvaged
SAS REGT Special Air Service Regiment
SASC Small Arms School Corps
SB Stretcher bearer
SBG Small box girder
SBS Special Boat Section Special Boat Service Special Boat Service
SDP Supply dropping point
SEAC South east Asia Command
SEAFORTH Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs The Duke of Albany's)
SEALF South East Asia Land Forces
sec Second or section
sec Section or second
SG Scots Guards
sgt Sergeant
SHAEF Supreme Headquarters - Allied Expeditionary Force
SHAPE Supreme Headquarters - Allied Powers Europe
SHARPSHOOTERS County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) (TA)
shelrep Shelling report
sig Signal
sigmn Signalman or signalmen
sitrep Situation report
sjt Serjeant
SL Searchlight or start line
SL Start line or searchlight
SLA Supply loading airfield
SLP Supply landing point
SMC Sten machine carbine
SME School of Military Training
SMO Senior medical officer
SO Staff officer
SOM LI Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)
SOS - Signed on strength (always followed by date)
SP Self-propelled or starting point
SP Starting point or self-propelled
sp Support or supported
spr Sapper
SQMS Staff or squadron quarter-master-serjeant
sqn Squadron
SRH Supply railhead
SRO Supplementary Reserve of Officers
SSM Staff or squadron serjeant-major
sta Station
STAFFS YEO Staffordshire Yeomanry (TA)
stereo Stereoscope or stereoscopic
stn Station
str Seater or strength
str Strength or seater
strat R Strategical reconnaissance
Sub Subaltern
SUFFOLKSuffolk Regiment
Sup P Supply point
sup Supply or supplied

SURREYS East Surrey Regiment

svy Survey
SWB South Wales Borderers
swbd Switchboard
TA Territorial Army
tac R Tactical reconnaissance
TANS Territorial Army Nursing Service
TC Traffic control
tcl Tentacle
TCV Troop carrying vehicle
tech Technical
tele Telephone
Tfc Traffic
TFD
Transferred
tg Telegraph or telegraphic
tk Tank
TMC Thompson machine carbine
tn Transportation
TO Transport Officer (only when used with bde, bn, etc)
TOS - Taken off strength (as above)
TP Traffic post
tp Troop
tpr Trooper
tpt Transport
tptd Transported
tptr Transporter
trg Training
TYNE SCOT Tyneside Scottish (TA)
UK United Kingdom
UM Urgent memorandum
US Unservicable
USA United States of America
UXB Unexploded bomb(s)
VC Victoria Cross
VCIGS Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff
veh Vehicle
vet Veterinary
VP Vulnerable point
VQMG Vice Quartermaster General
VRD Vehicle reserve depot
vs Visual signalling
vtm Vehicles to the mile
W DGNS 2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons) (TA)
W YORKS West Yorks Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own)
WA West Africa or West African
WARWICK Royal Warwickshire Regiment
WARWICK YEO Warwickshire Yeomanry (TA)
WE War establishment
wef - With effect from
WELCH Welch Regiment
WG Welsh Guards
wh Wheel or wheeled
WILTS Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's)
wksp Workshop
WL Wagon Line
WO War Office
WO Warrant Officer
WORC R Worcestershire Regiment
WP Water Point
wpfg Waterproofing

wrls Wireless
WS War substantive, warlike stores or wireless set
WS Warlike stores, war substantive or wireless set
WS Wireless set, war substantive or warlike stores
WT Weapon training or wireless telegraphy
WT Wireless telegraphy or weapon training
WWCP Walking wounded collecting post
X rds Cross roads
Y&L York and Lancaster Regiment
yd Yard
YORKS H Yorkshire Hussars (TA)
YR Yorkshire Regiment)