Honourable Artillery Company glossary

*

[In front of name] Went overseas with the HAC

§

Awarded 1914 Star or 1914/15 Star

†

[In front of name] Went overseas with another unit of the armed forces (usually because of receiving a commission)

? [sometimes with a columnar date]

Went with original HAC unit to the Front in WWI; see also 'F' below when drafted to unit already at the Front

@

at

1 or 2 or 3

HAC's 1st Battalion, 2nd Battalion or 3rd [Reserve] Battalion. Note that each of the three infantry battalions had four numbered companies (Nos 1-4 Company) and these are sometimes referred to as corresponding lettered companies (A-D Company) in HAC records (or histories)

1/1 or 2/1 or 3/1

1st Battalion, No. 1 [or A] Company [similar for 2nd and 3rd Bns] [HAC]

1/2 or 2/2 or 3/2 [or 1-2 and so on]

1st Battalion, No. 2 [or B] Company [similar for 2nd and 3rd Bns] [HAC]

1/3 or 2/3 or 3/3 [or 1-3 and so on]

1st Battalion, No. 3 [or C] Company [similar for 2nd and 3rd Bns] [HAC]

1/4 or 2/4 or 3/4 [or 1-4 and so on]

1st Battalion, No. 4 [or D] Company [similar for 2nd and 3rd Bns] [HAC]

101 or 104

101st Provisional Battalion or 104th Provisional Battalion

15 (S) Div

15th (Scottish) Infantry Division

18 9 14 or 1 10 16 [in columnar form]

These represent dates written in columnar form; sometimes two days might be represented as "24 27 10 17"; these dates usually accompany information about going overseas, wounding, to hospital etc.

18 set or 19 set

Communications sets used in WWII; the artillery used set No. 18 to communicate with infantry units and set No. 19 to communicate with armoured units

1-A or 1/A or 1/a

A Battery [WWI]

1-B or 1/B or 1/b

B Battery [WWI]

1st Reserve Bn

3rd [or Reserve] Battalion [HAC] [WWI]

2/IC or 2i/C

Second in Command

2/Lt

Second Lieutenant

20 5 17 l f 29 5 17 [with columnar dates]

Leave from hospital between two dates, so in this example, reports from hospital on 20 May 1917 and given leave until 29 May 1917

20 Man. R

20th Battalion, Manchester Regiment

23 H

23rd Hussars

24.9.14 [as a 'long' date]

Dates written straight across at the beginning of a man's entry in the WWI Regimental Number Registers represent the date at which he joined the HAC and was assigned his Regimental number; this 'long' date might also have extra day and month numbers below or above it

25-prs or 25-pdrs

25-pounder guns

273 Bty

One of the batteries of 86th (HAC) HAA Regiment RA

274 Bty

One of the batteries of 86th (HAC) HAA Regiment RA

275 Bty

One of the batteries of 86th (HAC) HAA Regiment RA

2-A or 2/A or 2/a

2/A Battery [HAC; WWI]

2-B or 2/B or 2/b

2/B Battery [HAC; WWI]

2iC or 2ic or 2IC or 2nd ic

Second in Command

2Lt or 2/Lt or 2nd Lt

Second Lieutenant

30th RF

30th (HAC) Battalion Royal Fusiliers [see also 13th Bn RF and NDC]

317/101 or 274/86

These shorthand examples indicate batteries and regiments of the Royal Artillery, i.e. 317 Battery of 101st Regiment or 274 Battery of 86th Regimen

383 Bty

One of the batteries of 86th (HAC) HAA Regiment RA

392 XVI

Discharged in consequence of being no longer physically fit for War Service' (according to paragraph 392 XVI of the King's Regulations)

3A or 3a

3/A Battery [later the Reserve Battery] [HAC; WWI]

3B or 3b

3/B Battery [later the Reserve Battery] [HAC; WWI]

443 Bty

One of the batteries of 86th (HAC) HAA Regiment RA

65 NY

65 (Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regt RA

A & S Grp

Age and Service Group [used for purposes of demobilisation]

A + a number

a gun-site location, see also ZE below

A or a

Acting

A or A Bty

[WWI] A Battery or [WWII] A Battery, 11th (HAC) Regiment RHA [see also B and E] [WWII]

