This index to abbreviations likely to be found on War Memorials throughout the Region is separated into Regiments/Units, Medals/Awards and Ranks. If you are aware of any abbreviation on a North East War Memorial not covered by this list, please let us know, using the e-mail address [email protected] and quoting "Abbreviations" in the subject line. We will then investigate the entry concerned, attempt to identify the meaning of the abbreviation, and include it in this list – which is very much a "work in progress".

A. & S. Hldrs - Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
A. & S.H. - Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
A.A.N.S. - Army Auxiliary Nursing Service
A.A.C. - Army Air Corps
A.C.C - Army Cyclist Corps or Army Catering Corps
A.E.C. - Army Education Corps
A.E.F. – Australian Expeditionary Force
A.F.S. - Auxiliary Fire Service
A.I.F. - Australian Imperial Force
A.L.H. - Australian Light Horse
A.O.C. - Army Ordnance Corps
A.P.C. - Army Pay Corps
A.P.D. - Army Pay Department
A.P.O.W. - Alexandra Princess of Wales Own Yorkshire Regiment
A.P.T.C. - Army Physical Training Corps
A.R.P. – Air Raid Precautions
A.S.C. - Army Service Corps
A.S.C.(M.T.) - Army Service Corps (Motor Transport)
A.S.H. - Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
A.T.S. - Auxiliary Territorial Service
A.V.C. - Army Veterinary Corps
A.Y. - Ayrshire Yeomanry
ANZAC - Australian & New Zealand Army Corps
Argylls - Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

Batt - Battery
Batt or Bn. - Battalion
B.R. - Border Regiment
B.R.C.S. - British Red Cross Society
B.W. - Royal Highlanders (Black Watch)
B.W.I.R. - British West Indies Regiment

C.C. - Canadian Contingent (Note: G.G. may look similar on memorials)
C.D. – Civil Defence
C.E.F. - Canadian Expeditionary Force
C.F.A. - Canadian Field Artillery
C.F.C. - Canadian Forestry Corps
C.G. - Coldstream Guards
C.L.H. - Canadian Light Horse
C.L.Y. - City of London Yeomanry
C.M.P. - Corps of Military Police
C.M.R. - Canadian Mounted Rifles
C.R. - Connaught Rangers
Cam H. - Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Cam Hldrs - Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Cameronians - Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Camerons - Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Can - Canadians
Can F.S. - Canadian Fire Service

D.C.L.I. - Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
D.F. - Royal Dublin Fusiliers
D.G. - Dragoon Guards
Div. - Division
D.L.I. - Durham Light Infantry
D.W.R. - Duke of Wellington's Regiment
DoWtns - Duke of Wellington's Regiment

E.S.R. - East Surrey Regiment
E.Y.R. - East Yorkshire Regiment

F & F Yeo. - Fife & Forfar Yeomanry
F.A.A - Fleet Air Arm
F.A.N.Y. - First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Corps
F.F. - Frontier Force (Indian Army)

G.G - Grenadier Guards
G.H. - Gordon Highlanders
G.M.G.R. - Guards Machine Gun Regiment
G.P.R - Glider Pilot Regiment
G.Y. - Queen's Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry
Gord. Hldrs - Gordon Highlanders
Gordons - Gordon Highlanders

H.A.C. - Honourable Artillery Company
H.C.B. - Highland Cyclist Battalion
H.G. - Home Guard
H.K.V.D.C - Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps
H.L.I. - Highland Light Infantry
H.M.C.G. - His Majesty's Coast Guard
H.M.D - His Majesty's Drifter
H.M.S. - His Majesty's Ship
H.M.T. - His Majesty's Transport
H.M.T. - His Majesty's Trawler

Ind. - Indian Army

K.A.R. - King's African Rifles
K.D.G. - Kings Dragoon Guards
K.E.H. - King Edwards Horse
K.O.S.B. - Kings Own Scottish Borderers
K.O.Y.L.I. - King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
K.R.R. - Kings Royal Rifle Corps
K.R.R.C. - Kings Royal Rifle Corps
K.S.L.I. - King's Shropshire Light Infantry

