Glossary

AA anti-aircraft
AA & QMG, A/Q Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General
Abiar

wells or cisterns (pl. of bir)

ACCOMPLISH Code-name for operation by Eighth Army, 26–30 April 1943, to break through Enfidaville line and exploit to Hammamet
Ack Acknowledge
ACV Armoured Command Vehicle
ADC aide-de-camp
Adm, Admin Administration
ADMS Assistant Director of Medical Services
ADOS Assistant Director of Ordnance Services
ADS Advanced Dressing Station (forward medical establishment usually situated behind RAPs of fighting units)
adv advance(d)
A Echelon Transport usually taken into battle
AFC Air Force Cross
AFV Armoured Fighting Vehicle (tank or armoured car)
AG Adjutant-General
AGRA Army Group Royal Artillery
AIF Australian Imperial Force
Ain spring, well
Air Support Control Combined Army- RAF organisation to bring air support to bear on ground operations
ALG Advanced Landing Ground
amn ammunition
AOC-in-C Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
AP armour-piercing
armd armoured
armd Cs armoured cars
armoured brigade formation of fast cruiser tanks, etc.
army tank brigade formation of slow infantry tanks, etc.
arty artillery
ASC Army Service Corps
A tk, A Tk, a-tk, A-Tk anti-tank
Aust Australian
Bde Brigade (British or Allied formation, normally three tank or infantry battalions)
B Ech(elon) Transport sometimes temporarily dispensed with in battle
Bel Belgian
Bel

abbr. of ben el, son of

Ben

(pl. beni) son of

Bersaglieri Italian motorised infantry, organised in regiments each of two or three battalions
BGS Brigadier, General Staff (chief staff officer at Corps or Army)
Bir

well or cistern (pl. Abiar)

Blenheim British twin-engined bomber
BLOOD Code-name for attack by 7 Armoured Division at Bir es Suera, December 1942
BM Brigade Major (chief staff officer at Brigade)
Bn Battalion (a unit of tanks or reconnaissance troops, normally three squadrons plus HQ; or infantry, four rifle companies plus HQ company; or machine-gunners, four companies of Vickers guns)
Bn

Battalion (German unit of tanks, anti-tank or anti-aircraft guns, engineers, infantry, machine-gunners, or motor-cyclists) (Italian organisation was similar)

Bofors Automatic 40-millimetre light anti-aircraft gun of Swedish design
Bordj bastion, tower, rest house
Bou, bu, abou, father of, owner of
Box All-round defensive position for battalion, brigade or division in static operations
BRA Brigadier, Royal Artillery (Corps or Army)
Breda Italian heavy machine-gun or light automatic cannon
Bren standard British light machine-gun
Bren-carrier light armoured tracked vehicle intended to carry same, but also used for reconnaissance, carrying ammunition or wounded under fire, etc.
BTE British Troops in Egypt (command excluding Western Desert Force, later Eighth Army)
Bty battery (two, three or four troops of guns)
1 Buffs Royal East Kent Regiment
CAPRI German code-name for attack at Medenine, 6 Mar 1943
carrier (Universal) see Bren -
Cav Cavalry (light tanks, armoured cars, carriers)
CB Companion of the Order of the Bath; counter-battery (fire), locating and silencing of hostile guns
CBE Commander of the Order of the British Empire
CBO Counter-battery officer
CCRA Corps Commander, Royal Artillery
CCS Casualty Clearing Station (large medical establishment situated between MDS and field hospital)
Cdr Commander
CE Chief Engineer (Corps or Army)
CGS Chief of the General Staff
Chabet gorge, defile
Chebka, chebket area of streams and criss-crossed valleys
Chor watercourse
Chott, shott salt marsh or lake
CIGS Chief of the Imperial General Staff
C-in-C Commander-in-Chief
CO Commanding Officer (usually of a unit)
Col Colonel; Column (of troops or transport)
Coln Column
Comando Supremo

Italian Supreme Command (counterpart of OKW)

