GLOSSARY

A

AA

.. .. ..

Anti-Aircraft

AAC

.. .. ..

Army Air Corps

AA & QMG

.. .. ..

Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General

AARR

.. .. ..

Armoured Airborne Reconnaissance Regiment

Ab or A/b

.. .. ..

Airborne

ack-ack

.. .. ..

Anti-Aircraft fire

ADC

.. .. ..

Aide de Camp

Adj

.. .. ..

Adjutant

Adm

.. .. ..

Administration

ADMS

.. .. ..

Assistant Director of Medical Services

ADS

.. .. ..

Advance Dressing Station

Adv

.. .. ..

Advance

AFC

.. .. ..

Air Force Cross

Airldg

.. .. ..

Airlanding

Airfd

.. .. ..

Airfield

AKC

.. .. ..

Associate of King’s College, London

Amb

.. .. ..

Ambulance

Amn

.. .. ..

Ammunition

Armd

.. .. ..

Armoured

Artillerie

.. .. ..

German for Artillery

Arty

.. .. ..

Artillery

ASN

.. .. ..

Airborne Support Net

Att

.. .. ..

Attached

A Tk

.. .. ..

Anti-tank

B

Bangalore Torpedo

.. ..

Piping filled with explosive, used to blow gaps in barbed wire

Bataillon

.. .. ..

German for Battalion

Bde

.. .. ..

Brigade

Bdr

.. .. ..

Bombardier, Royal Artillery’s equivalent of corporal

BM

.. .. ..

Brigade Major

BFMC

.. .. ..

Battalion de Fusiliers Marins Commando (French Commandos)

Bn

.. .. ..

Battalion

BOWO

.. .. ..

Brigade Ordnance Warrant Officer

BRASCO

.. .. ..

Brigade Royal Army Service Corps Officer

Br

.. .. ..

Bridge

Bren

.. .. ..

.303in British Light Machine-Gun capable of firing 500 rounds per minute

Brig

.. .. ..

Brigadier

BST

.. .. ..

British Summer Time

Bty

.. .. ..

Battery

C

Capt

.. .. ..

Captain

Cas

.. .. ..

Casualty

CB (Award)

.. .. ..

Companion of the (Order of the) Bath

CB (War Diary)

.. ..

Counter Battery

CCS

.. .. ..

Casualty Clearing Station

Cdn

.. .. ..

Canadian

Cdo

.. .. ..

Commando

CF

.. .. ..

Chaplain of the Forces

C in C

.. .. ..

Commander-in-Chief

cm

.. .. ..

Centimetre (Metric measurement of length = 10mm or 0.3973in)

CO

.. .. ..

Commanding Officer

Col

.. .. ..

Colonel

Comd

.. .. ..

Commander

Comn

.. .. ..

Communication

Comp

.. .. ..

Composite

coup de main

.. .. ..

A sudden blow or attack

Coy

.. .. ..

Company

Cpl

.. .. ..

Corporal

CRA

.. .. ..

Commander Royal Artillery

CRASC

.. .. ..

Commander Royal Army Service Corps

CRE

.. .. ..

Commander Royal Engineers

CREME

.. .. ..

Commander Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers

CSM

.. .. ..

Company Sergeant Major

CSMI

.. .. ..

Company Sergeant Major Instructor

CSMPTI

.. .. ..

Company Sergeant Major Physical Training Instructor

CWGC

.. .. ..

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

cwt

.. .. ..

hundredweight (Imperial measurement of weight = 112lbs or 50.8023kg)

D

DAA & QMG

.. .. ..

Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General

DCM

.. .. ..

Distinguished Conduct Medal

Def

.. .. ..

Defence

Det

.. .. ..

Detachment

Devons

.. .. ..

The Devonshire Regiment

Div

.. .. ..

Division

DSO

.. .. ..

Distinguished Service Order

DZ

.. .. ..

Drop Zone

E

E

.. .. ..

Engineer

ENSA

.. .. ..

Entertainment National Service Association

Estd

.. .. ..

Established

EUREKA

.. .. ..

A radar beacon used by the pathfinders to mark the DZ/LZ

F

Fallschirmjäger

.. .. ..