L & B.H. - Lothian & Border Horse
L.C.A. - Landing Craft Assault
L.C.F. - Landing Craft Flak
L.C.G. - Landing Craft Gun
L.C.M. - Landing Craft Mechanised
L.C.R. - Landing Craft Rocket
L.C.S. - Landing Craft Support
L.C.S. - Landing Craft Small
L.C.T. - Landing Craft Tank
L.C.H. - Landing Craft Headquarters
L.C.I. - Landing Craft Infantry (L Large S Small)
L.C.V.P. - Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel
L.S.T. - Landing Ship Tank
L.D.V. - Local Defence Volunteers
L.F. - Lancashire Fusiliers
L.G. - Life Guards
L.I. - Light Infantry
L.N.L.R. - Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
L.R. - London Regiment
L.S. - Lovat Scouts
L.S. - London Scottish
L.S.I. - Landing Ship Infantry (L Large S Small)
L.Y. - Lanarkshire Yeomanry
Lon. Scot. - London Scottish
Lond. R. - London Regiment
Lovats - Lovat Scouts

M.F.A. - Mercantile Fleet Auxiliary
M.F.P. - Military Foot Police
M.G.C. - Machine Gun Corps
M.M. - Merchant Marine
M.M.P. - Military Mounted Police
M.M.R. - Mercantile Marine Reserve
M.N. - Merchant Navy
M.P. - Military Police
M.T. - Motor Transport
M.T.B. - Motor Torpedo Boat
M.V. - Motor Vessel

N.A.A.F.I. - Navy, Army and Air Force Institute
N.C.B. - Northern Cyclist Battalion (based in Northumberland)
N.F. - Northumberland Fusiliers
N.H. - Northumberland Hussars
N.I.H. - North Irish Horse
N.Z. - New Zealand
N.Z.E.F. - New Zealand Expeditionary Force
N.Z.I.F. - New Zealanders

O & B.L.I. - Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
O.C. - Ordnance Corps
O.T.C. - Officer Training Corps

P.P.C.L.I. - Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Para. - Parachute Regiment

Q.A.I.M.N.S. - Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service
Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. - Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve
Q.A.R.A.N.C. - Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
Q.A.R.N.N.S. - Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service
Q.M.A.A.C. - Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps
Q.O.C.H - Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Q.O.R.G.Y - Queen's Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry

R. Hldrs - Royal Highlanders (Black Watch)
R.Innis.Fus. - Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
R.A. - Royal Artillery
R.A. Ch. D - Royal Army Chaplains Department
R.A.A.F - Royal Australian Air Force
R.A.C. - Royal Armoured Corps
R.A.F. - Royal Air Force
R.A.F.V.R. - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
R.A.M.C. - Royal Army Medical Corps
R.A.N. - Royal Australian Navy
R.A.O.C. - Royal Army Ordnance Corps
R.A.P.C. - Royal Army Pay Corps
R.A.R. - Royal Australian Regiment
R.A.S.C. - Royal Army Service Corps
R.A.V.C. - Royal Army Veterinary Corps
R.Aus.R. - Royal Australian Regiment
R.C.A.F. - Royal Canadian Air Force
R.C.N. - Royal Canadian Navy
R.C.N.V.R. - Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve
R.C.S. - Royal Corps of Signals
R.D.C. - Royal Defence Corps
R.D.F. - Royal Dublin Fusiliers
R.D.Fus - Royal Dublin Fusiliers
R.E. - Royal Engineers
Regt. - Regiment
R.F. - Royal Fusiliers
R.F.A. - Royal Field Artillery or Royal Fleet Auxiliary
R.F.C. - Royal Flying Corps
R.F.R. - Royal Fleet Reserve
R.G.A. - Royal Garrison Artillery
R.H - Royal Highlanders (Black Watch)
R.H.A. - Royal Horse Artillery
R.H.G. - Royal Horse Guards
R.H.R. - Royal Highlanders (Black Watch)
R.I.N. - Royal Indian Navy
R.I.R. - Royal Irish Rifles
R.M. - Royal Marines
R.M.A. - Royal Marine Artillery
R.M.B. - Royal Marine Band
R.M.E. - Royal Marine Engineers
R.M.F - Royal Munster Fusiliers
R.M.L.I. - Royal Marine Light Infantry
R.M.S.M. - Royal Marine Submarine Miners
R.N. - Royal Navy
R.N.A.S. - Royal Naval Air Service
R.N.C.V.R. - Royal Navy Canadian Volunteer Reserve
R.N.D. - Royal Naval Division
R.N.F. - Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
R.N.M.W.S. - Royal Navy Mine Watching Service
R.N.P.S. - Royal Naval Patrol Service
R.N.R. - Royal Naval Reserve about HPL table top
R.N.R.T. - Royal Naval Reserve Trawler Section (WW1, forerunner of RNPS)
R.N.V.R. - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
R.O.C. - Royal Observer Corps
R.R. OF CAV - Reserve Regiment of Cavalry
R.S. - Royal Scots
R.Scots - Royal Scots
R.S.F. - Royal Scots Fusiliers
R.S.Fus. - Royal Scots Fusiliers
R.T.R - Royal Tank Regiment
R.U.R. - Royal Ulster Rifles
R.W.Kents - Royal West Kent Regiment
R.War.R. - Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Rif. Brig. - Rifle Brigade

