ABBREVIATIONS and ACRONYMS of WW2 and service records

T

T - Transmitter
TA - Territorial Army
TAB - Tactical Advance to Battle
TAC – Tactical; or Translation accuracy check
TACEVAL - Tactical Evaluation
TADU - Target Aircraft Development Unit; or Training Aids Development Unit
TAF - Tactical Air Force
TAFSU - Tactical Air Force Support Unit
TAG - Telegraphist Air Gunner (Fleet Air Arm)
TAI - Target Area of Interest
TAMU - Transport Aircraft Maintenance/Modification Unit
TARU - Transport Aircraft Repair Unit
TB - Torpedo Bomber; or Treasury Board
TBF - Torpedo Bomber Fighter
TBS - Torpedo & Bombing School; or Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
TBT – Target Bearing Transmitter. Cradle for binoculars that could relay the bearing.
TC - Training Command (Later Transport Command); or Training Centre
TCAEU - Transport Command Aircrew Examining Unit
TCASF - Transport Command Air Support Flight
TCBU - Transport Command Base Unit
TCCCS - Tactical Command, Control and Communications System
TCDU/F - Transport Command Development Unit
TCEU - Transport Command Examining Unit
TCFCS - Transport Command Flight Commanders School
TCICU - Transport Command Initial Conversion Unit
TCMF - Transport Command Meteorological Flight
TCNVTS - Transport Command Night Vision Training School
TCP – Traffic Control Point
TCPS - Transport Command Practice Flight
TCU - Transport Conversion Unit
TCV – Troop Carrying Vehicle
TD - Temporary Duty
TDC – Torpedo (firing) Data Computer
TDS - Training Depot Station
TDU/F/S - Torpedo Development Unit/Flight/Section
TDU - Tactical Development Unit
TEE - Test & Evaluation Establishment
TEU - Tactical Exercise Unit
TEWT - Training/Tactical Exercise Without Troops
TF - Training Flight; or Task Force
TFF - Target Facilities Flight
TFPP - Temporary Ferry Pilots School; or Training Ferry Pilots Pool
TFP - Training Ferry Pool
TFS/F - Target Facilities Squadron
T/F/Sgt. Temporary Flight Sergeant
TFU - Telecommunications Flying Unit
Tgt – Target
TI - Target Indicator; or Time In; or Trial Installation
TIC - Troops In Contact
TIMs - Toxic Industrial Materials
TIMEX - Time-Expired
Tk – Tank
TL - Trade Level
TLA - Three Letter Acronym
TM – Trench Mortar
TMB - Trench Mortar Battery
TMSBP - Theater Mission Specific Battle Procedure
TMST - Theater Mission Specific Training
Tn - Transport
T/O - Take Off
TOE - Table of Organization and Equipment
TO&E - Table of Organization and Equipment
TOET - Test of Elementary Training
TOS - Taken on strength (of a unit); or Terms of Service
TOT – Time On Target
Tourex - Tour-Expired
Tp – Troop; or Training Plan
TPO - Teleprinter Operator
Tpr - Trooper (Private rank equivalent - cavalry and some police)
TPS - Test Pilots School
Tps - Troops
TPT – Transport ; or Target practice tracer; or Third Party Targeting
TQ - Trade Qualification (levels; obsolete term for course training levels, ex. TQ 2, TQ 3)
TQF - The Queens Flight
T/R - Transmitter/Receiver
TRE - Telecommunications Research Establishment
Trg - Training
Trg O -Training Officer
TRS - Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron; or Torpedo Refresher School
Tru - Transportable Radar Unit
TRUMP - Tribal Class Destroyer Update and Modernization Project
TS - Training School; or Training Squadron
TSC - Training Support Company
TSCU - Transport Support Conversion Unit
T/Sgt. - Temporary Sergeant ;Technical Sergeant(2nd Grade)(US.)
TSPC - Transport Support Practice Camp
TSR - Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance ; or Training and Support Request
TSTS - Trade Selection Test Section
TSTU - Transport Support Training Unit
TT - Target Towing
T.T.- Trade Training
TTC - Technical Training Command
TTF - Target Towing Flight; or Towed Target Flight; or Tanker Training Flight; or Torpedo Training Flight; or Transport Training Flight
TT&G - Target Towing & Gunnery
TTP's - Tactics, Techniques and Procedures
TTS - Torpedo Training School/Squadron
TTU - Torpedo Training Unit; or Target Towing Unit
TU - Training Unit
TUA - TOW Under Armour
TURS - Training Unit & Reserve School
TV - Tactical Vest
TWDU - Tactical Weapons Development Unit
T/W/O - Temporary Warrant Officer
Two i/c – Second In Command (2IC)
TWU - Tactical Weapons Unit
T/3 Sgt. - Technical Sergeant(3rd Grade) - US.
T/4 Sgt. - Technical Sergeant(4th Grade)
T/5 Cpl. - Technical Corporal(5th Grade)

