Manchester Hill Resources
Common British Army acronyms and abbreviations of the First World War

The list of abbreviations which appears below is reproduced by permission of Chris Baker
from his informative WW1 research web site The Long Long Trail

Military records are often packed with mysterious abbreviations. This page should help you understand what it all means.

AA : Anti-Aircraft
AA : Army Act
AA & QMG : Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General
AASC : Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Company
AASS : Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Section
AB : Army Book
ABPO : Advanced Base Post Office
ACG : Assistant Chaplain General
ACI : Army Council Instruction
ACC : Army Cyclist Corps
AD : (or Art. Dpt) Artillery Depot
ADAPS : Assistant Director Army Postal Services
ADC : Aide de Camp
ADGT : Assistant Director-General of Transportation
ADL : Assistant Director of Labour
ADLR : Assistant Director of Light Railways
ADMS : Assistant Director Medical Services
ADOS : Assistant Director Ordnance Services
ADRT : Assistant Director Railway Traffic
ADS : Advanced Dressing Station
ADTN : Assistant Director Transportation
ADVS : Assistant Director Veterinary Services
AEC : (or A. Emp. Coy) Area Employment Company
AF : Army Form
AFA : Army Field Artillery; Australian Field Artillery
AG : Adjutant General
AGS : Army Gymnastic Staff
AIF : Australian Imperial Force
AIS : Assistant Inspector of Searchlights
AMFO : Assistant Military Forwarding Officer
AMLO : Assistant Military Landing Officer
AMO : Administrative Medical Officer
AMS : Assistant Military Secretary
ANZAC : Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
AO : Army Order
AOC : Army Ordnance Corps
AOD : Army Ordnance Department
AP : Armour Piercing (ammunition)
APC : Army Pay Corps and Assistant Principal Chaplain
APM : Assistant Provost Marshal
APO : Army Post Office
AQMG : Assistant Quartermaster-General
ARMW : Army Reserve Munition Worker
ARD : Alberta Reinforcement Depot
ARP : Ammunition Refilling Point
ARS : Advanced Regulating Station
ASC : Army Service Corps
ASD : Army Schools Department
ASO : Area Searchlight Officer
ASP : (or Amm. Sub. Pk) Ammunition Sub-Park
AT : Army Troops
AVC : Army Veterinary Corps

BAC : Brigade Ammunition Column
BAPO : Base Army Post Office
BC : Battery Commander or Base Commandant
BCA : Battery Commander’s Assistant
Bdmr : Bandmaster
BG : Broad Gauge (railway)
BGGS : Brigadier-General General Staff
BGRA : Brigadier-General Royal Artillery
BL : Breech Loading
BLC : Breech Loading - Converted
BM : Brigade Major
BOR : British Other Rank
BRCS : British Red Cross Society
BSM : Battery Sergeant-Major
BWI : British West Indies Regiment
BWM : British War Medal

CB : Confinement to Barracks (punishment) and Counter-Battery
CBSO : Counter-Battery Staff Officer
CC : Confined to Camp (punishment)
CCCC : Cape Colony Cyclist Corps
CCD : Commander of Coast Defences
CCRA : Corps Commander Royal Artillery
CCS : Casualty Clearing Station
CDS : Corps Dressing Station
CE : Chief Engineer
CEF : Canadian Expeditionary Force
CEPC : Chief Engineer Port Construction
CF : Chaplain to the Forces
CFC : Canadian Forestry Commission
CGS : Chief of General Staff
CHA : Commander Heavy Artillery
CHDAVC : Convalescent Horse Depot Army Veterinary Corps
CID : Committee of Imperial Defence
CIGS : Chief of the Imperial General Staff
CLC : Chinese Labour Corps
CLLE : Charger-Loading Lee-Enfield rifle
CLLM : Charger-Loading Lee-Metford rifle
CLRO : Corps Light Railway Officer
CME : Chief Mechanical Engineer
CMO : Court-Martial Officer
CMP : Corps of Military Police
CO : Commanding Officer, Conscientious Objector
COO : Chief Ordnance Officer
CP : Censorship & Publicity
Cpl : Corporal (rank)
CQMS : Company Quartermaster Master Sergeant
CRA : Commanding Royal Artillery
CRCE : Chief Railway Construction Engineer
CRE : Commanding Royal Engineers
CRO : Corps Roads Officer
CSIC : Cadet School Infantry Company
CSM : Company Sergeant Major
CT : Communication Trench
CVBC : Cape Volunteer Bearer Corps

