War Diaries Talk

Unit name abbreviations

  • khearn by khearn

    This thread will be a place to put unit name abbreviations that we figure out, so others can refer to them. Please add others as you come across them, or add questions if you'd like help figuring one out.

    RHA - Royal Horse Artillery

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  • KD340 by KD340

    DCLI - Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
    RWF - Royal Welsh Fusiliers
    KOSB - Kings Own Scottish Borderers

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  • bootnecksbs by bootnecksbs

    Just a couple of the top of me'ed, I'll add some later:-

    A. & S.H. = Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, BEDS R. = Bedfordshire Regiment, Buffs or The Buffs = The Royal East Kent Regiment,

    D.L.I = Durham Light Infantry, Fd.Amb = Field Ambulance, K.O.Y.L.I. = King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, K.R.R.C. = Kings Royal Rifle Corps,

    K.S.L.I. = King's Shropshire Light Infantry, Lanc Fus = Lancashire Fusiliers, M.G.C or M.G.Corps = Machine Gun Corps,

    M.G.C (Cav) Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry), Midd. Regt = Middlesex Regiment, R.E = Royal Engineers, R.W. KENT Regt. = Royal West Kent Regiment,

    R.W.Fus = Royal Welsh Fusiliers, SOM. YEO. = North Somerset Yeomanry, L.I. = Light Infantry, Fus = Fusiliers,

    Yeo. = Yeomanry, Bn.= Battalion, Battn. = Battalion, Bde. = Brigade, Coy. = Company, Div. = Division, Regt = Regiment, Sqn. = Squadron,

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  • lukesmith by lukesmith moderator

    Thank you for this -- very useful for understanding what is being reference. When tagging, please tag the term as written in the diary (e.g K.R.R.C. if that is what it says)

    best, Luke.

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  • bootnecksbs by bootnecksbs

    Yes indeed, I should have mentioned it was just for reference as in the Field Guide it does say, as you mention above, to tag what we see...the same as in OW when I do the US Logs. (i.e WYSIWYG - "What You See Is What You Get" )

    I personally, when researching, would rather write K.R.R.C than 'the whole shaboom'...much quicker & less chance of making a spelling mistake.

    regards, Max

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  • peterr1006 by peterr1006

    Written on P.98 of Diary of 2nd Cavalry Regiment. 8 Mobile Vet. Section.
    "2 reinforcements arrived. One Driver D.S.C. one S.E. A.F.C." These initials are not entirely clear but represent my best guess. Can anyone tell me what they mean?

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  • bootnecksbs by bootnecksbs

    Hi @peterr1006

    I believe the 1st one could be A.S.C because a soldier who held the rank of a Driver would generally have been in the Army Service Corps attached to other units/regiments etc.

    If you could link the actual page I can not only try to confirm it but will be able to check out the other one who, if it's A.F.C, could be from the Australian Flying Corps. (could possibly be just ASC again...it's not always easy reading these chaps writing eh?)

    Having said this, and to save you time, the only reason for tagging this info would be if the personnel are actually named, so you can mark their units, or if the units/regiments etc are mentioned separately.

    Best Wishes, Max

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  • peterr1006 by peterr1006

    Max,
    Thanks for your swift response.
    No names/units are provided in the Diary. The question was posed for my own enlightenment. I'm afraid that I do not know how to 'link the actual page.'
    Sorry to be a pain but I have another query, if I may. P100 of the same Diary mentions that several (named) soldiers were "awarded 7 or 14 days F.P. No. 2." can you explain what this means?
    Peter

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    Hi Peter

    How to link to the page.

    1. Click on the profile link at the top of the classification page (not this talk page but the diary one)
    2. Scroll down to recent pages
    3. Click on the page you want to link to (it only shows the last half dozen or so you have done) to open it
    4. Copy the unique link from the top browser bar and paste it in here

    Hope that helps!

    FP no 2 = field punishment no 2

    See this page (scroll down to the bottom) http://www.1914-1918.net/crime.htm

    Heather

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Hi @peterr1006. Can't help you with the abbreviations, I'm afraid, but if you want to link to the page you're referring to with a query all you need to do is post your query in the page's 'talk' box (which will appear if you click the stylised icon of a speech bubble near to the 'Finished' button). That will make it easier for people to see exactly what it is you're referring to.

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  • peterr1006 by peterr1006

    Hello Heather and Max,
    Image AWD00019nh.
    This is my attempt to link to the page with containing the abbreviations I was asking about yesterday. have I carried out the procedure correctly?