S.A.I. - South African Infantry
S.A.E. - South African Engineers (Corps)
S.A.S - Special Air Service
S.G. - Scots Guards
S.H. - Seaforth Highlanders
S.H. - Scottish Horse
S.R. - Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
S.S. - Steam Ship
Sco. H. - Scottish Horse
Sco Hse - Scottish Horse
Sco Rif - Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Sco. Gds. - Scots Guards
Sea. H. - Seaforth Highlanders
Sea. Hldrs - Seaforth Highlanders
Seaforths - Seaforth Highlanders

T.A.N.S. - Territorial Army Nursing Service
T.F.N.S. - Territorial Forces Nursing Service
T.C. - Tank Corps or Timber Corps
Tanks - Tank Corps

V.A.D. - Voluntary Aid Detachment

W.A.A.F - Women's Auxiliary Air Force
W.A.R. - West Africa Regiment
W.G. - Welsh Guards
W.I.R. - West India Regiment
W.L.A. – Women’s Land Army
W.R.N.S. - Women's Royal Naval Service
W.R.V.S. – Women’s Royal Voluntary Service
W.Y.R. - West Yorkshire Regiment

Y & L.R. - York and Lancaster Regiment
Yeo. - Yeomanry

A.F.C - Air Force Cross
C.B.E. - Commander of the Order of the British Empire
C.d.G. - Croix de Guerre
D.C.M. - Distinguished Conduct Medal
D.F.C. - Distinguished Flying Cross
D.F.M - Distinguished Flying Medal
D.S.C. - Distinguished Service Cross
D.S.M. - Distinguished Service Medal
D.S.O. - Distinguished Service Order
G.C. - George Cross
G.M. - George Medal
K.B.E. - Knight of the Order of the British Empire
M.B.E. - Member of the Order of the British Empire
M.C. - Military Cross
M.D. – Mentioned in Dispatches
M.I.D. – Mentioned in Dispatches
M.M. - Military Medal
Med. Mil. - Medaille Militaire
O.B.E. - Officer of the Order of the British Empire
V.C. - Victoria Cross

2 Lt. - Second Lieutenant - Polish rank - ppor. - podporucznik
2nd Lieut. - Second Lieutenant
2Lt. - Second Lieutenant

A.B. - Able/Seaman., A/S., - Able-bodied Seaman
A.C.1 - Aircraftman First Class - Polish rank - st.szer. - starszy szeregowiec
A.C.2 - Aircraftman Second Class - Polish rank - szer. - szeregowiec
A.G. - Air Gunner
1/AM. - Air Mechanic First Class
2/AM. - Air Mechanic Second Class

Bdsm. - Bandsman
Bom. – Bombardier (Artilleryman – equivalent to Corporal)
Brig. – Brigadier
B.S.M. – Battery Sergeant Major

