| 1/e |
Single Engined - 2/e, 3/e, 4/e etc. |
| 1TAF |
First Tactical Air Force |
| 2TAF |
Second Tactical Air Force |
| A/A
or AA
|
Anti-Aircraft fire or Aircraft Apprentice |
| AAEE |
Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment
(Boscombe Down) |
| AAF |
Auxiliary Air Force |
| AASF |
Advanced Air Striking Force |
| ABC unit |
Automatic Boost Control |
| AC |
Aircraftsman or Air Command |
| A/C |
Air Commodore |
| a/c |
Aircraft |
| AC1 or A/C 1 |
Aircraftman First Class |
| AC2 or A/C 2 |
Aircraftman Second Class |
| Ace |
A pilot who has destroyed a total of 5 or more planes in aerial combat |
| ACHGD |
Aircrafthand, General Duties |
| ACHQ |
Air Command Headquarters or Area Combined Headquarters |
| ACIs |
Air Council Instructions |
| Ack-Ack |
Anti-Aircraft fire |
| ACM or A.C.M. |
Air Chief Marshal |
| Actuals |
Maps with current weather data for flight planning |
| ACU |
Aircrew Conditioning Unit |
| ADGB |
Air Defence of Great Britain |
| adm. |
Admitted or Administration |
| Advance Routing |
Prior notice to combat units regarding ATA flights |
| AEA |
Air Efficiency Award |
| AEM |
Air Engine Mechanic |
| AFC |
Air Force Cross |
| AFHQ |
Air Force Headquarters |
| AFM |
Air Force Medal
or Air Frame Mechanic |
| AFRO |
Air Force Routine Orders |
| AFS |
Advanced Flying School |
| AFU |
Advanced Flying Unit |
| A/G or AG |
Air Gunner |
| AGGTS |
Air Gunner Ground Training School |
| AGL |
Above Ground Level |
| AGS |
Air Gunnery School |
| AGTS |
Aircrew Graduate Training School |
| AHU |
Administrative & Holding Unit |
| AHQ |
Air Headquarters |
| AI |
Airborne Interception |
| AID |
Aeronautical Inspection District |
| Airfield Commandos |
RAF / RCAF ground crew trained to defend their base against hostile ground troops |
| Airframe |
The main structure of an aircraft |
| Air Op / AOP |
Air Observation Post, light aircraft flown by an Army officer to provide info for ranging field guns |
| Albemarle |
Armstrong-Whitworth twin-engined A/C |
| Aldis Lamp |
Light with shuner for signaling in Morse code |
|
Alligator/Gator
|
Slang for Navigator
(limited use) |
| ALO |
Army Liason Officer |
| Altimeter |
Instrument giving an aircraft's altitude based on air pressure &/or ground-reflected radio signals |
| A/M or AM |
Air Marshall |
| AMD |
Auxiliary Manning Depot |
| AMES |
Air Ministry Experimental Station |
| Ammo |
Ammunition |
| AMO |
Air Ministry Order |
| AMWD |
Air Ministry Works Directorate |
| Angels |
Altitude; to "gain angels"; 1 Angel = 1000 feet |
| ANS |
Air Navigation School |
| Anson |
Avro Anson - principal twin-engined training aircraft used in Canada |
| AOC |
Air Officer Commanding |
| AOC-in-C |
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief |
| AOS |
Air Observer School |
| AP |
Air Publication or Armor Piercing |
| APE |
Address Prior to Enlistment |
| Apron |
The tarmac around a hangar |
| Ar. |
Arado |
| ARB |
Aircrew Re-selection Board- Body responsible for approving requests to remuster |
| ARC |
Appraisal and Refresher Course |
| Arm B |
Armourer Bombs |
| Arm G |
Armourer Guns |
| Arming Wires |
Safety devices to ensure that bombs did not detonate prematurely after release |
| Army Co-Op |
Air Force units assigned to help the army with photo-reconnaissance & ground attack work |
| Arrival |
An aircraft landing of barely adequate standard |
| ASL |
Above Sea Level |
| Astro |
(observation) Navigation using stars & a sextant |
| Astro Hatch |
Dome / opening in fuselage roof for Astro observation |
| ALG |
Advanced Landing Ground |
| ASO |
Assistant Section Officer |
| ASR |
Air Sea Rescue |
| ASV |
Air-Surface Vessel |
| ASW |
Anti-Submarine Warfare |
| ATA |
Air Transport Auxiliary. A unit made up primarily of over-age male pilots & women that ferries a/c, usually from factories to squadrons. |
| ATC |
Air Traffic Control; also, Air Training Corps |
| Auster |
British Taylorcraft Auster - single-engined, high-wing light aircraft used for artillery observation |
| auth. |
Authorized, Authority, Authenticated etc. |
| Auto-lean/rich |
Automatic air/fuel mixture control |
| Avenger |
Grumman Avenger, U.S. heavy s/e torpedo bomber |
| AVG |
American Volunteer Group (the Flying Tigers) |
| A/V/M or AVM |
Air Vice Marshall |
| AW |