A&SH

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

A, B, C, D Co

A, B, C or D Company of the HAC's 1st, 2nd or 3rd Battalion in WWI or of the HAC's Infantry Battalion just before its disbandment in September 1939

A/

Acting [with rank]

a/a

air activity

a/c

aircraft

A/Capt

Acting Captain

A/Tank or A/Tk or A-Tk or A/T

Anti-Tank

A3, B1 etc

Medical categories

AA

Anti-aircraft see also HAA

AAA

Anti-Aircraft Artillery

AAC

Anti-Aircraft Command

AADC

Anti-Aircraft Defence Command(er)

AADT

Anti-Aircraft Driver Training

AALMG

Anti-Aircraft Light Machine Gun

AAOR

Anti-Aircraft Operations Room

AATE

Anti-Aircraft Training Establishments

ABCA

Army Bureau of Cultural Affairs

Ack(s)

Assistants - see GPO Ack

ACK

Acknowledgements

ACPO

Assistant Command Post Officer

Adj or Adjt

Adjutant

Adm or adm

Administration

adm

admitted [to the HAC's Company or civilian side]

adv

advance(d)

AEF

Allied Expeditionary Forces

AFS

Automatic Fuse Setter

AFV

Armoured Fighting Vehicle

AG

Adjutant General

AGRA

Army Group Royal Artillery

AIG

Assistant Instructor in Gunnery

AL

Army List

AM

Member of the Order of Australia

Amb

Ambulance

Amn or amn

Ammunition

AN + a number

a gun-site location, see also ZE below

Antwerp 'X'

The secret allied defence of Antwerp against the German V1 and V2 bombing

AO no

Army Order no

AOP

Air Observation Post

AP

Armour Piercing or Ammunition Point

APM

Acting Provost Marshal

APO

Army Post Office

App or Appx

Appendix

Apptd or apptd

Appointed

ARBT

Artillery Regiment Battery Target [?]

ARL

Atelier de Construction de Rueil, a French Army workshop

Armd

Armoured

Art or Arty

Artillery

ARV

Armoured Recovery Vehicle

AS + a number

a gun-site location, see also ZE below

Asst

Assistant

ASSTB

Anti-Ship Surveillance and Targeting Battery [?]

atd or attd or Att

attached or attachment

ATS

Auxiliary Territorial Service

Auth or Authy

Authority

AWOL

Absent without leave

AY

Ayrshire Yeomanry

B

[WWI] B Battery or [WWII] B Battery of 11th (HAC) Regiment RHA [see also A and E]

BAOR

British Army of the Rhine

Bapt

Baptist

BBC

British Broadcasting Corporation

BC

Battery Commander

Bde

Brigade

Bdr

Bombardier

bdy

body or boundary

BEF

British Expeditionary Force

BEM

British Empire Medal

BEME

Brigade Electrical and Mechanical Engineer

BHQ

Battery Headquarters

BLA

British Liberation Army

BM + a number

a gun-site location, see also ZE below

BM

Brigade Major

BMA

Beach Maintenance Area

BMRA

Brigade Major Royal Artillery

Bn

Battalion

Bomb Sch

Bombing School

bombards

bombardments

BQMS

Battery Quartermaster Sergeant

Br or br

Bridge [or British, see Brit]

BRA

Brigadier Royal Artillery

brheads

bridgeheads

Brig

Brigadier

Bright

Brighton

Brit or br

British

Brussels 'X'

see Antwerp 'X'

BSM

Battery Sergeant Major

Btty or Bty

Battery

C

C Battery of 12th (HAC) Regiment RHA [see also D and F]

C de G

Croix de Guerre

C of E

Church of England

c/o

care of

Cad S Kildare

Cadet School, Kildare [Ireland]

Calthorp [in columnar form]

Calthorpe Street Depot, London

Cam

Cambridge

Can

Canadian

Capt

Captain

cas

casualty or casulaties

Cat

Category

Cav

Cavalry

CB

Confined to Barracks

CB

Companion of the Order of the Bath

CB

Counter-Battery

CBE

Commander of the Order of the British Empire

CBO

Counter-Battery Officer

CCMA

Commander Corps Medium Artillery

CCRA

Corps Commander Royal Artillery

CD

Civil Defence

CD

Coast Defence

CDN or Cdn

Canadian

Cdo(s)