D of A : Director of Artillery
DA : Divisional Artillery
DAA : Director of Army Accounts
DAAG : Deputy Assistant Adjutant General
DAC – Divisional Ammunition Column
DACG : Deputy Assistant Chaplain General
DADAPS : Deputy Assistant Director Army Postal Services
DADGR&E : Deputy Assistant Director of Graves Registration and Enquires
DADGT : Deputy Assistant Director-General of Transportation
DADL : Deputy Assistant Director of Labour
DADMS : Deputy Assistant Director Medical Services
DADOS : Deputy Assistant Director Ordnance Services
DADPS : Deputy Assistant Director Postal Services
DAD Roads : Deputy Assistant Director of Roads
DAD Sigs : Deputy Assistant Director of Signals
DADRT : Deputy Assistant Director Railway Traffic
DADS : Deputy Assistant Director Supplies
DADT : Deputy Assistant Director Transport
DADW : Deputy Assistant Director of Works
DAG : Deputy Adjutant General
DAH: disorderly action of the heart (seen in medical records)
DAMS : Deputy Assistant Military Secretary
DAP : Divisional Ammunition Park
DAPC : Deputy Assistant Principal Chaplain
DAPS : Director of Army Postal Services
DAQMG : Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General
DA & QMG : Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General
DBC : Director of Barrack Construction
DCIGS : Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff
DCM : Distinguished Conduct Medal
DDAPS : Deputy Director of Army Postal Services
DCM : District Court-Martial
DDGMR : Deputy Director-General Military Railways or Movements and Railways
DDGT : Deputy Director-General of Transportation
DDIWT : Deputy Director Inland Waterway Transport
DDMS : Deputy Director Medical Services
DDOS : Deputy Director Ordnance Services
DDRT : Deputy Director Railway Traffic
DD S and T : Deputy Director Supplies and Transport
DD Sigs : Deputy Director of Signals
DDTN : Deputy Director of Transportation
DDVS : Deputy Director Veterinary Services
DDW : Deputy Director of Works
DEOS : Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores
DFC : Distinguished Flying Cross
DFS : Director of Financial Services
DFW : Director of Fortifications and Works
DGAMS : Director-General, Army Medical Services
DGAVS : Director-General, Army Veterinary Services
DGNS : Director-General National Service
DGO : Divisional Gas Officer
DGTF : Director-General of the Territorial Force
DIL : Dangerously Ill List
DIWD : Director Inland Waterways and Docks
DIY : Derbyshire Imperial Yeomanry
DLR : Director of Light Railways
DM : Director of Mobilisation
DMO : Director of Military Operations
DMS : Director of Medical Services, also Deputy Military Secretary
DMT : Director of Military Training
DNTO : Divisional Naval Transport Officer
DORA : Defence of the Realm Act
DORE : District Office Royal Engineers
DOS : Director of Ordnance Services
DP : Drill Purpose
DPS : Director of Personal Services
DPW : Director of Prisoners of War
DQMG : Deputy Quartermaster-General
DR : Despatch Rider
DRF : Depression Range-Finder
DRG&E : Director of Graves Registration and Enquires
DRLS : Despatch Rider Letter Service
D Rlys : Director of Railways
DRO : Director of Recruiting and Organisation
DRT : Director Railway Traffic
DSC : Distinguished Service Cross (a naval decoration)
DSD : Director of Staff Duties
DSM : Distinguished Service Medal (a naval decoration)
DSO : Distinguished Service Order
DSQ : Director of Supplies and Quartering
DTM : Director of Transport and Movements
DTMO : Divisional Trench Mortar Officer
DTN : Director of Transportation
DW : Director of Works

EBSVR : East Bengal State Volunteer Rifles
EEF : Egyptian Expeditionary Force
EFC : Expeditionary Force Canteen
EinC : Engineer in Chief
ELC : Egyptian Labour Corps
E&M : Electrical and Mechanical
EMO : Embarkation Medical Officer

FANY : First Aid Nursing Yeomanry
FAO : Forward Area Officer (Light Railways)
FAU : Friends Ambulance Unit
FGCM : Field General Court-Martial
FLC : Fijian Labour Contingent (later Corps)
FOO : Forward Observation Officer
FP : Field Punishment
FPO : Field Post Office
FSC : Field Survey Company
FSL : Field Searchlight
FSM : Field Service Manual
FSR : Field Service Regulations
FWD : Four Wheel Drive

GCM : General Court-Martial
GHQ : General Headquarters
GMP : Garrison Military Police
GOC : General Officer Commanding
GOCinC : General Officer Commanding-in-Chief
GRC : Graves Registration Commission
GRO : General Routine Order
GRU : Graves Registration Unit
GS : General Service and General Staff
GSO : General Staff Officer
GSW : Gunshot Wound

HA : Heavy Artillery
HAR : Heavy Artillery Reserve
HBMGC : Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps (later Tank Corps)
HE : High Explosive
HPD : Home Postal Depot
HS : Home Service
HSC : Hospital Ship Case (medical)
HT : Horse Transport
HV : High Velocity

IA : Indian Army
IAF : Independent Air Force
ICT: inflammation of the connective tissue (seen in medical records)
IE : Illegal enlistment
IGC : Inspector-General of Communications
IGT : Inspector-General of Transportation
IHL : Imprisonment with Hard Labour
IO : Intelligence Officer
IOM : Inspector of Ordnance Machinery
IOR : Indian Other Rank
IS : Inspector of Searchlights
IWGC : Imperial War Graves Commission
IWT : Inland Water Transport
IW&D : Inland Waterways and Docks