Comd Commander; Commanding
comn, commn communication(s)
conc concentration (of troops, equipment, fire)
coy, company (own) sub-unit of engineers, infantry or ASC troops (in infantry, three platoons; in others three or four sections) (enemy) sub-unit of tanks (=squadron), anti-tank or anti-aircraft guns, engineers, signals, infantry, service, or medical troops
CRA Commander, Royal Artillery (of division)
CRASC Commander, Royal Army Service Corps (of division) – later in NZ Division called CNZASC
CRE Commander, Royal Engineers (of division)
CREME Commander, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
CRUSADER Code-name for British offensive resulting in relief of Tobruk
Crusader British Cruiser tank Mark VI
CSM Company Sergeant-Major
CSO Chief Signal Officer
DAK

Deutsches Afrikakorps (German Africa Corps)

DAQMG Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General
dar house, habitation of
DCM Distinguished Conduct Medal
det(s) detachment(s)
DFC Distinguished Flying Cross
Div, Division

formation above brigade or Regiment, below corps

Div Arty Divisional Artillery (Headquarters, often HQ NZA)
Div Cav Divisional Cavalry
Div Workshops Ordnance unit for maintaining guns, vehicles and other equipment
Djebel (Dj), jebel, gebel mountain
Dor Group of hills
DR despatch rider (usually motor-cyclist)
DSO Distinguished Service Order
Ech, Echelon First, Second, Third, three main contingents of 2 NZEF in order of embarkation, chiefly comprising 4, 5 and 6 Brigades respectively (see also A Echelon, B Echelon)
ech, ed, el, er, es, et the (in place-names)
ED Efficiency Decoration
Engr(s) Engineer(s)
en portée (of 2-pdr gun) carried on special lorry, ready to fire
Erg country of sand-dunes
FAD Field Ammunition Depot
fd field
Fd Amb Field Ambulance (medical unit)
Fd Coy Field Company (of engineers)
FDL(s) Forward defended locality (localities) (the front was seldom a line, usually a series of FDLs)
Fd Pk Coy Field Park Company (of engineers)
Fd Regt Field Regiment (unit of artillery)
FF Free French
FFF Column Free French Flying Column
FIRE-EATER Code-name for Eighth Army operation to capture Tripoli, January 1943
FMC Field Maintenance Centre (included FAD, FSD, etc.)
FOO Forward Observation Officer (field or medium artillery)
Foum mouth, opening (in Sahara)
FSD Forward Supply Depot
fwd forward
GAF Brigade German Air Force Brigade
G Branch (Office), ‘G’ staff Staff of division or higher formation or command dealing with operations
GCMG Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George
Gds Guards
GHQ General Headquarters
Gk Greek
GOC (-in-C) General Officer Commanding (-in-Chief)
Gp (Battalion or Brigade) force of all arms
GPO Gun Position Officer (field or medium artillery)
GRAPE Code-name for Eighth Army objective north-west of Gabes
Greys The Royal Scots Greys
GSO (I, II, III) General Staff Officer (Class 1, 2, 3)
GUILLOTINE Code-name for 30 Corps ‘ operation to break through and outflank the El Agheila position, December 1942
H Hussars; heavy
51 (H) Div 51 (Highland) Division
HAA Heavy anti-aircraft
11 HAC 11 Honorable Artillery Corps
Half-track Vehicle with wheels in front, tank-like tracks in rear
Hamada, hamadet rocky plain, plateau
Hamma warm spring
HE high explosive
HMG heavy machine-gun
Honey nickname for General Stuart tank (American M3)
HQ headquarters
hrs hours
hy heavy
I Intelligence (of enemy)
Int
2 i/c Second-in-command
incl inclusive; including
Ind Indian
inf infantry
IO Intelligence Officer
Kalaa fortress, rugged feature
KBE Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
KCB Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
KDG King’s Dragoon Guards (a reconnaissance unit)
Kef rock, cliff, hill
kilo kilometre
km
1 KRRC 1 Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps (the ‘60th Rifles’)
Ksar