Commando(s)

CE

Church of England

CF

Chaplain to the Forces

Chris Sc

Christian Scientist

C-in-C

Commander-in-Chief

CL

Centre Line or class

Class A Release

Released from the Army under the Plan for Re-allocation of Manpower in the period after the defeat of Germany and before the defeat of Japan; individuals released under this order were still subject to recall in an emergency until the defeat of Japan

Class I (NT) Cook

Class of cook 'non-technical', i.e. not a trained a cook

CM

Counter Mortar

Cmd or Cmnd or cmd

Command

CMP

Corps of Military Provosts/Police

CN + a number

a gun-site location, see also ZE below

CO

Commanding Officer

Col 

Colonel

Com

Commissioned [into an HAC unit or another unit]

Comd

Command

Comd or Comdr

Commander

Comm

Commanding

comns

communications

Comp

Competition

conc

concentration [a periodic burst of fire on selected hostile areas or batteries]

Conf

Conference

Cong

Congregationalist

Corpl or Cpl

Corporal

Coy

Company

CP

Command Post

CPO

Command Post Officer

CPO/A

Command Post Officer's Assistant

CQMS

Company Quartermaster Sergeant

CRA

Commander Royal Artillery

CS

Cadet School

CSM

Company Sergeant Major

CU

Cadet Unit

CV

Command Vehicle

CVO

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

CW

Chemical Weapons

Cwt

hundredweight

D

Draft

D

D Battery of 12th (HAC) Regiment RHA (see also C and F)

d

pence [Latin: denarii]

D&M

Driving and Maintenance

D/no

Draft number

D+8

D-Day (6 June 1944) plus eight days or any other number of days

DADOS

Deputy Assistant Director Ordnance Services

DAG

Deputy Adjutant general

DAQMG

Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General

DCM

Distinguished Conduct Medal

DCRE

Deputy Commander Royal Engineers

DCU

Defence Communications Unit [?]

D-Day

the 'Day' for a specific operation, in the case of the Normandy Landings (or Operation Neptune) this D-Day was 6 June 1944

def

defence or defensive

Dem

Demobilised

Dep

Depot

Det or det

Detachment

DF

Defensive Fire

DFC

Distinguished Flying Cross

DI

Defence Intelligence

dingo

a small armoured scout car

DIO

Divisional Intelligence Officer

Dis

Discharged

Dis Com

Discharged to commission in another regiment/unit

Dist

District

Div or Divl

Division or Divisional

DL

Deputy Lieutenant

DoW

Died of wounds

DP

Displaced Person

DQMG

Deputy Quarter Master General

DR

Despatch Rider

Driver I/C

Driver in charge

DRLS

Despatch Rider Letter Service [?]

DSO

Distinguished Service Order

DTD

Department of Tank Design, Chobham, Surrey

Dvr

Driver

DWR

Duke of Wellington's Regiment

E

England or Establishment

E or E Bty

E Battery of 11th (HAC) Regiment RHA [see also A and B]

EC1

London Eastern Central One postal district

Ech

Echelon

ECU [sometimes with date in columnar form]

To Cadet School or Cadet Unit in England, as in '16 3 17 ECU' = 'to England 16 March 1917 to join Cadet School'

Edn

Education

eg

for example [Latin: 'exempla gratia']

EME

Electrical and Mechanical Engineer

en

enemy

ENSA

Entertainments National Services Association

eqpt

equipment

est

establishment

etc

et cetera (Latin: 'and the rest')

evac

evacuation or evacuated

ex

exercise or 'from' or 'formerly of'

EX or Ex or ex

Exercise

Exp

Expeditionary

EY

Essex Yeomanry

F

Father - as next of kin with religion, e.g. F CofE - 'father is next of kin, religion is Church of England'

F

Field [as in regiment]

F [with columnar date]

Was drafted overseas from an HAC reserve unit to to join an HAC operational unit serving at 'the Front'

F or F Bty

F Battery of 12th (HAC) Regiment RHA [see also C and D]