 

U

UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
UAS - University Air Squadron
U-Boot - Unterseeboot - Submarine - Ger.
U/C Undercarriage
UDT - Underwater Demolition Team (WW2 forerunner of today's Navy Seals)
UED - Universal Equipment Depot
Uffz. - UnterOffizier - Under Officer - Ger.
UHF - Ultra High Frequency (radio)
u/i - Unidentified
UKADGE - UK Air Defence Ground Environment
UKADR - UK Air Defence Region
UKMF – United Kingdom Mobile Force
UMS - Unit Medical Section
Unclass – Unclassified
UOR - Urgent Operational Requirement
UNPROFOR - United Nations Protection Force
UPR - Unit Personnel Record (CF 478)
URS - Records Support Unit
U/S – Unserviceable
us - unserviceable
US - United States
USAAC - United States Army Air Corps
USAAC/F United States Army Air Corps/Flight
USAAF - United States Army Air Forces
Ustfuh - Untersturmfuhrer - Ger.
u/t - under training
UT - University Teaching Group
UTPNCM - University Transfer Program (Non-Commissioned Member)
UXB - Unexploded Bomb
UXO - Unexploded Ordnance

 

V

VAC - Veterans Affairs Canada
VAD - Voluntary Aid Detachment
VAdm/VADM - Vice Admiral, three star naval flag officer, – O9
VC – Victoria Cross
VCAS - Vice Chief of the Air Staff
VCDS – Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
VCP – Vehicle Check Point
VCR - Valve, Cathode-Ray (cathode-ray tube)
Veh – Vehicle
VFS- Verification of Former Service
VGS - Volunteer Gliding School
VHF - Very High Frequency (radio frequency band)
VISTRE - Visual Inter-Service Training & Research Establishment
VOR - VHF Omnidirectional Range (Radio Navigation Aid);Vehicle Off Road(unserviceable)
VR - Voluntary Release
VS - VolksSturm - German peoples militia/home guard force

 

W

WAAC - Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (UK)
WAAF - Women's Auxiliary Air Force
WACS - West Africa Communication Squadron
WARD - Western Aircraft Repair Depot
W/Cdr - Wing Commander
WCAD - War Casualty Accounts Department
WCS - Western Communication Squadron
WD – Womens Division (Airforce)
WDCF/U - Western Desert Communication Flight/Unit
WDU - Wireless Development Unit
WE - War Establishment
WEE - Wireless Experimental Establishment
Wef - With Effect From
WEM - Wireless Electrical Mechanic
Wg - Wing
WIA - Wounded In Action
WIDU - Wireless Intelligence Development Unit
Wksp - Workshop
WL - Wing Leader
WO - Warrant Officer; or War Office (UK)
WO1 - Warrant Officer First Class
WO2 - Warrant Officer Second Class
W/Op - Wireless Operator
WOp/AG - Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
WORD - Western Ontario Regimental Depot
WOS - Wireless & Observers School/Wireless Operators School
WOT1 War Office Type 1 Fire Tender
WOU - Wireless Operators Unit
WRAF - Women's Royal Air Force
WRAFVR (T) - Women's Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training branch) (disbanded with WRAF)
WS - Wireless School
W/T - Wireless Telegraphy (morse code communicatons)
WTO-AGP - World Trade Organization – Agreement on Government Procurement
WTP - Wireless Testing Park
WTS - Wireless Telegraphy School; or Weapons Training Squadron
WTt - Wireless Telegraphy