Air Woman |
| AWL or AWOL |
Absent Without Leave |
| B |
As in "B12". British temporary airfield or base |
| B/A or BA |
Bomb Aimer |
| Bail out (Bale) |
To abandon an aircraft, usually by parachute |
| Balloon Barrage |
Groups of spaced out non-rigid balloons dangling cables, tethered around possible targets such as cities to obstruct enemy aircraft |
| Balls to the Wall |
Throttle lever[s] full forward (toward the firewall). Maximum throttle |
| Balls Up |
Sleeping. Not doing your job. Caught unaware |
| Bank |
To turn involving raising of one wing |
| Bandit |
Enemy aircraft |
| Barometric Altimeter |
Height gauge operating on air pressure |
| BAS |
Beam Approach System |
| BAT |
Blind (or Beam) Approach Training |
| Bat Boy / Man |
Officer's servant or personal assistant / Go-fer |
| Battle |
Fairey Battle, RAF s/e light bomber |
| Battle Dress |
Combat, non-dress uniform with short jacket worn by RCAF, RAF & Army |
| Battle of Britain |
Struggle for air supremacy over England won by the RAF in Sept.-Oct. 1940, stopping a
German invasion |
| Battle of France |
First meeting of the RAF & Luftwaffe as the BEF retreated
across France to Dunkirk |
| BCATP |
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan |
| BD |
Bomb Disposal |
| Beam Approach System |
Means of making a landing approach on an airfield using radio signals |
| Beat up |
To attack a target continuously or, to put on a low-flying display |
| Beau |
Short for |
| Beaufighter |
Bristol Beaufighter, much improved 2/e heavy Fighter improvement of Beaufort |
| Beaufort |
Bristol Beaufort, twin-engined torpedo bomber |
| Beehive |
Bomber formation closely escorted by fighters |
| BEF |
British Expeditionary Force |
| BEM |
British Empire Medal |
| Benders |
Knees |
| Bending an elbow |
Drinking |
| Bf or BF |
Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian Aircraft
Works) as in Bf-109. Designs after 1938 were designated Me for Messerschmitt *. Despite that technicality, pilots from both sides said Me109 not Bf109
during WW2 |
| BGS
or B&GS |
Bombing & Gunnery School |
| BGFU or B&GFU |
Bombing & Gunnery Flying Unit |
| Bible-Puncher |
Padre or Chaplain |
| Billy Can |
A mess tin that an Aircraftsman can cook in if need be |
| Bind |
Both noun and verb to indicate some thing/one
boring, depressing; monotonous; one who constantly complains - a binder;
or "in a bind" |
| Black |
Error of judgment; "'put up a black" |
| Black out |
To lose consciousness due to centrifugal force / or / a condition
that requires all lights to be off such as a city hiding from bombers |
| Blackouts |
WAAF issue knickers (panties); winter, navy
blue (see Twilights) |
| Blanket Drill |
Sleep; alt 'Horizontal Drill' |
| Bleeding Flaps |
Gradual raising of landing flaps |
| Blenheim |
Bristol Blenheim, RAF 2/e light bomber |
| Blind Flying |
Flying using instruments only |
| Blip |
An object on a radar screen |
| Blower |
Supercharger on aircraft engine |
| Blowing the wheels down |
Emergency method of lowering the wheels using compressed air |
| Blood Wagon |
Ambulance |
| BOAC |
British Overseas Airways Corporation |
| BoB |
Battle of Britain |
| Bob / Bobbing |
Modern = "brown-noser"
/ "brown-nosing" |
| Bod |
Short for body. A real person as opposed to just being a
name on a list |
| Bogey |
An unidentified aircraft / suspected (e/a) |
| Bomber Command |
Part of the RAF/RCAF responsible for heavy strategic bombing a/c & operations |
| Boner |
A mistake; to "pull a boner" is to make a mistake |
| Boob |
Mistake or error |
| Boost |
Amount of power given to engine by throttle setting / manifold
pressure [superchargers] |
| Boston |
Douglas A-20 "Boston" (RAF service) 2/e bomber; Called a "Havok" in USAAC service |
| Bought it |
Killed or missing |
| Bouncing bombs |
Drum-shaped bomb designed by Barnes Wallis to skip across the water and destroy dams |
| Bound |
Complained |
| Bowser |
A refueling truck |
| BPD |
Base Personnel Depot |
| BR |
Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron |
| Brassed off |
Angry |
| Bren Gun |
Portable Machine gun used by the British |
| Brock's Benefit |
Heavy AA fire [for Brock's fireworks manufacturer] |
| Browned off |
Lesser degree of angry |
| Brown-Ring Twitch |