F&F Yeo

Fife and Forfar Yeomanry

Fce

Force

Fd or Fld

Field [as battle] or Field [as in regiment]

Flt

Flight

fmn

formation

FO

Flying Officer (RAF)

FOO

Forward Observation Officer

formn

formation

ft

feet

fwd

forward

G

General number designation if in front of HAC Regimental number in WWI register

G or G Bty

G Battery of 13th (HAC) Regiment RHA [see also H and I]

G2 or GII

Intelligences

gaz

Gazetted, i.e. commission published in the London Gazette

GC

George Cross

Gds

Guards

Gen

General

GHQ

General Headquarters

GL

Gun Laying (as in Radar) or Gunnery Lieutenant

Gnr(s) or Gr

Gunner(s)

GOC

General Officer Commanding

GOC-in-C

General Officer Commander-in-Chief

Gov or Govt

Government

Gp(s)

Group(s)

GPO Ack

Gun Position Officer's Assistant

GPO

Gun Position Officer

GS

General Service

GSO [I, II, III or 1, 2, 3]

General Staff Officer - grades 1, 2, and 3

GSW

Gun-shot wound(s)

GTV

General Transport Vehicle

H & RF

Height and Range Finder

H [sometimes with date in columnar form]

To hospital

H or H Bty

H Battery of 13th (HAC) Regiment RHA [see also G and I]

H + a number

a gun-site location, see also ZE below

H hr

'H' hour is the specific Hour at which an operation or exercise commences, or is due to commence

HA

Horse Artillery [HAC]

HAA

Heavy anti-aircraft

HAC

Honourable Artillery Company

HB

Household Brigade

HD

Home Defence

HE [sometimes with date in columnar form]

To hospital, England

HE

Home Establishment or High Explosive

HF

Harassing Fire

HG

Home Guard

HM

Her or His Majesty

HMI

His Majesty's Inspectorate [of Education]

Hon

Honourable

Hosp

Hospital

Howr

Howitzer

HQ or HQrs or HQtrs

Headquarters

hr(s)

hour(s)

HRH

Her or His Royal Highness

Hvy or Hy or hy

Heavy

I

Invalided

I or I Bty

I Battery of 13th (HAC) Regiment RHA [see also G and H]

i/c

in command or in charge

IA

Indian Army

IAE

Inspectorate of Artillery Equipment

IAZ

Inner Artillery Zone [i.e. London]

Ident

Indentification

IE [sometimes with date in columnar form]

Invalided, to England

ie

that is [Latin: 'id est']

IG

Instructor in Gunnery

Imp. Camel Corps

Imperial Camel Corps

in

inch(es)

incl

including

Ind

Indian

Inf or inf

Infantry

INFM

Information

infmd

informed

Instr

Instructor

insts

instructions

int

intelligence

Intce Corps

Intelligence Corps

intercomn

intercommunication(s)

IO

Intelligence Office(r)

IORA

Intelligence Officer Royal Artillery

ITC

Infantry Training Centre

Ju 88s

Junkers Ju-88s [German twin-engine, multi-role aircraft]

junc

junction

K

Killed, dead or missing

KCB

Knight Commander of the Bath

KiA or KinA

Killed in Action

KO

Knocked Out

KOYLI

Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

KR

King's Regulations - as in KR 1940 Para 390 (XVIII) or (XVI)

KRRC

King's Royal Rifle Corps

KRs

King's Regulations

Ks 392

See 392 XVI (King's Regulations)

KSLI

King's Shropshire Light Infantry

L or L/

Lance [rank]

L/Bdr or LBdr

Lance Bombardier

L/Cpl or LC or LCpl

Lance Corporal

L/Sgt or LSgt

Lance Sergeant

LAA

Light anti-aircraft

LAD

Light Aid Detachment

LBR

Landing Barge, Ramped

LCD Seaf

London Command Depot at Seaford, Sussex

LD

London District

LDLC

London District Labour Centre

LEE

London Electrical Engineers

LG

London Gazette

LG or L/G

Lewis Gun

LHE [in columnar form]

In hospital whilst on leave in England

LIAP

Leave in Advance of Python, i.e. leave given to those who had been away from the UK for three or more years; see also Python