German for Paratrooper

Fd

.. .. ..

Field

FDL

.. .. ..

Forward Defended Locality

Feldwebel

.. .. ..

German Army rank of Sergeant

Festung Europa

.. ..

Fortress Europe, aka Atlantic Wall

Flak

.. .. ..

German for Anti-Aircraft fire

Fm

.. .. ..

Farm

FO or F/O

.. .. ..

Flying Officer

FOB

.. .. ..

Forward Observer Bombardment

FOO

.. .. ..

Forward Observation Officer

FOS

.. .. ..

Forward Observation Section

FS or F/S

.. .. ..

Flight Sergeant

ft

.. .. ..

Foot (feet) (Imperial measurement of length = 12ins or 0.3048m)

FUP

.. .. ..

Forming Up Point

Fwd

.. .. ..

Forward

G

Generalfeldmarschall

.. ..

German Army rank of Field Marshal

Generalleutnant

.. ..

German Army rank of Lieutenant General

Generalmajor

.. .. ..

German Army rank of Major General

Generaloberst

.. .. ..

German Army rank of General

Gammon Grenade

.. ..

No 82 Grenade, consisted of a bag and igniter, into which a variable amount of plastic explosives could be packed. An ideal weapon for mouse holing or disabling tracks of armoured vehicles.

Gnr

.. .. ..

Gunner, Royal Artillery’s equivalent rank of Private

GOC

.. .. ..

General Officer Commanding

GOLD

.. .. ..

Codename for one of the five designated landing beaches in Normandy

Gefreiter

.. .. ..

German Army rank of Lance Corporal

GSO

.. .. ..

General Staff Officer (graded 1-3)

H

Hauptfeldwebel

.. ..

German Army rank of Company Sergeant Major

Hauptmann

.. .. ..

German Army rank of Captain

HE

.. .. ..

High Explosives

Hitlerjugend

.. .. ..

Hitler Youth – name for 12 SS Panzer Division

HQ

.. .. ..

Headquarters

Hvy

.. .. ..

Heavy

I

I (also Int)

.. .. ..

Intelligence

IA

.. .. ..

Inter-Allied

In(s)

.. .. ..

Inch(es) (Imperial measurement of length = 25.4mm)

Ind

.. .. ..

Independent

Infanterie

.. .. ..

German for Infantry

Int (also I)

.. .. ..

Intelligence

IO

.. .. ..

Intelligence Officer

J

Junc

.. .. ..

Junction

JUNO

.. .. ..

Codename for one of the five designated landing beaches in Normandy

K

KA

.. .. ..

Killed Arnhem (Operation MARKET)

kg

.. .. ..

kilogram(s) (Metric measurement of weight = 2.2046lbs)

KIA

.. .. ..

Killed in Action

KN

.. .. ..

Killed Normandy

km

.. .. ..

kilometre(s) (Metric measurement of length = 1000m or 0.6214miles)

kmh

.. .. ..

Kilometre per hour (Metric measurement of speed = 0.6214mph)

KOSB

.. .. ..

The King’s Own Scottish Borderers

KR

.. .. ..

Killed Rhine (Operation VARSITY)

KStJ

.. .. ..

Knight of St John

KwK

.. .. ..

Kampfwagenkanone, German tank gun, sometimes used as a static anti-tank gun on the Atlantic Wall

L

LAD

.. .. ..

Light Aid Detachment

lb(s)

pound(s) (Imperial measurement of weight = 0.4536kg)

L Bdr

.. .. ..

Lance Bombardier

L Cpl or L/Cpl

.. ..

Lance Corporal

L Sgt

.. .. ..

Lance Sergeant

Leutnant

.. .. ..

German Army rank of 2nd Lieutenant

Lieut

.. .. ..

Lieutenant

LMG

.. .. ..

Light Machine-Gun

Lt

.. .. ..

Light or Lieutenant

Lt Col

.. .. ..

Lieutenant Colonel

Lt Kol Arty

.. .. ..

Luitenant Kolonel Artillerie (Dutch rank of Lt Col)

Lt Gen

.. .. ..

Lieutenant General

LZ

.. .. ..