JAG : Judge Advocate General

KR : King’s Regulations

L/C or L/Cpl: Lance Corporal
LEE : London Electrical Engineers
LO : Liaison Officer
LofC : Lines of Communication
LR : Local Reserve

MAC : Motor Ambulance Convoy
MB : Medical Board
MC : MIlitary Cross
MDS : Main Dressing Station
MEF : Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
MFD : Military Forwarding Department
MFO : Military Forwarding Officer
MFP : Military Foot Police
MGC : Machine Gun Corps
MGGS : Major General General Staff
MGO : Master-General of the Ordnance
MGRA : Major General Royal Artillery
MGS : Machine Gun School
MLO : Military Landing Officer
MM : Military Medal
MMGC : Motor Machine Gun Corps
MML : Manual of Military Law
MMP : Military Mounted Police
MPI : Mean Point of Impact
MPSC : Military Police Staff Corps
MS : Military Secretary
MSM : Meritorious Service Medal
MT : Mechanical Transport
MVC : Motor Volunteer Corps
MVS : Mobile Veterinary Section

NACB : National Army Catering Board
NCC : Non-Combatant Corps
NTO : Naval Transport Officer
NYD : Not Yet Diagnosed (medical term)
NYDN : Not Yet Diagnosed Nervous (medical term for suspected shell shock)

OC : Officer Commanding, Officer Cadet
OR : Other Rank
ORS : Orderly Room Sergeant
OTC : Officers Training Corps

PB : Permanent Base (medical)
PBI : Poor Bloody Infantry (colloquial)
P & BT : Physical and Bayonet Training
PC : Principal Chaplain (non Church of England)
PM : Provost Marshal
PNTO : Principal Naval Transport Officer
POW : Prisoner of War
PPCLI : Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry
psc : Passed Staff College
Pte : Private (rank)
PU : Permanently Unfit (medical)
PUO : Pyrexia of Unknown Origin (medical term usually applied to Trench Fever)

QF : Quick Firing
QMAAC : Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps
QMG : Quartermaster General
QMS : Quartermaster Sergeant
Qs : Qualified for Staff

RAF : Royal Air Force
RAFA : Royal Australian Field Artillery
RAGA : Royal Australian Garrison Artillery
RAP : Regimental Aid Post
RCE : Railway Construction Engineer
RCO : Railway Control Officer
RDC : Royal Defence Corps
REPS : Royal Engineers Postal Section
RFA : Royal Field Artillery
RFC : Royal Flying Corps
RGA : Royal Garrison Artillery
RH : Railhead
RHA : Royal Horse Artillery, and Reserve Heavy Artillery
RM : Riding Master, and Royal Marines
RMA : Royal Marine Artillery
RMLC : Royal Marine Labour Corps
RMLI : Royal Marine Light Infantry
RNAS : Royal Naval Air Service
RND : Royal Naval Division (63 Div)
RO : Recruiting Officer
ROD : Railway Operating Division
ROO : Railway Ordnance Officer
RP : Rules of Procedure, Regimental Police, Refilling Point
RSM : Regimental Sergeant Major
RSO : Railhead Supply Officer
RTC : Reserve Training Centre
RTE : Railway Transport Establishment
RTO : Railway Transport Officer (later Railway Traffic Officer)
RTU : Returned to Unit

S : Service (as in Service Battalion)
SAA : Small Arms Ammunition
SANLC : South African Native Labour Corps
SC : Staff Captain
SCF : Senior Chaplain to the Forces
SD : Staff Duties
SGS : Surveyor-General of Supply
Sgt : Sergeant (rank)
SIW : Self-Inflicted Wound
Sjt : Serjeant (rank, sometimes spelled Sergeant)
SLR : Superintendent of Light Railways
SMLE : Short Magazine Lee-Enfield
SOS : Struck off strength. Also used in usual sense (of emergency).
SP : Strongpoint
SPT : (preceding a man’s number) Sportmen’s Battalion Royal Fusiliers
SR : Special Reserve
SRS : Sound Ranging Section
SSM : Squadron Sergeant Major (cavalry)
STK : (preceding a man’s number) Stockbroker’s Battalion Royal Fusiliers

TAT : Temporary Ambulance Train
TB : Temporary Base (medical)
TC : Tank Corps
TCO : Train Conducting Officer
TDO : Telephone Dug-out
TEE : Tyne Electrical Engineers
TF : Territorial Force
TM : Trench Mortar
TMB : Trench Mortar Battery
TO : Transport Officer
TOS : Taken on strength
TR : Training Reserve
TRB : Training Reserve Brigade
TSM : Troop Sergeant Major (cavalry)

VAD : Voluntary Aid Detachment
VADGS : Voluntary Aid Detachment General Service
VC : Victoria Cross
VO : Veterinary Officer
VTC : Volunteer Training Corps

WAAC : Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (later QMAAC)
WD : War Department
WE : War Establishment
WIR : West India Regiment
WO : War Office
WWCS : Walking Wounded Collecting Station

YOC : Young Officers Company
YS : Young Soldier