Lieut or Lt

Lieutenant

LM

Life member, of the HAC's Old Comrades Association

LMG

Light Machine Gun

LO

Liaison Officer

locn

location

LofC Inf

Line of communications for the infantry

LST

Landing Ship Tank

Lt

Lieutenant

Lt Col

Lieutenant Colonel

Lt Gen

Lieutenant General

LW

Local Warning

LY

Leicestershire Yeomanry

M

Mother as next of kin with religion, e.g. 'M CofE' - 'mother is next of kin, religion is Church of England'

M [sometimes with date in columnar form]

Missing

M or (M)

Medium or Mixed

M or m

Missing or motor

M

Musician

M tgt

the target engaged by an artillery regiment

M in Desp

Mentioned in Despatches; see also MID

maint

maintainence

Maj   

Major

Maj Gen

Major General

Man R

Manchester Regiment

MBE

Member of the Order of the British Empire

MC

Military Cross

Mch

Mechanic

ME 109s

Messerschmitz 109s [German fighter aircraft]

Mech

Mechanic

Med

Medium

MEF

Middle East Force

MEs

Messerschmitts [German ground attack fighter] aircraft]

Meth

Methodist

MFS

Manual Fuze Setter

MG

Machine Gun

MG

Master Gunner

MGC Bisley [or other locations]

Machine Gun School at Bisley, or other locations

MGRA

Major General Royal Artillery

MiD

Mentioned in Despatches

Mil

Military

Min

Minimum

mins

minutes

Mk

Mark

MM

Military Medal or motor mechanic

mm

millimetres

MMB

Major Mayhew's Book - the HAC's 1st Battalion Register for WWI

MO

Medical Officer

MO3

Military Operations 3 [a special duties intelligencesection at the War Office]

Mob

Mobile or Mobilisation

MONS

Monmouthshire Regiment

MOT

Motorised

MP

Military Police or Member of Parliament

MR

Map Reference

msg

message

MT

Mechanical Transport

Mtd

Mounted

N + a number

a gun-site location, see also ZE below

N

North

N Yeo

Northamptonshire Yeomanry

NAAF(I) or NAAF

Navy, Army and Air Force (Institutes)

NCO

Non commissioned officer

NDC

National Defence Companies [see also 30th RF and 13th RF]

NE or ne

North East

net

network

No

Number

non-op

non-operational

Nos 1 or No. 1s

the soldier in charge of the gun - normally a Sergeant but it could be another NCO or any other rank in a war situation

Nr

Near

NS Act

National Service Act

NTR

Nothing To Report

NW

North West

NY

Norfolk Yeomanry

NYA

Not Yet Announced

OBE

Officer of the Order of the British Empire

OBOE

a remote control radar system, OBOE Smoke Screens refers to a particular layout for firing the smoke shells

OC

Officer Commanding

OCA

HAC's Old Comrades Association

OCB

Officer Cadet Battalion

OCT

Officer Cadet Training

OCTU

Officer Cadet Training Unit - 162 OCTU was the HAC's infantry training unit and 121 OCTU was the HAC's artillery training unit

OFC

Operator Fire Control

offr(s)

officer(s)

OiC or OI/C

Officer in Charge or in Command

OM

Old member, as in, of the HAC's Old Comrades Association, or possibly a former member of the HAC itself; also Order of Merit

OME

Ordnance Mechanical Engineer

OO or O/O

Operation Order

op

opposite

OP or Op

Operation or Observation Post

OPA

Observation Post Assistant

opp

opposition

OR(s) or Or(s) or or(s)

Other Rank(s)

org

organisation

P or p

paid

p

page

P/A/

Paid Acting [with rank]

PAC

Parachute and Cable [as in defence]

Para

Parachute Regiment

PC

Privy Councillor

pdr or pr

pounder

pet

petrol

PICKFORD

the code name for a demobilisation or Far East reinforcement scheme; probably named after the actress Mary Pickford

Plat

Platoon

Plate

Addressograph' plate, e.g. "plate extracted" administration system at the HAC's Armoury House

posn

position

posns

positions

POW [sometimes in columnar form]

