Military abbreviations used in the Great war

Below is the definitive list of Military abbreviations used in the Great war; as taken from the four volumes of 'Order of Battle of Divisions'.

Note: For the period of the Great War the titles of regiments have been taken from the 1914-1918 Army Lists.

A.

(A.-A.) - (Anti-Aircraft).

A.-A. & Q.-M.-G. - Assistant-Adjutant & Quarter-Master-General.

A. & N.Z. - Australian & New Zealand.

A. & S.H. - Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

A. & Q. - Adjutant & Quartermaster-General.

A.C. - Armoured Car.

A.C.C. - Army Cyclist Corps (Home Service).

A.-D. - Assistant-Director.

Advd. - Advanced.

A.F.A. Bde. - Army Field Artillery Brigade.

A.H.Q. - Army Head-Quarters.

A.L.H. - Australian Light Horse.

Am. - American.

Amb. or Ambce. - Ambulance.

Ammn. Coln - Ammunition Column.

Ammn. Park - Ammunition Park.

Anzac. - Australian & New Zealand Army Corps.

A.O. - Army Order.

A.R.O. - Army Routine Order.

Arty. - Artillery.

A.S.C. - Army Service Corps.

A.T. - Army Troops.

A.T. Carts - Army Transport Carts.

Aus. - Australian.

Aux. - Auxillary.

A.V.C. - Army Veterinary Corps.

B.

B.A.C. - Brigade Ammunition Column.

Bde. - Brigade.

Bedf. - Bedfordshire.

Bedf. Yeo. - Bedfordshire Yeomanry.

B.E.F. - British Expeditionary Force.

Berks. - Berkshire.

B.F.T. - British Forces in Turkey.

B.-G. or Brig.-Gen. - Brigadier-General.

B.-G.G.S. - Brigadier-General General Staff.

B.-G. R.A. - Brigadier-General Royal Artillery (Commander of Royal Artillery of the Corps).

B.-G.R.E. - Brigadier-General Royal Engineers.

B.-G.R.H.A. Brigadier-General, Royal Horse Artillery

B.L. - Breech-loader.

B.L.C. - B.L. Converted.

B.-M. - Brigade-Major.

Bn. (Bns). - Battalion (Battalions).

Border. - Border Regiment.

Br.-Gen. - Brigadier-General.

Bty. (Bties). - Battery (Batteries).

Bucks. - Buckinghamshire.

Buffs. - Buffs (East Kent Regiment).

B.W. - Black Watch (Royal Highlanders).

B.W.I. - British West Indies Regiment

C.

Camb. - Cambridgeshire Regiment.

Cam. H. - Cameron Highlanders.

Capt. - Captain.

Cav. or Cavy. -Cavalry.

C.B. - Cavalry Brigade.

C.C.S. - Casualty Clearing Station.

cd. - Command.

C.D.M.T. Coy. - Cavalry Divisional Mechanical Transport Company.

Cdn. - Canadian.

Cdr. - Commander.

C.E. - Chief Engineer.

C.E.D. - Corps Expeditionnaire des Dardanelles.

C.E.O. - Corps Expeditionnaire d'Orient.

C.F.A. - Combined Field Ambulance.

C.G. - Coldstream Guards.

C.G.S. - Chief of the General Staff.

C.H.A. - Commander of Corps Heavy Artillery.

Ches. - Cheshire Regiment.

C.I. - Central India.

C.I.G.S. - Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

C. in C. - Commander-in-Chief.

Col. - Colonel.

Coll. - Colonial.

Col.-Cdt. - Colonel-Commandant.

Comp. - Composite.

Conn. Rang. - Connaught Rangers.

Co. - County.

Coy. - Company.

Cos. - Companies.

C.R.E. - Commanding Royal Engineers.

C.R.H.A. - Commanding Royal Horse Artillery.

D.

d. - Died.

D. - Director.

D.A.C. - Divisional Ammunition Column.

D.A.D. - Deputy- Assistant-Director.

D.A.G. - Deputy-Adjutant-General.