Landing Zone

M

m

.. .. ..

metre(s) (Metric measurement of length = 100cm or 3.2808ft)

Major

.. .. ..

German Army rank of Major

Maj Gen

.. .. ..

Major General

MALLARD

.. .. ..

Codename for glider landings at LZ N & W at 2100hrs on the evening of 6 June 1944

Mauser

.. .. ..

German 7.92mm Rifle

MC

.. .. ..

Military Cross

M/C

.. .. ..

Motorcycle

MDS

.. .. ..

Main Dressing Station

ME

.. .. ..

Messerschmitt, German aircraft manufacturer

Med

.. .. ..

Medium

MG

.. .. ..

Machine-Gun

MID

.. .. ..

Mentioned in Despatches

MIKE

.. .. ..

Codename for one of four sections of JUNO Beach

miles

.. .. ..

mile(s) (Imperial measurement of length = 1760yds or 1.6093km)

Mk

.. .. ..

Mark

mm

.. .. ..

millimetre (Metric measurement of length = 0.0394in)

MM

.. .. ..

Military Medal

MMG

.. .. ..

Medium Machine-Gun

Mn

.. .. ..

minutes

MO

.. .. ..

Medical Officer

mouse holing

.. .. ..

Term used for making an internal passage between two buildings.

mph

.. .. ..

Miles per hour (Imperial measurement of speed = 1.6093kmh)

N

NAAFI

.. .. ..

Navy, Army and Airforce Institutes

NAN

.. .. ..

Codename for one of the four sections of JUNO Beach

NCO

.. .. ..

Non-Commissioned Officer

NEPTUNE

.. .. ..

Codename for assault phase of OVERLORD

O

OB

.. .. ..

Oberbefehlshaber (Commander-in-Chief)

OBOE

.. .. ..

RAF radar precision bombing system

Oberleutnant

.. .. ..

German Army rank of Lieutenant

Obergefreiter

.. .. ..

German Army Rank of Senior Lance Corporal

Obershütze

.. .. ..

German Army rank of Private (also Schütze)

Oberstleutnant

.. .. ..

German Army Rank of Lieutenant Colonel

OC

.. .. ..

Officer Commanding

Offr

.. .. ..

Officer

O Group

.. .. ..

Orders Group

Op

.. .. ..

Operation

OP

.. .. ..

Observation Post

Ops

.. .. ..

Operations (Staff Branch)

OR (also Ors)

.. .. ..

Other Ranks

Ord Fd Park

.. .. ..

Ordnance Field Park

OT

.. .. ..

Organisation Todt, German construction organisation

OVERLORD

.. .. ..

Codename for the invasion of Normandy

Oxf Bucks

.. .. ..

The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire (52nd Foot) Light Infantry

P

PaK

.. .. ..

Panzerabwehrkanone, German mobile or static anti-tank gun

Panzer

.. .. ..

German for Armour

Panzerfaust

.. .. ..

German hand-held anti-tank weapon

Para

.. .. ..

Parachute Battalion (ie 7 Para, 9 Para etc)

Para Bde

.. .. ..

Parachute Brigade

pdr

.. .. ..

Pounder, as in the British 25pdr field gun

Ph

.. .. ..

Phase

PIAT

.. .. ..

Projector Infantry Anti-Tank (British hand-held anti-tank weapon)

Pl

.. .. ..

Platoon

P/O

.. .. ..

Pilot Officer

Posn

.. .. ..

Position

POW (also PW)

.. ..

Prisoner of War

Pk

.. .. ..

Park

PRA

.. .. ..

Parachute Regimental Association

Pro Coy

.. .. ..

Provost Company

Pt

.. .. ..

Point

Pte

.. .. ..

Private, the lowest rank in the British Army

PW (or POW) .. ..

..

Prisoner of War

Pz

.. .. ..

Panzer

Pz Gren

.. .. ..

Panzergrenadier, infantry of a Panzer Division

Q

QLB

.. .. ..

Quad Long Bofors

QM

.. .. ..

Quartermaster

QUEEN

.. .. ..

Codename for one of the four sections of SWORD Beach

R

RA

.. .. ..

