Glossary
Many abbreviations are used in orders, reports, signals, and other messages quoted in this history; others appear in the text and in footnotes.
AA | anti-aircraft |
AA & QMG | Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General |
A/Q | Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General |
ADMS | Assistant Director of Medical Services |
ADS | Advanced Dressing Station |
ADW (E & M) | Assistant Director of Works (Equipment and Maintenance) |
AFV | Armoured Fighting Vehicle |
AMES |
Air Ministry Experimental Station1 |
amn | ammunition |
Arty | Artillery |
ASC | Army Service Corps |
A-tk | anti-tank |
Bde | Brigade |
BGS | Brigadier, General Staff |
BHQ | Battery Headquarters |
BM | Brigade Major |
Bn | Battalion |
Bty | Battery |
CAS | Chief of Air Staff |
CD | Coast Defence |
CGS | Chief of the General Staff |
CIGS | Chief of the Imperial General Staff |
C-in-C | Commander-in-Chief |
CO | Commanding Officer |
Comd(r) | command/Commander |
COS | Chiefs of Staff |
Coy | Company |
CRA | Commander Royal Artillery |
CRE | Commander Royal Engineers |
CSM | Company Sergeant-Major |
DADMS | Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services. |
DADOS (E) | Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnance Services (Equipment) |
DAQMG | Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General |
DCGS | Deputy Chief of the General Staff |
DDMS | Deputy Director of Medical Services |
det | detachment |
DID | Detail Issue Depot |
EFI | Expeditionary Force Institute |
FAA | Fleet Air Arm |
FDL | Forward Defended Locality |
FO | Foreign Office |
FPC | Field Punishment Centre |
fwd | forward |
GHQ | General Headquarters |
Gk | Greek |
GOC | General Officer Commanding |
GOC-in-C | General Officer Commanding-in-Chief |
GOR | Gun Operations Room |
Gp | Group |
GPO | Gun Position Officer |
GS | General Staff |
GSO 1 | General Staff Officer (1st Grade) |
HAA | Heavy Anti-aircraft |
HQ | Headquarters |
3H | 3 Hussars |
Hyg | Hygiene |
inf | infantry |
Inst | instruction |
I (Int) | Intelligence |
I tanks | infantry tanks |
JIC | Joint Intelligence Committee |
JPS | Joint Planning Staff |
Ju | Junkers |
junc(t) | junction |
km | kilometre |
LAA | Light Anti-Aircraft |
LMG | Light Machine Gun |
LO | Liaison Officer |
Lt | light |
MDS | Main Dressing Station |
ME | Middle East, also General Headquarters Middle East |
Me | Messerschmitt |
Med | Mediterranean |
MG (mg) | machine gun |
MLC | Motor Landing Craft |
MMG | medium machine gun |
MNBDO | Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation |
MO | Medical Officer |
MT | Mechanical Transport |
MTB | Motor Torpedo Boat |
Mtn | Mountain |
NH | Northumberland Hussars |
OC | Officer Commanding |
OO | Operation Order |
OP | Observation Post |
Op Inst | Operation Instruction |
ORs | other ranks |
Para | Parachute |
Pl | Platoon |
PM | Prime Minister (United Kingdom) |
PM NZ | Prime Minister of New Zealand |
POL | petrol, oil, and lubricants |
posn | position |
PW | prisoner of war |
RA | Royal Artillery |
RAE | Royal Australian Engineers |
RAP | Regimental Aid Post |
RASC | Royal Army Service Corps |
RE | Royal Engineers |
recce | reconnaissance |
Regt | Regiment |
RHA | Royal Horse Artillery |
RHQ | Regimental Headquarters |
RM | Royal Marines |
RMO | Regimental Medical Officer |
RMT | Reserve Mechanical Transport |
RQMS | Regimental Quartermaster-Sergeant |
R/T | radio telephony |
RTR | Royal Tank Regiment |
RV | rendezvous |
SC | Staff Captain |
sec | section |
2 i/c | second-in-command |
sig(s) | signal(s) |
SL | squadron leader (tank) |
S/L | searchlight |
SMG | sub-machine gun |
Sqn | Squadron |
TG | tommy gun |
tks | tanks |
TLC | Tank Landing Craft |
TM | trench mortar |
TOO | time of origin |
tps | troops |
tpt | transport |
WD | war diary |
WO | War Office |
W/T | wireless telegraphy |
x | yards |