Brief Glossary and Abbreviations List
As an aid to the reader I have produced a short glossary and list of abbreviations which I have used throughout these three 13 Base websites. I usually try to keep abbreviations, acronyms and jargon to a minimum on my websites however a list of those I have used may now be useful for some readers and I think it will be helpful to include one. I will keep this list updated as and when I use any more or spot any I have missed.
This list is not intended as a complete list or anything like but includes the main abbreviations, acronyms and terms that I have used on my websites. There are far more comprehensive lists on line and a simple Google search will come up with a number of suitable sites.
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Glossary and Abbreviations
A
AASF – Advanced Air Strike Force
AB – Air Bomber or Bomb Aimer
AC1 – Aircraftsman First class
AC2 – Aircraftsman Second Class
A/Cdre – Air Commodore
ACM - Air Chief Marshal
AFU – Advanced Flying Unit
AFC - Air Force Cross
AFM – Air Force Medal
AG – Air Gunner
Air to Air Firing – Gunnery practise firing at towed targets
Air to Sea Firing - Gunnery practise firing at targets on the sea.
AOC - Air Officer Commanding
ATA – Air Transport Auxiliary
ATC – Air Training Corps
AVM – Air Vice Marshal
B
11 Base - Swinderby, Station HQ - RAF Swinderby, RAF Lindholme, RAF Blyton, RAF Sandtoft
12 Base – Binbrook, Station HQ, RAF Binbrook, RAF Grimsby/Waltham, RAF Kelstern and RAF Wickenby to 16th December 1943
13 Base – Elsham Wolds, Station HQ, RAF Elsham Wolds, RAF Kirmington and RAF North Killingholme
14 Base – Ludford Magna, Station HQ, RAF Ludford Magna, RAF Faldingworth and RAF Wickenby from 16th December 1943.
BEF – British Expeditionary Force
BEM – British Empire Medal
BGS – Bombing and Gunnery School
Blockbuster - 4,000lb High Capacity Bomb
Bombing and Gunnery Flight or School - Training Unit for Air Bombers or Air Gunners. Also BGF or BGS.
Bullseye – Cross country navigational and bombing training exercise.
C
CO - Commanding Officer (can also be OC)
CGM – Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
Cpl – Corporal
CU – Conversion Unit
D
DCM – Distinguished Conduct Medal
DFC – Distinguished Flying Cross
DFM – Distinguished Flying Medal.
Dodge/Dodging – Stood down
DSC – Distinguished Service Cross
DSM – Distinguished Service Medal
DSO – Distinguished Service Order
DSM – Distinguished Service Medal
E
EBTS –Elementary and Basic Training School
EFTS – Elementary Flying Training School
Esc – Escaper.
Ev - Evader
F
F/E – Flight Engineer
Fighter Affiliation - Practise flight evasion techniques against friendly fighters.
F/L - Flight Lieutenant or F/Lt
F/O - Flying Officer or Fg Off
Flt/O – Flight Officer
FTS – Flying Training School
F/S - Flight Sergeant
G
G/C – Group Captain or Gp Capt
Gee – Radio Navigation System
GC - George Cross.
GM - George Medal
H
H2S - Airborne radio navigational and target location aid
HCU – Heavy Conversion Unit
HGCU - Heavy Glider Conversion Unit
HSL – High Speed Launch
I
I/O - Intelligence Officer
ITS – Initial Training School
ITW - Initial Training Wing
Int - Interned
J
K
L
LAC – Leading Aircraftman
LFS – Lancaster Finishing School
M
MBE – Member (of the Order of the) British Empire
MC – Military Cross
MiD – Mentioned in Despatches
Monica – Active tail warning radar fitted to bombers to alert against the approach of night fighters.
MRAF – Marshal of the Royal Air Force
MM – Military Medal
MT – Motor Transport
MU – Maintenance Unit
Musical Paramatta - Method of ground marking a target by coloured target indicators dropped blindly on Oboe
Musical Wanganui - Method of sky marking a target by parachute borne coloured markers dropped blindly on Oboe
N
Newhaven - Illumination flares dropped above the target area to light it up sufficiently for a visual marking by the Pathfinder aircraft.
NCO - Non Commissioned Officer
O
(O)AFU – (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit
Oboe - Aerial blind bombing system based on radio transponder technology used by Pathfinder aircraft. Very effective but range limited due to curvature of the earth.
Observer – Combined Navigator and Air Bomber aircrew trade. Later replaced by separate Navigator and Air Bomber trades
ORB – Operational Record Book
OTU - Operational Training Unit
P
(P) AFU - Pilots Advanced Flying Unit
Paramatta - Paramatta used navigation aids such as H2S radar or Oboe radio signals to drop the markers.
PDC – Personnel Dispatch Centre. Holding depot pending reposting
PDRC – Personnel Dispatch and Reception Centre. Holding depot pending reposting
PFF – Pathfinder Force
Pickwick – Code name for instruction to Main Force from Pathfinders to bomb upwind edge of target smoke
P/O – Pilot Officer.
POW - Prisoner of War
Q
R
RAAF – Royal Australian Air Force
RAFO – Reserve Air Force Officers
RAFVR – Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
RAuxAF – Royal Auxiliary Air Force
RCAF - Royal Canadian Air Force
RCAF “R” Depot – Royal Canadian Air Force Repatriation Depot
RCD – Aircrew Holding Unit pending reposting
RNZAF – Royal New Zealand Air Force
R/P Flares - Release point flares
S
SDF – Special Duty Flight
Sgt - Sergeant
S/L - Squadron Leader or S/Ldr.
Sky marking - See Wanganui
SN-2 - German night fighter radar
Sqn - Squadron
T
TI – Target indicator
U
V
VC – Victoria Cross
Vic - 3 or sometimes more aircraft flying in close formation with the leader at the apex and the rest of the flight en echelon to left and right, the whole resembling the letter "V"
W
W
WAAF – Woman’s Auxiliary Air Force
Wanganui - Used when the target was obscured by cloud, industrial haze, or a smoke screen. Oboe or H2S were used to identify the unseen target and TIs/ Markers were released at that point. The target indicators used were on parachutes to give an aiming point that could be seen by the main force. This was also known as "sky marking".
W/O - Warrant Officer or WO
WOP – Wireless Operator
WOP/AG – Wire Operator / Air Gunner
W/C - Wing Commander (also W/Cdr)
X
Y
“Y” - Code for H2S ground mapping radar used in the Operational Record Books and also log books.
Z
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