(pl. ksour) walled or fortified village

LAA light anti-aircraft
laager defensive disposition of unit or formation halted in mobile operations, open order by day and close order by night (often spelt ‘leaguer’, though pronounced ‘laager’)
LAD Light Aid Detachment (Ordnance establishment for repairing guns, transport, etc.)
56 (L) Div 56 (London) Division
‘L’ Force Code-name for French force under General Leclerc
line (transport)
1st unit
2nd divisional (carrying between FMC and division)
3rd rear (carrying between railhead and FMC)
LMG light machine-gun
LO Liaison Officer
LOB Left out of battle
L of C Line(s) of communication
LRDG Long Range Desert Group
Lt Lieutenant; light
2 Lt Second-Lieutenant
Luftflotte

German Air Fleet, largest formation of Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe German Air Force
M medium
M13 chief Italian medium tank
Maaten shallow wells
Mac Troop Royal Artillery troop of captured enemy 88-mm guns attached to 4 Fd Regt – named after Brig McIntyre, RA
Mark (I, II, etc.)

designation of production type, especially of tanks (in German documents, ‘Mark II’=Matilda tank; British documents refer to Pzkw II, III, IV as Mark II, III, IV; see also Crusader; the Mark VIB was the standard British light tank)

Marsa, mersa port, anchorage
Maryland twin-engined bomber (American)
MBE Member of the Order of the British Empire
MC Military Cross; motor-cycle
MDS Medical Dressing Station (divisional medical establishment usually situated between ADS and CCS)
ME(F) Middle East (Forces)
Me109F high-flying single-engined Messerschmitt (German) fighter
Me110 twin-engined long-range fighter or fighter-bomber
Med Medium
Medjez ford
MET mechanised enemy transport (i.e., enemy vehicles)
(M)MG (Medium) machine-gun
m.i.d. Mentioned in Despatches
m.i.h. miles in the hour (a rate allowing for halts)
MM Military Medal
MO Medical Officer
Mot motorised
m.p.g. miles per gallon
m.p.h. miles per hour (actual rate)
MT mechanised transport
mtd motorised
Mtd Mounted
NAAFI Navy, Army, Air Force Institute(s)
‘Nat Pat’ parcel National Patriotic Fund Board Parcel
NCO, n.c.o. non-commissioned officer
Notts Yeo Nottinghamshire Yeomanry
50 (N) Div 50 (Northumbrian) Division
NZA New Zealand Artillery
NZASC New Zealand Army Service Corps
NZE New Zealand Engineers
NZEF New Zealand Expeditionary Force
NZEME New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
NZMC New Zealand Medical Corps
NZOC New Zealand Ordnance Corps
OBE Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Obelisco obelisk
OC Officer Commanding (squadron, battery, company)
offrs officers
Os officers
Ogla, oglat group of wells
OKH

Oberkommando des Heeres (High Command of the German Army)

OKL

Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (High Command of the German Air Force)

OKM

Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine (High Command of the German Navy)

OKW

Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces, roughly equivalent to the War Office)

OP Observation Post
Ops Operations; staff branch dealing with same
ORATION Code-name for operation to break through the Enfidaville line
Ouest middle
ORs other ranks (not officers)
oued, wadi watercourse
PA Personal Assistant (to GOC)
Panzergruppe Afrika, Pz Gp Africa Panzer Group Africa
PEACH Code-name for El Hamma
PHEASANT Code-name for 17-pdr anti-tank gun
pl platoon
PLUM Code-name for the southern entrance to the Tebaga Gap
Point, Pt Height marked on map, usually in metres above sea level
POL Petrol, oil and lubricants
portée

see en portée

posn position
pr, pdr pounder
PUGILIST Code-name for operations, 12–24 March 1943, to break through the Mareth Line
PW, p.w. prisoner(s) of war
PZ, Panzer German tank; armoured (unit or formation)
Q Quartermaster
QM(G) Quartermaster(-General)
quad lorry for towing British field gun or anti-tank 18-pdr
RA Royal Artillery
RAC Royal Armoured Corps
RAMC Royal Army Medical Corps
RAP Regimental Aid Post (unit medical establishment)
Ras, rass cape, headland, summit
RASC Royal Army Service Corps
rd road, round
RE Royal Engineers
recce reconnaissance; reconnoitre
Regt Regiment (unit of tanks, reconnaissance troops, or artillery; in British Army also groups of tank, artillery or infantry units, e.g., RTR, RHA, Black Watch)
Regt

