1/1 e.g. 1/1 Maritime Regt or 1st Battery of 1st Regiment 1c 1st class 2c 2nd class 3c 3rd class (A) Air Branch (officer) (A) Air Frame (rating) AA anti-aircraft Act/ Acting ADM Admiralty (document) AEW airborne early warning AFU Advanced Flying Unit (AR) (Radio rating) A/S anti- (AW) (Radio rating) Bantie South African rating Bhandary Royal Indian Navy rating BVLS “British Vessels Lost at Sea 1939-1945”, HMSO BYMS British Yard (US-built) BPD Boom Patrol Detachment (Ch) Chatham (after service number) CO commanding officer CWGC Commonwealth War Graves Commission CWO Commissioned Warrant Officer (D) Dentist DEMS Defensively Equipped Merchant DFC Distinguished Flying Cross DOI died of injuries DOW died of wounds DOWS died on war service DSC Distinguished Service Cross DSM Distinguished Service Medal DSO Distinguished Service Order Du Dutch (E) Engineering Branch (officer) (E) Engines (Air Mechanic rating) EFTS Elementary Flight Training School FAA Fleet Air Arm FPB fast FIS Flight Instructor School GM George Medal Gr Greece HBL Home Based Ledger, i.e. miscellaneous personnel HKRNVR Hong Kong RNVR HMCG His Majesty’s Coast Guard HQ Headquarters HS hospital IED improvised explosive device ITC Infantry Training Command (Royal Marines) jg Junior Grade Lieutenant, US Navy Krooman African seaman, including South Africa (L) Electrical (rating) LA Light Assault (Royal Marines) Lascar general term for a sailor from the Indian Ocean area, mainly India, serving on British ship LBE landing barge, emergency repair LBO landing barge, oiler LBV landing barge vehicle LBV(M) landing barge vehicle (motorised) i.e. not a dumb barge LBW landing barge, water LCA assault LCF landing craft flak LCF(L) landing craft flak (large) LCG(L) landing craft gun (large) LCH landing craft headquarters LCI(L) landing craft infantry (large) LCI(M) landing craft infantry (medium) LCM landing craft mechanised LCOCU Landing Craft Obstacle Clearance Unit LCP landing craft personnel LCP(L) landing craft personnel (large) LCP(R) landing craft personnel (ramped) LCQ landing craft administration LCS(L) landing craft support (large) LCS(M) landing craft support (medium) LCT landing craft tank LCT(A) landing craft tank (armoured LCT(R) landing craft tank (rocket) LCU landing craft, utility LCV landing craft vehicle LCVP landing craft vehicle/personnel LNO Leading Naval Officer LSE(LC) landing ship emergency repair (Landing Craft), ex-LST LSL landing ship logistics LST landing ship tank LST(C) landing ship tank (carrier) MA/SB motor anti-submarine boat MBE Member of the British Empire MBMU Motor Boat Maintenance Unit MC Cross Met Meteorological MFV motor fishing vessel MFPV motor fishing patrol vessel MGB motor gun boat ML MMS motor minesweeper MN Merchant Navy MNBDO Marine Naval Base Defence Organisation MONAB Mobile Naval Air Base (base name prefix is “Nab”) MPD missing presumed dead MPK missing presumed killed MTB motor MV motor vessel NAP Naval Auxiliary Patrol NAPS Naval Auxiliary Patrol Service NAS Naval Air Station NCSO Naval Chief Staff Officer NID Naval Intelligence Division No Norwegian NDF Naval Defence Force NDP Naval Dockyard Police NVF Naval Volunteer Force NZD New Zealand Division (of the Royal Navy, preceeded formation of RNZN) (O) Officer’s Cook or Steward (rating) (O) (Aircraft) Ordnance (rating) OFSI Operational Flying School Instruction O/P on passage OTU Officer Training Unit (P) Pilot Para Parachute Regiment, British Army Pens Pensioner (Ply) Plymouth (after service number) (Po) Polish (after ship) (Po) Portsmouth (after service number) PS Patrol Service PWSS Port War Signal Station Py/ Probationary QARNNSR Queen Alexander’s Royal Naval Nursing Service Reserve QGM Queen’s Gallantry Medal RA Royal Artillery (British Army) RAF Royal Air Force RAFR Royal Australian Fleet Reserve RAMC Royal Army Medical Corps RAN Royal Australian Navy RANR Royal Australian Naval Reserve RANVR Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve RCN Royal Canadian Navy RCNC Royal Corps of Naval Constructors RCNR Royal Canadian Naval Reserve RCNVR Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve RDF radio direction finding/radar operator – not a rating at this time RE Royal Engineers (British Army) Regt Regiment RFA Royal Fleet Auxiliary RFR Royal Fleet Reserve RIN Royal Indian Navy RINR Royal Indian Naval Reserve RM Royal Marines RMA Royal Marine Artillery RMB Royal Marine Band RME Royal Marine Engineer RMLI Royal Marine Light Infantry RMPSR RM Police Special Reserve RNAS Royal Naval Air Station or Service RNASBR Royal Navy Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve RNEC Royal Naval Engineering College RNethN or Royal Netherlands or Dutch Navy RNN RNorN Royal Norwegian Navy RNPS Royal Naval Patrol Service RNR Royal Naval Reserve RNSR Royal Naval Special or Supplementary Reserve RNVR Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve RNV(W)R Royal Naval Volunteer (Wireless) Reserve ROK Republic of Korea (S) Steward (rating) (S) Supply (officer) SA South Africa SANF South African Naval Force SAR sea-air rescue SBS Special Boat Service (Royal Marines) SCO sonar (asdic) control operator - not a rating at this time Seacunny Royal Indian Navy rating Seedie locally engaged crew member mostly on the East Africa Station. Serang Royal Indian Navy rating SFTS Service Flight Training School SGB Steam gun boat SOE Special Operations Executive Sp Br Special Branch - intelligence Sqn Squadron SS Special Service (Royal Marines) SS steamship SS Straits Settlements (part of modern Malaysia) Sukhani Royal Indian Navy rating (T) Torpedo (specialist) T.124 merchant seaman serving under Naval Articles, Naval Officers and subjecting them to naval discipline (number of the form) Tindal Royal Indian Navy rating (may be found spelt Tendal) Topass Royal Indian Navy rating Ty/ Temporary TE Training Establishment TS TU Training Unit UXB unexploded bomb VAD Voluntary Aid Detachment (nurses and support staff) VRA Volunteer Reserve Airman WO Warrant Officer WRNS Women’s Royal Naval Service YMS Yard Minesweeper, US-built