Cpl. H. - Corporal of Horse
C.P.O. - Chief Petty Officer
C.Q.M.S. - Company Quartermaster Sergeant
C.S.M. - Company Sergeant Major - Polish rank - st.sierz. - starszy sierzant
C.S.M. - Company Sergeant Major, - Polish rank - st.wachm. - starszy wachmistrz
Capt. - Captain - Polish rank - kpt. - kapitan
Col. - Colonel
Con. - Conductor
Col. - Sgt/C. Sgt - Colour Sergeant
Cpl. - Corporal - Polish rank - kapr. - kapral - ARMY
Cpl. - Corporal - Polish rank - plut. - plutonowy - AIR FORCE

D.H. - Deck Hand
Dmr. - Drummer
Dgn. - Dragoon - Polish rank - drag. - dragon
Dvr. - Driver

E.R.A - Engine Room Artificer

F/Lt - Flight Lieutenant - Polish rank - kpt. - kapitan - AIR FORCE
Flt.Lt - Flight Lieutenant
Flt.Cdr - Flight Commander
Flt.Slt - Flight Sub Lieutenant
Far. Sgt – Farrier Sergeant
F.O. - Flying Officer - Polish rank - por. - pororucznik - AIR FORCE
F.S. - Flight Sergeant - Polish rank - st.sierz. - starszy sierzant - AIR FORCE
Fl. Lt - Flight Lieutenant
Fl. Off. - Flying Officer
Fus. - Fusilier

Gdsm – Guardsman
Gen. - General
Gnr. - Gunner - Polish rank - kan. - kanonier
Grn. - Grenadier - Polish rank - gren. - grenadier
Group Captain - Polish rank - plk. - pulkownik - AIR FORCE

L.A.C. - Leading Aircraftman - Polish rank - kpr. - kapral
Lcr. - Lancer - Polish rank - ul. - ulan - ARMY RANK
L.H. – Leading Hand
L.S. - Leading Seaman
L/Cpl. - Lance Corporal - Polish rank - st szer. - starszy szeregowiec
L/Cpl Rifles. - Polish rank - st.strz. - starszy strzelec
L/Cpl Dragoons. - Polish rank - st.drag. - starszy dragon
L/Cpl Lancers. - Polish rank - st. ul. - starszy ulan
L/Cpl Engineers. - Polish rank - st.sap. - starszy saper
L/Cpl Artillery. - Polish rank - bomb. - bombardier
L/Sgt. - Lance Sergeant
Ldg Smn - Leading Seaman
Lt. - Lieutenant - Polish rank - por. - porucznik
Lt. Cdr. – Lieutenant Commander
Lt. Col. - Lieutenant Colonel
Lt. Gen. – Lieutenant General

Maj/Mjr. – Major
Maj-Gen. – Major General
Mech. - Mechanic
Mun. Wkr. - Munitions Worker

O.S. - Ordinary Seaman
Ord. Smn. - Ordinary Seaman

P.O. - Pilot Officer - Polish rank - ppor. - podporucznik - AIR FORCE
P.O. 1 - Petty Officer Class 1
P.O. 2 - Petty Officer Class 2
Pte. - Private
Pvt. - Private - Polish rank - szer. - szeregowiec

R.S.M. - Regimental Sergeant Major
Rfn. - Rifleman - Polish rank - strz. - strzelec - ARMY

S.O. – Station Officer
S.S. – Shoeing-Smith or Farrier
S/FM - Senior Fireman
Sgt. - Sergeant - Polish rank - plut. - plutonowy - ARMY
Sgt.Maj. - Sergeant Major - Polish rank - sierz. - sierzant - ARMY RANK
SgtM. - Sergeant Major - Polish rank - sierz. - sierzant - ARMY
Sergeant Major of Horse - Polish rank - wachm. - wachmistrz
Sergeant Major of Artillery - Polish rank - ognm. - ogniomistrz
Sig. - Signaller / Signalman
Signr. - Signaller
Sjt. – Serjeant
S.Sgt. – Staff Sergeant
Smn. – Seaman
Spr. - Sapper - Poland rank - sap. - saper - ARMY
Sq. Ldr - Squadron Leader
Sqdn.Cdr. Squadron Commander
S/Kper -Storekeeper Sub. O. – Sub-Officer

Tpr. - Trooper

W.O. - Warrant Officer - Polish rank - chor. - chorazy - AIR FORCE
W.Op - Wireless Operator
W.Cdr, - Wing Commander
W.Capt. - Wing Captain