Regiment (enemy) ( formation of armoured troops or infantry, roughly equivalent to ‘brigade’; also unit of field or medium artillery)

Reinforcements (4th, 5th, etc.) Successive contingents of 2 NZEF after Third Echelon
Repat Repatriation
rept, rpt repeat (message)
Res reserve
RFC Royal Flying Corps
RHA Royal Horse Artillery (motorised, usually supporting armoured troops)
RHQ Regimental Headquarters
Ridotto redoubt
Rmel sand, sandy earth
RMO Regimental Medical Officer (of a unit)
RMT, Res MT Reserve Mechanical Transport (general carrier when not taking infantry into or out of action)
RNZA Royal New Zealand Artillery (Regular Force only)
Royals The Royal Dragoons (reconnaissance unit)
RSM Regimental Sergeant-Major (senior NCO of unit)
R/T radio-telephony (wireless transmission of speech)
RTR, R Tks Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Tanks (part of RAC)
SA small arms
Sahel coast, shore
sangar rocks piled up for protection in lieu of slit trench where ground was too hard to dig
Saniet deep well
SC Staff Captain (administrative staff officer at Brigade)
SCIPIO Code-name for Eighth Army attack on Wadi Akarit, 6 Apr 1943
scorpion tank fitted with a flail device for clearing a path through a minefield
Sebka, sebcha, sebcbet, sebkra, sebkret salt lake, marsh
sec section (2–3 guns; detachment of Signals; third of infantry platoon; third of ASC company, etc.)
Serb Serbian
SIDEWINDOWS Code-name for alternative advance towards Gabes, bypassing El Hamma
Sidi saint or marabout
Sigs Signals (responsible for R/T, W/T, DR, telephone and other communications)
sitrep situation report
slit trench one- or two-man trench for fire position or protection
SP self-propelled (gun); Starting Point
spandau nickname for standard German light and medium MG
sqn squadron (of tanks, reconnaissance troops, or aircraft)
ST Starting Time
Staffs Yeo Staffordshire Yeomanry
‘Stonk’ A quick defensive artillery concentration according to a prearranged pattern
Stuart (General) American M3 light cruiser tank
Stuka Junkers 87 dive-bomber
SUPERCHARGE Code-name for operation to break through Tebaga Gap and capture Gabes. Also known as SUPERCHARGE II, to distinguish it from the operation at El Alamein
Superlibia Italian Command in North Africa
Svy Survey
SWEAT Code-name for attack by 51 (Highland Division) at Marsa Brega, December 1942
Tac Army Tactical Headquarters, Eighth Army
Tac HQ Tactical Headquarters
TAF Tactical Air Force
Tell high ground, small hill
tentacle wireless detachment, usually of Air Support Control
Tk tank
TOIL Code-name for attack by 2 NZ Division to cut the El Agheila - Marada track, December 1942
Tommy gun Thompson sub-machine gun
TORCH Code-name for Anglo-American landings in French North Africa, November 1942
tp(s) troop(s); part of squadron of tanks or reconnaissance troops (usually four tanks, armoured cars); part of battery (4–6 guns)
Trg Training
Trigh track
U-boat German submarine
USAAF United States Army Air Force
VC Victoria Cross
VD Volunteer Officers’ Decoration
wadi, oued watercourse
wastage reduction of manpower
WDF Western Desert Force
WE, war establishment authorised full allotment (of men, weapons, etc.)
Wehrmacht German Armed Forces