Royal Artillery

RAC

.. .. ..

Royal Armoured Corps

RAMC

.. .. ..

Royal Army Medical Corps

RAP

.. .. ..

Regimental Aid Post

RASC

.. .. ..

Royal Army Service Corps

Rd

.. .. ..

Road

RE

.. .. ..

Royal Engineers

Recce

.. .. ..

Reconnaissance or Reconnoitre

Ref

.. .. ..

Reference

Regt

.. .. ..

Regiment

REME

.. .. ..

Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers

Rep

.. .. ..

Representative

Rfts

.. .. ..

Reinforcements

RHQ

.. .. ..

Regimental Headquarters

Rly

.. .. ..

Railway

RM

.. .. ..

Royal Marine

RMO

.. .. ..

Regimental Medical Officer

ROGER

.. .. ..

Codename for one of the four sections of SWORD Beach

Rommel’s Asparagus

..

Name given to the anti-airborne defence poles set up in open fields

RSM

.. .. ..

Regimental Sergeant Major

RUR

.. .. ..

The Royal Ulster Rifles

RV

.. .. ..

Rendezvous, the point at which troops would gather before moving to their Objective

S

SAS

.. .. ..

Special Air Service

Schmeisser

.. .. ..

German 9mm sub-machine gun

Schütze

.. .. ..

German Army rank of Private (also Obershütze)

Sec

.. .. ..

Section

Sgt

.. .. ..

Sergeant

Sigmn

.. .. ..

Signalman

Sigs

.. .. ..

Signals

SL

.. .. ..

Start Line

SNAFU

.. .. ..

Acronym for Situation Normal All F****d Up

SOE

.. .. ..

Special Operations Executive

Spandau

.. .. ..

German 7.92mm MG34 or MG42 machine-gun

SP

.. .. ..

Self-Propelled (gun)

Spr

.. .. ..

Sapper, RE equivalent rank of Private

Sq

.. .. ..

Square

Sqn

.. .. ..

Squadron

SS

.. .. ..

Special Service

SS

.. .. ..

Steam Ship

SS (German)

.. .. ..

Schutzstaffel (Waffen-SS) armed defence echelon,

SSM

.. .. ..

Staff Sergeant Major

S Sgt or S/Sgt

.. .. ..

Staff Sergeant

Stabsfeldwebel

.. .. ..

German Army rank of Staff Sergeant

Sta

.. .. ..

Station

Sten

.. .. ..

British 9mm sub-machine gun

Stick

.. .. ..

One aircraft load of parachute troops, to be dropped in one run over one dropzone

Str

.. .. ..

Strength

SWORD

.. .. ..

Codename for one of the five designated landing beaches in Normandy

T

TAF

.. .. ..

Tactical Air Force

TD

.. .. ..

Territorial (Army Efficiency) Decoration

Tks

.. .. ..

Tanks

THOMAS

.. .. ..

Codename for the green light location devices fitted to parachute containers

ton(s)

.. .. ..

Ton(s) (Imperial measurement of weight = 20cwt or 1.0160 tonnes)

tonnes

.. .. ..

Tonne(s) (Metric measurement of weight = 1000kg or 0.9842 UK tons)

TONGA

.. .. ..

Codename for the first three waves of glider landings at LZ X, Y, K, V & N prior to

seaborne landings

Tp .. .. ..

Troop

U

unkn

.. .. ..

unknown

Unterfeldwebel .. ..

..

German Army rank of Corporal

Unteroffizier

.. .. ..

German Army NCO rank

W

Warwicks

.. .. ..

The Royal Warwickshire Regiment

WC or W/C

.. .. ..

Wing Commander

Wehrmacht

.. .. ..

German Armed Forces

Wkshop

.. .. ..

Workshop

WO or W/O

.. .. ..

Warrant Officer

WO

.. .. ..

War Office

W Y

.. .. ..

Worcestershire Yeomanry

Y

yds

.. .. ..

yards (Imperial measurement of length = 3ft or 0.9144m)

Yeo

.. .. ..

Yeomanry Misc

2ic (or 2i/c)

.. .. ..

Second in Command