D.-A. & Q.-M.-G. - Deputy-Adjutant & Quartermater-General.

D.A.N. - Detachment d'Armee du Nord.

D.C.L.I. - Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.

D.-D. - Deputy-Director.

D.-D.M.S. - Deputy-Director Medical Services.

D.-D.V.S. - Deputy-Director Veterinary Services.

D.E. Coy - Divisional Employmeny Company.

Detnt. - Detachment.

D.F.P.S. - Detachment Francais de Palestine et Syrie.

Devon - Devonshire Regiment.

D.G. - Dragoon Guards.

Dgns. - Dragoons.

Disembkd. - Disembarked.

Disembkn. - Disembarkation.

Div. - Division.

Divnl. - Divisional.

D.L.I. - Durham Light Infantry.

D.M.C. - Desert Mounted Corps.

D. of L. Own Yeo. - Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry.

d. of w. - died of wounds.

Dorset - Dorsetshire Regiment.

D.P. - Drill-pattern.

Duke's - Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment).

D.-Q.-M.-G. - Deputy-Quartermater General

E.

E. - East; or Eastern.

E.E.F - Egyptian Expeditionary Force.

E.F. - Expeditionary Force.

E.-in-C. - Chief Engineer (General Head-quarters).

E. Lanc. - East Lancashire Regiment.

Embkd. - Embarked.

Emplnt. or Emplynt. - Employment.

Eng. - Engineers.

Entg. Bn. - Entrenching Battalion.

Essex - Essex Regiment.

E. Surr. - East Surrey Regiment.

evcd. - evacuated.

E. Yorks. - East Yorkshire Regiment.

F.

Fd. - Field.

Fd. Amb. - Field Ambulance.

Fr. - French.

G.

(G.) - (Graduated Battalion).

Garr. Gd. - Garrison Guard Battalion.

G.B. or Garr. Bn. - Garrison Battalion.

Gds. - Guards.

G.G. - Grenadier Guards.

G.H.Q. - General Head-Quarters.

Glam. - Glamorganshire.

Glouc. - Gloucestershire Regiment.

G.O.C. - General Officer Commanding.

Gord. H. - Gordon Highlanders.

G.Q.G. - Grand Quartier General des Armees Francaises.

G.Q.G.A. - Grand Quartier General des Armees Alliees en France.

G.R.O. - General Routine Orders.

Gr. How. - Green Howards (Alexandria Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment).

G.S. - General Staff.

G.S.O. 1. - General Staff Officer (1st Grade).

H.

(H.) - Howitzer.

H., or How. - Howitzer.

H.A., or Hy.Arty. - Heavy Artillery.

H.A.C. - Honourable Artillery Company.

H.A.G. - Heavy Artillery Group.

H.A.R. - Heavy Artillery Reserve.

Hants. - Hampshire.

H.A.R. - Heavy Artillery Reserve.

H.B. Heavy Battery.

H.D. Trps. - Home Defence Troops.

Hereford. - Herefordshire.

Herts. - Hertfordshire.

H.F. - Home Forces.

H.L.I. - Highland Light Infantry.

Home Co's - Home Counties.

Home Cties. - Home Counties.

Househ'ld. - Household.

How. Bde. - Howitzer Brigade.

How. Bty. - Howitzer Battery.

H.Q. - Headquarters.

Hsrs. - Hussars.

H.T. - Horse Transport.

H.T.M.B. - Heavy Trench Mortar Battery.

Hy. - Heavy.

Hy. Bde. - Heavy Brigade.

Hy. Bty. - Heavy Battery.

Hy. Bty. A.C. - Heavy Battery Ammunition Column.

I.

I. - Intelligence.

I.G. - Irish Guards.

I.-G. - Inspector General.

Impl. - Imperial.

Ind. - Indian.

Inf. - Infantry.

Ir. - Irish.

I.S. - Imperial Staff.

It. - Italian.

J.

K.

k. or kd. - Killed.

K.E. Horse - King Edward's Horse.

K.G.O. - King George's Own.