 

X

XM - Experimental Model (followed by numbers/letters) - US.
XO - Executive Officer (Navy); 2nd in command, reports to the CO

 

Y

YandD - Bureau of Yards and Docks
yd - Yard
YO - Young Officer

 

Z

z.b.V. zur besonderen Verwendung - For special use (personnel medical classification) - Ger.
ZI - Zone of Interior, World War II official term for the United States. The term CONUS replaced it.
Zug - Platoon - Ger.
Zulu - Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Standardized Military Time
Z.Z.E - Zeigerzieleinrichtung - dial sight (artillery) - Ger.

 

0-9

1st Lt. - First Lieutenant -US.
1st Sgt. - First Sergeant(1st and 2nd Grade) - US.
2IC – 2nd in Command
2Lt - Second Lieutenant
2nd Lt. - Second Lieutenant
404s - DND 404 (Military Driver's License) - Canada

 

You are aware that a similar thread already exists for this, arn't you?

 

do you have a link? couldn't find it anywhere - you're the first to mention it

 

http://www.ww2f.com/wwii-general/9569-little-help.html

It was actually something Otto started for use for some project he had going but it it would be good if yours could be merged into it as yours is quite indepth.

 

Thanks - will combine any i don't have yet in - It'll take a couple of weeks to get this one properly filled in with the majority of the abbs. etc (got about 20 more lists to mix in)- we'll see how it goes

 

will do Lou - give me a day or two

 

Ok this thread is now open for business - It is however still an incomplete work in progress and I will be adding in elements from a good selection of lists I have over the next couple of weeks.

What everyone could do to help if possible, is each time they come across an abbreviation or term that they need to figure out, please post the findings here and I can add them to the lists.

If anyone has any good lists of abbreviations etc, please post them here - currently particularly short of medal/award abbreviations (all nations), service record specific abbreviations, Italian, French and Russian(Roman Alphabet) abbreviations (ranks,unit types,equipments,organisations) and any more you don't see represented in the list so far.

If at all possible post them in the format of the others so I can just cut and paste, but anyway they come will be useful.

If everyone can throw me an abbreviation or two that isn't in the list every time they log on, or every time they find or use a new one, these lists will soon be functional.

Thanks in advance

 

WW2 Slang, Acronyms & Abbreviations

http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Slang.htm

 

thanks Ray - I'll work through them later - actually if you can and have the time then go ahead...?

 

MPEG - Military Police Escort Guard (usually Limited Service Soldiers) used to transport POWS to the rear and/or to the States. These men for those I personally saw did a 4.0 job without much recognition. SgtLeo

 

Thanks Sgt Leo - trying to add - having trouble editing at moment

 

To add to the heap.
WW2T's main Abbreviations thread, mostly for the Commonwealth in WW2 obsessed - needs tidying up somewhat, but still rather handy:
Abbreviations - World War 2 Talk

In a similar vein perhaps, a transcription of an SoTT German Technical glossary I did a while back. Sometimes useful for the confused Panzer-nerd:
School of Tank Technology - Glossary of German Tank Terms - German/English Technical Glossary - 1943 - World War 2 Talk

There is a very handy little book that's helped me out many times on more general terminology:
Dictionary of Military Terms 3rd Edition ELT Trade Cover: Amazon.co.uk: Richard Bowyer: Books
It's pretty good on acronyms too, but they're mostly from modern parlance, so you sometimes have to sort of translate into WW2 speak.

~A