Prisoner of War

Pow or POW or PoW

Prisoner of War - see also PW

pp

Latin: per procurationem ['through the agency of '], used when signing on behalf of someone else

Prac

Practice

Pred

Predictor Radar

prep

prepared or preparation(s)

Pres or Presby

Presbyterian

prom

promoted

PT

Physical training

pt(s)

point(s)

Pte

Private soldier

pties

parties

PW

Prisoner of War

PWX

former Prisoner of War [i.e. an allied prisoner who had been liberated]

Python or Pythoned

Python scheme for repatriation of overseas forces at the end of WWII; this gave leave to those who had served abroad for three years or more

Pz AR (Mot)

Panzer Artillery (Motorised) [a German unit]

Pz

Panzer [German for 'tank' or 'armoured']

Q

Quartermaster's Branch

QF

Quick Firing

QM

Quartermaster [officer rank]

QORW Kent

Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment

R Berks

Royal Berkshire Regiment

R

River

R Tks or RTR

Royal Tank Regiment

R W Kent R

Royal West Kent Regiment

R W Surrey R

Royal West Surrey Regiment

R War R

Royal Warwickshire Regiment

R Welsh Fus

Royal Welsh Fusiliers

RA

Royal Regiment of Artillery or Royal Artillery

RA Exeter

Officers Royal Artillery School, Exeter

RA Select St JWd

Royal Artillery Officers Selection, St John's Wood

RAC

Royal Armoured Corps

RAChD

Royal Army Chaplains Department

RAF

Royal Air Force

RAFVR

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

RAM

Rocket Artillery Mortar; this was the original name fo rthe self-propelled 25 Pr later called the Sexton

RAMC

Royal Army Medical Corps

RAMT School

Royal Artillery Motor Transport School

RAOC

Royal Army Ordnance Corps

RAPC

Royal Army Pay Corps

RASC

Royal Army Service Corps

RB

Reserve Battery [HAC; WWI]

RB

Rifle Brigade

RC

Roman Catholic

RCOS or RCS

Royal Corps of Signals

Rct

Recruit

Rd or rd

Road

RDC [sometimes in columnar form]

Royal Defence Corps

rds

rounds [of ammunition]

RE

Royal Engineers

RE Signals

Royal Engineers Signals

Recce

Reconnaissance

recd

received

RED

Returned Equipment Depot

Reg or Regt or Regmt

Regiment

Regtl

Regimental

rem

remains

REME

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

reorg

reorganisation

rep

representative

reqd

required

Res or res

Reserve

Respy

Responsibility

Rev

Reverend, see also CF

RF or R Fus

Royal Fusiliers

RFA

Royal Field Artillery

RFC

Royal Flying Corps

RFC Denh

Royal Flying Corps, Denham, Buckinghamshire

Rft HU

Reinforcement Holding Unit, see also RHU

RGA

Royal Garrison Artillery

RGO

Regimental Gunnery Officer

RHA

Royal Horse Artillery

RHQ

Regimental Headquarters

RHU

Reinforcement Holding Unit, see also Rft HU

RIASC

Royal Indian Army Service Corps

rly

railway

RMO

Regimental Medical Officer

RMP

Royal Military Prison or Royal Military Police

RN

Royal Navy

rpg

rounds per gun

RQMS

Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant

RS [sometimes in columnar form]

Royal Scots

RSM

Regimental Sergeant Major

Rt Hon

Right Honourable

RT

Radiotelephony

RTR

Royal Tank Regiment

RWF

Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Ry

Railway

S

sick

S

South

S + a number

a gun-site location, see also ZE below

S of A

School of Artillery

S

Southern or South

S Wales Bdrs

South Wales Borderers

S/L

Searchlight

S/Sgt or S/Sjt

Staff Sergeant

SAA

Small Arms Ammunition

SAAD

School of Anti-Aircraft Defence

SAF

Strategic Artillery Fire [?]