King's - King's (Liverpool Regiment).

K.O. - King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment).

K.OS.B. - Kings Own Scottish Borderers.

K.O.Y.L.I. - King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

K.R.R.C. - King's Royal Rifle Corps.

K.S.L.I. - King's (Shropshire Light Infantry).

L.

L., or Lt. - Light (whippets, if referring to Tank Bns.)

L.A. - Light Armoured.

L.C. - Light Car.

Lcrs. - Lancers.

Leic. - Leicestershire Regiment.

Leic. Yeo. - Leicestershire Yeomanry.

Leins. - Leinster Regiment.

L.F. or Lanc. Fus. - Lancashire Fusiliers.

Lanc. Fus. Bde. - Lancashire Fusiliers Brigade.

L.G. - Lewis Gun.

L.G. - Life Guards.

L.H.

L.I. - Light Infantry.

Lieut.-General. - Lieutenant-General.

Linc. - Lincolnshire Regiment.

L.N.L. - Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.

L. of C. - Lines of Communication.

Lond. - London Regiment.

Loyal. - The Loyal Regiment (North LAncashire).

L.R.B. - London Rifle Brigade.

L.S. - London Scottish.

L.Sec. - Left Section.

Lt.-Col. - Lieutenant-Colonel.

M.

Manch. - Manchester Regiment.

Med. - Medium.

M.E.F. - Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.

M.G.C. - Machine-Gun Corps.

M.G.Coy. - Machine-Gun Company.

M.G.C.(H.B.) - Machine-Gun Corps (Heavy Branch).

M.-G.G.S. - Major-General General Staff.

M.G.O. - Machine-Gun Officer.

M.-G.R.A. - (Army). - Major-General Royal Artillery (G.O.C. R.A. of Army).

M.-G.R.A. (G.H.Q.). - Major-General Royal Artillery (of Expeditionary Force).

M.M.G. - Motor-Machine-Gun.

M.O. - Medical Officer.

Mobn. - Mobilization.

Mob. Vety. Sec, - Mobile Veterinary Section.

Mon. or Monm'th. - Monmouthshire Regiment.

Montgom. - Montgomeryshire.

M.S. - Medical Services.

Maj. - Major.

Maj.-Gen. - Major-General.

m.g. - machine gun.

M.G. Sec. - Machine-Gun Section.

M.G. Sqdn. - Machine-Gun Squadron.

M.I. - Mounted Infantry.

Middlx. - Middlesex Regiment.

Midld. - MIdland.

Mk. - Mark.

Mn. - Midnight.

M.T. - Mechanical Transport.

Mtd. - Mounted.

Mtn. - Mountain.

N.

N. - North.

Newf'dld - Newfoundland.

N.F. - Northumberland Fusiliers.

N. Irish H. - North Irish Horse.

N.M. Fd. Coy. - North Midland Fuiliers.

Norf. - Norfolk Regiment.

Northants. Yeo. - Northamptonshire Yeomanry.

North'd - Northumberland.

North'n - Northamptonshire.

N. Som. - North Somerset.

N. Staff. - North Staffordshire Regiment.

N.S.W. - New South Wales.

Notts. - Nottinghamshire.

N.Z. & A. - New Zealand & Australian.

N.Z.M.R. - New Zealand Mounted Rifles.

O.

O. - Operations.

O.B. - Order of Battle.

Offrs. - Officers.

O.S. - Ordnance Services.

opp. - opposite.

O.R. - Other Ranks.

Oxf. - Oxfordshire.

O. & B.L.I. - Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

P.

(P.) - (Pioneers).

pdr. - -pounder.

Pemb. - Pembrokeshire.

P.E. - Peace Establishment.

Pltn. (Pltns.) - Platoon (Platoons).

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

Port. - Portuguese.

P.O. Rif. - Post Office Rifles.

Provl. - Provisional.

P.W.O. - Prince of Wales's Own.

Q.

Q.-F. - Quick-Firer.

Q.M.-G. - Quartermaster-General.

Q.O. - Queen's Own.