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Looks like you have to me!

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    Hi Peter

    So Max was right about Driver ASC = Driver Army Service Corps

    I think the other initials say SE AVC. AVC = Army Veterinary Corps, but I can't see what SE might be.

    Establishment of MVS is described here http://www.1914-1918.net/what_mvs.html

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  • bootnecksbs by bootnecksbs

    Hi @peterr1006
    The SE means Special Enlistment (General service) and also preceded the chaps regtl numb. e.g SE/22249 Pte John A. NEWSON A.V.C.

    This was specific to the Army Veterinary Corps.

    See explanation of letter prefixes here http://www.1914-1918.net/soldiers/letterprefixes.html

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  • Jan_Greenslade by Jan_Greenslade

    If a Regiment has changed the spelling of it's name since WW1 which spelling should I use? I have a reference to the 1st Battalion Welch Regiment, which became 1st Battalion Welsh Regiment after 1920. I have kept faithful to the diary spelling is this OK?
    Image AWD0001xzm

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Yes, Jan, please do keep to the spellings used in the diaries. Thanks!

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  • Jan_Greenslade by Jan_Greenslade

    Just come across this one for the first time - R.G.A. - Royal Garrison Artillery - These 2 sites are very good for abbreviations: http://www.wakefieldfhs.org.uk/military abbrevations.shtml and http://www.1914-1918.net/abbrev.htm

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Thanks, Jan.

    Yes, RGA is Royal Garrison Artillery.
    RFA - Royal Field Artillery
    RHA - Royal Horse Artillery

    I've also seen a lot of 'RA' after names, which is just Royal Artillery.

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  • Jan_Greenslade by Jan_Greenslade

    Not sure if this abbreviation fits in here [as not a Unit name] but F.G.C.M. means Field General Court Martial - this is one of only 2 Court Martial with authority to sanction the death penalty.

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    That's useful to know. Thanks.

    At some point, we shall have to compile a glossary.

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  • Jan_Greenslade by Jan_Greenslade

    These might be obvious to everyone but stumped me for quite a while - A.A.S.S. is Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Section - A.A.Q.M.G. Assistant Adjutant & Quarter Master General
    Regards Jan

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    Just use this site http://www.1914-1918.net/abbrev.htm

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  • Jan_Greenslade by Jan_Greenslade in response to HeatherC's comment.

    Thank you Heather, that's where I had eventually found full name.

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  • Jan_Greenslade by Jan_Greenslade

    Have found another site for abbreviations, new to me. This lists both battalion names and a miscellany of military short-forms with quite a few uncommon ones I haven't found in the usual National Archives, Wakefield Family History Sharing and The Long, Long Trail sites.

    http://cmhs.ca/index.php/menu-l-articles/2-uncategorised/19-cmhs-article-abbreviations

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Thanks, Jan. That looks like a really useful reference list.

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  • Jan_Greenslade by Jan_Greenslade

    Another unusual Regimental name - The Buffs - This is one of two East Kent Regiments formed in the 18th century under the command of Lt. Gen. Howard. They were both named Howard's Regiment so to differentiate between them they were named after the colour of their uniforms. One being Green Howards and the other originally Howard's Buffs, but now just called The Buffs.

    Image AWD0001lck .

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Thanks, Jan. I always wondered where the name originated.

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  • Jan_Greenslade by Jan_Greenslade

    Image AWD0002lc2 - There is a reference to the 355 Co. A.S.C. (MT) - They were the 355 Company: Army Service Corps (Mechanical Transport Company) - they beat the battalion 3-1 in football!

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Excellent!

    A precursor to today's Logistics Corps.

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  • Jan_Greenslade by Jan_Greenslade

    I have searched many Unit abbreviation sites but cannot locate which companies these are N.S.Y. and IR.D. Has anyone else come across these two? Thanks Jan.

    Image AWD0001bzb

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    NSY = North Somerset Yeomanry
    1RD = 1st (Royal) Dragoons

    They are Cavalry Regiments and the page is referring to the dismounted Companies of each, which seem to have joined the Diary Unit's dismounted company to form a composite Battalion.

    Heather

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  • Jan_Greenslade by Jan_Greenslade

    Not strictly an abbreviation, but came across the Oxfordshire Yeomanry with my Unit, apparently they were known by the regular army as 'Queer Objects On Horseback' or 'Agricultural Cavalry' Jan

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    😄

    Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars has a better ring to it, but I like that one too!

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