SB

Stretcher bearer

Sch

School

SCR 584

Radar Signal Corps Radio No. 584; a microwave radar developed by the MIT Radiation Laboratory during the Second World War

SE

South East

SE [sometimes with date in columnar form]

Sick, to England

SEAC

South East Asia Command

Sec

Section

secs

seconds

Sect or sects

Sections

sgnd

signed

Sgt

Sergeant

Sgt (AC)

Sergeant (Artillery Clerk)

shelreps

reports on the effectiveness of shelling

Sherwood For

Sherwood Foresters

sic

Thus [Latin]

Sig(s)

Signal(s) or Signaller(s)

SL or S/L

Searchlight

SL

Start Line

SM + a number

A gun-site location, see also ZE below

SM or sm or smk

smoke

SM

Short Message [?]

SM/I

Sergeant Major Instructor

SO3

Staff Officer Grade 3

SOS

Struck Off Strength

SOS

the international Morse code distress signal

SP

Self-Propelled or Start Point

sp

support

Sp Res

Special Reserve [of officers]

SPC

Survey Production Centre

Spec Empld

Specially employed

Spr

Sapper

Sqdn or Sqn

Squadron

SS

Signal Section [?]

SS

Waffen-Schutzstaffel ['Armed Protection Squadron'] - the armed wing of the Nazi Party

St

Saint

St JWd

St John's Wood

Sta

Stalag for Stammlager [a German PoW camp for other ranks]

stonks

a linear concentration of artillery fire

Str

Strength

Sub

Subaltern [a 2nd lieutenant or lieutenant]

Sub-Lt

Subordinate lieutenant [junior naval rank]

sups

Supplies

SVY or Svy

Survey

SW

South West

T

Territorial

T/

Temporary (with rank)

T/P

Temporary/Posting [?]

TA

Territorial Army

Tac

Tactical

Tanks [sometimes in columnar form]

Tank Regiment

TARO

Territorial Army Reserve of Officers

TD

Territorial Decoration (award for officers)

Tech or tech

Technical

Temp

Temporary

TEWT(S)

Tactical Exercise(s) Without Troops

tgt(s)

Targets

Tk or TK or tk(s)

Tank(s)

TM or TMB or TM By

Trench Mortar Battery

tp(s)

troop(s)

tpt

transport

TR

Training Reserve or Training Regiment

Transfd

Transferred

Trg or Trng

Training

TRRA

Training Regiment Royal Artillery

TT

Trade Test

TTC

Tactical Training Centre

U or u

Unpaid

U Tgt

the target engaged by the divisional artillery

U/A /

Unpaid Acting [with rank]

u/cmd

under command

U-Boat

Unterseeboot [a German submarine]

UPT

Unit Posting Telegram [?]

US or USA

United States of America

V or (V)

Veteran member of the HAC

V Tgt

the target engaged by the corps artillery

v

versus

V1

a visible German flying bomb used mainly against ports, like Antwerp and civilian populations from 1944

V2

an invisible (because of the speed at which it flew) German rocket, much more dangerous than the V1, but similarly used

VC

Victoria Cross

Veh or veh

Vehicle

vice

instead of [Latin]

VIE

Vehicles, Instruments and Equipment [?]

VJ Day

Victory over Japan Day (15 August 1945)

VP

Vulnerable Point

W

Wife [as next of kin with religion], e.g. 'W RC' - 'wife is next of kin, religion is Roman Catholic'

W [sometimes with date in columnar form]

Wounded

W or W/

War [with war service rank], - i.e. War Sergeant; see also WS/

w/Bdr

War substantive bombardier

w/Lieut

War substantive lieutenant

W/shops or Wksps

Workshops

WE or W/E

War Establishment

wef

with effect from

Wes or Wesly

Wesleyan

WH [sometimes with date in columnar form]

Wounded in hospital

WO List

War Office List

WO or W/O

War Office or Warrant Officer

WOI or WO1

Warrant Officer Class I

WOII

Warrant Officer Class II

WOWM

War Office Wireless Message [?]

wpns

weapons

WS/ or W/S

War Substantive

X-rds

crossroads

XXX Corps

30th Corps

Y List

Sick List

yds

yards

Yeo

Yeomanry

YMCA

Young Men's Christian Association

yrs

years

ZE or ZS or ZW + a number and (often) a location

Locations for heavy anti-aircraft gun sites; other letters (with numbers) used for similar gun sites in other locations ar: A, AN, AS, BM, CN, H, HMI, N, S and SM