WWII Air Force Service Records

Commonly Used Abbreviations

For your convenience these files are also available for download in the following formats:

• WWII Air Force Service Records - pdf file 22kb
• WWII Air Force Service Records - rtf file - 192kb

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

• 2TAF 2nd Tactical Air Force
• AACU Anti Aircraft Co-Operation Unit
• AC Air Craftsman
• AC-in-C Air Commander-in-Chief
• ACMB Aircrew Medical Board
• ACSEA Air Commander South-east Asia
• ADGB Air Defence of Great Britain
• ADM Admitted
• ADU Aerodrome Defence Unit
• AEAF Allied Expeditionary Air Force(s)
• AES Air Electronics School
• AFC Air Force Cross
• AFM Air Force Medal
• AGS Air Gunners School
• AHQ Allied Forces Headquarters
• ANS Air Navigation School
• AOC Air Officer Commanding
• AOC-in-C Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
• AOP Air Observation Post
• AOR At Own Request
• AOS Air Observers School
• APPTD Appointed
• ASR Air-Sea Rescue
• ATC Air Training Corps
• ATS Ait Training School
• ATTD Attached
• AW(O)L Absent With / Without Leave
• B&GS Bombing and Gunnery School
• BAFO British Air Forces of Occupation
• BATF Blind Approach Training Flight
• BC Bomber Command
• BCOF British Commonwealth Occupation Force
• BDRP Base Depot Reception Pool
• BEF British Expeditionary Force
• BEM British Empire Medal
• BOAC British Overseas Airways Corporation
• BR Bomber Reconnaissance
• CAS Chief of the Air Staff
• CC Coastal Command
• CEO Chief Engineering Officer
• CFI Chief Flying Instructor
• CFO Chief Flying Officer
• CFS Central Flying School
• CGI Chief Ground Instructor
• CGM Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
• CI Chief Instructor
• C-in-C Commander-in-Chief
• CMB Chief Medical Board
• CME Central Medical Establishment
• CMF Central Mediterranean Force
• CNI Chief Navigation Instructor
• CO Commanding Officer
• CSE Course
• CTBA Ceases to be Attached
• CTO Chief Technical Officer
• CU Conversion Unit
• D of AA Director of Air Armament
• D of AT Directorate of Air Tactics
• D of Ops Director of Operations
• D of Policy Directorate of Policy
• D of P Director of Personnel
• DAF Desert Air Force
• DCAS Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
• DD of Plans Deputy Director of Plans
• DDI Deputy Director of Intelligence
• DFC Distinguished Flying Cross
• DFM Distinguished Flying Medal
• DFT Director of Flying Training
• DG of P Directorate-General of Personnel
• DGMS Directorate-General of Medical Services
• DOW Died of Wounds / Duration of War
• DPMO Deputy Principal Medical Officer
• DSC Distinguished Service Cross
• DSM Directorate of Servicing and Maintenance
• E&WS Electrical and Wireless School
• EANS Empire Air Navigation School
• EFTS Elementary Flying Training School
• F/B Flying Boat
• FAA Fleet Air Arm
• FAP For all Purposes
• FB Fighter Bomber
• FIS Flying Instructors School
• FPMO Flying Personnel Medical Officer
• FTC Flying Training Command
• FTS Flying Training School
• FTU Ferry Training Unit
• GHQ General Headquarters
• GOC-in-C General Officer Commanding-in-Chief
• GR General Reconnaissance
• GRU General Reconnaissance Unit
• H/F High Flying
• HQ Headquarters
• ITW Initial Training Wing
• L/F Low Flying
• L/L Leigh Light
• MAAF Mediterranean Allied Air Forces
• MAP Ministry of Aircraft Production
• MC Military Cross
• MEAF Middle East Air Force
• MEF Middle East Force
• MM Military Medal
• MO Medical Officer
• MOAO Missing on Air Operations
• MOTU Maritime Operational Training Unit
• MR Maritime Reconnaissance
• MU Maintenance Unit
• N/F Night Flying
• NAAF Northwest Africa Air Forces
• NEAF Near East Air Force
• NTU Navigation Training Unit
• NWAAF North-west Africa Air Force
• NWACAF North-west Africa Coastal Air Force
• NZEF New Zealand Expeditionary Force
• NZPAF New Zealand Permanent Air Force
• OAFU Observers Advanced Flying Unit
• OBE Order of British Empire
• OC Officer Commanding
• OCU Operational Conversion Unit
• OTU Operational Training Unit
• PAFU Pilots Advanced Flying Unit
• PFF Pathfinder Force
• POW Prisoner of War
• PR Photographic Reconnaissance
• PRC Personnel Reception Centre
• R/P Rocket Projectiles
• RAAF Royal Australia Air Force
• RAE Royal Aircraft Establishment
• RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force
• RES Reserve
• RFC Royal Flying Corps
• RIAF Royal Indian Air Force
• RN Royal Navy
• RNAS Royal Naval Air Station
• RNAS Royal Naval Air Service
• RNR Royal Naval Reserves
• RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force
• SAAF South African Air Force
• SASO Senior Air Staff Officer
• SEAAC South-east Asia Air Command
• SEAC South-east Asia Command
• SESO Senior Engineer Staff Officer
• SFTS Service Flying Training School
• SHAEF Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
• SMEC Special Medical Examination Centre
• SMO Senior Medical Officer
• SOS Struck off Strength
• Sqn Squadron
• SU Servicing Unit
• TAC/R Tactical Reconnaissance
• TAF Tactical Air Force
• Tfd Transferred
• TOS Taken on Strength
• U/T Under Training
• USAAF United States Army Air Force
• VLR Very Long Range
• WAAF Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
• WEF With effect from