Q.O.O. - Hsrs. - Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars.

Q.O.R.R. Staff. Yeo. - Queen's Own Royal Regiment, Staffordshire Yeomanry.

Q.O.R.W.K. - Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).

Queen's - Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment).

Q.V. Rif. - Queen Victoria's Rifles.

Q.W. Rif. - Queen's Westminster Rifles.

R.

R. - Royal.

R.A.F. - Royal Air Force.

R.A.S.C. - Royal Army Service Corps.

R.B. - Rifle Brigade.

R. Berks. - Royal Berkshire Regiment.

R. Cdn. H.A. Bde. - Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Brigade.

R.D.F. - Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

R.E. - Royal Engineers.

Regt. - Regiment.

R.F. - Royal Fusiliers.

R.F.A. - Royal Field Artillery.

R.F.C. - Royal Flying Corps.

Rfts. - Reinforcements.

R.G.A. - Royal Garrison Artillery.

R. Guern. L.I. - Royal Guernsey. Light Infantry.

R.H.A. - Royal Horse Artillery.

R.H.G. - Royal Horse Guards.

Rid. - Riding.

R. Innis. F. - Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

R. Ir. F. - Royal Irish Fusiliers.

R. Irish Regt. - Royal Irish Regiment.

R. Ir. Rif. - Royal Irish Rifles.

R.M. - Royal Marines.

R.M.A. - Royal Marines Artillery.

R.M.F. - Royal Munster Fusiliers.

R.M.L.I. - Royal Marines Light Infantry.

R.M.M.C. - Regiment mixte de marche de Cavalerie.

R.N.A.C.D. - Royal Naval Armoured Car Division.

R.N.D. - Royal Naval Division.

R.N.Div. - Royal Naval Division.

R. Scots. - Royal Scots. (Lothian Regiment).

R.Sec. - Right Section.

R.S.F. - Royal Scots Fusiliers.

R. Suss. - Royal Sussex Regiment.

R.W. - Royal Warrant.

R. War. Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

R.W.F. - Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

R.W.K. - Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).

S.

S. - South; or Southern.

SA. or S. AFR. - South Africa.

S.A.A. Sec. - Small-Arm-Ammunition Section.

S.B. - Siege Battery.

S.B.A.C. - Siege Battery Ammunition Column.

S. & M. - Sappers & Miners.

S. & T. - Supply & Transport.

S.S.O. - Senior Staff Officer.

S.W.B. - South Wales Borderers.

S.Afr. - South African.

Sco. Rif. - The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).

Sea.H. - Seaforth Highlanders.

Sec..or Secn. - Section.

Ser. - Service.

S.G. - Scots Guards.

Sher. For. - Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment).

Sig. -Signals.

S. Irish H. - South Irish Hussars.

S. Lancs. - South Lancashire Regiment.

Som. L.I. - Somerset Light Infantry.

Sqdn. - Squadron.

Stn. - Station.

Suff. - Suffolk Regiment.

T.

T.A. - Territorial Army.

T.C. - Training Cadre.

T. & S Coln. - Transport & Supply Column.

Tempy. - Temporary.

Terrtl. - Territorial.

T.F. - Territorial Force.

T.M. - Trench Mortar.

T.M. Bty. - Trench Mortar Battery.

Trp. - Troop.

Tpt. - Transport.

U.

U.K. - United Kingdom.

V.

V.S. - Veterinary Section.

Vety. - Veterinary.

W.

W. - West; or Western.

War. - Warwickshire Regiment.

W.E. - War Establishment.

Welsh. - Welsh Regiment.

Westld.&Cumbld. Yeo. - Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry.

W.G. - Welsh Guards.

Wh. - Whippets (Light Tanks).

Wilts. - Wiltshire Regiment.

Worc. - Worcestershire Regiment.

w. or wd. - wounded.

W. Rid. - West Riding.

W. York. - West Yorkshire Regiment.

X.

Y.

Y. & L. - York & Lancaster Regiment.

Yeo. - Yeomanry.

Z.