Being nervous or scared is to get a case of "the brown-ring twitch" |
| Brat |
Short for 'Trenchard Brat' an ex-aircraft
apprentice or boy entrant |
| Briefing |
Instructions given to pilots before a sortie |
| Brolly |
Parachute |
| Brown Job |
Any member of the Army (see 'Pongo') |
| BSL |
Below Sea Level |
| BSU |
Bombing Survey Unit |
| Buck |
Shake and shudder |
| Buckshee |
Extra or free |
| Buster |
To move engine throttle rapidly to maximum power |
| Bumf / Bumph |
All paperwork; from 'bum-fodder' |
| Buzz bomb |
German V-1 rocket bomb |
| Bv or BV |
Blohm & Voss |
| C-47 |
Douglas "Dakota" (RAF) 2/e transport plane
Called "Skytrain" in USAAC service |
| Camera Obscura |
A room with a camera in the ceiling used for simulated bombing practice |
| CAN/RAF |
Canadian in the RAF |
| Canteen Cowboy |
Airman who sees himself as a ladies man;
also 'NAAFI Romeo' |
| Can |
To "carry
the can" is to take responsibility/blame |
| CANT |
Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini - An Italian a/c company |
| Captain |
The person in charge of an a/c in the air (not a rank but almost always the pilot) |
| Carabiniari |
Italian policeman |
| Carb |
Short for carburetor |
| Carb Heat |
(Carb heater) heat directed to the carburetor to prevent ice from forming |
| Carbureto |
A device for mixing fuel & air before it enters the combustion chamber of an engine |
| CAS |
Chief of Air Staff |
| Cat / Catalina |
Consolidated PBY Catalina; 2/e "flying boat" |
| CAVU |
Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited |
| CB |
Confined to Barracks = Punishment |
| CBE |
Award - Commander of the Most Excellent Order of
the British Empire |
| CC |
Confined to Camp; punishment like CB |
| CD |
Canadian Defense Medal |
| CEF |
Canadian Expeditionary Force |
| CFC |
Central Ferry Command; The body reponsible for overall assignment of ATA pilots |
| CFB |
Canadian Forces Base |
| CFI |
Chief Flying Instructor |
| CFS |
Central Flying School or Canadian Forces Station |
| CGM |
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal |
| CGS |
Central Gunnery School |
| Chairborne |
Any desk-bound job or duty |
| Cheese-cutter |
Airman's prewar peaked hat (slanged a "c_nt
cap" in the US Army) |
| Cheesed |
Angry; Cheesed-Off |
| Cheetah |
7 cylinder radial engine made by Armstrong Siddeley |
| Chief / Chiefy |
Flight Sergeant (in charge of ground crew & their a/c) or Wing Commander (in charge Wing) |
| Chocks |
Triangular blocks set in front of wheels to prevent unwanted rolling of aircraft |
| Chute |
Short for Parachute |
| CI |
Chief Instructor |
| Cine-gun film |
Gun camera film or footage |
| Circuit |
A 'circular' pattern followed by aircraft around an airfield prior to landing. 1 time around = 1 circuit |
| Circus |
Fighter escorted, short range, bombing attack |
| CIU |
Clinical Investigation Unit |
| Civvy Street |
Civilian life |
| Clapped Out |
Worn out. Tired. Beat |
| CLK |
Clerk |
| Clock |
Often refers to airspeed indicator |
| Close the hangar |
Stop talking shop (or Close the hangar doors) |
| Clot |
Fool; idiot; "thick" or dumbass |
| Clouds |
5/10 - meaning half the sky is covered with clouds |
| Clueless |
Ignorant, dumb (word is now common in the U.S.) |
| CMU |
Construction & Maintenance Unit |
| C/O or CO |
Commanding Officer. There can be only one
on site |
| Collector |
Exhaust ring on a radial engine (collector ring) |
| Colonials |
Derogatory name for British subjects not born in UK (ie RAF airmen from Commonwealth countries) |
| Colour of the day |
Colored flares (chosen daily) used to identify friendly aircraft |
| Come home |
Wheels retracted into position |
| COMM |
Communications Squadron |
| Commando |
Curtiss C-46 Commando transport aircraft |
| Commission |
A warrant giving someone officer rank. |
| Compass deviation |
A variance in compass reading usually caused by metal in the aircraft |
| Coned |
When your plane is caught in searchlights |
| Confetti |
Machine gun ammo |
| Contour chasing |
Low flying |
| Controller |
Same as today's air traffic controller |
| Cookie |
4000 lb bomb (originally. They got significantly larger as the war went on) |
| Coop |
The "glass" around the pilot |
| Copped |
Got, acquired |
| Corkscrew |
Sharp turning to avoid being shot down |
| Corsair |
Vought F4-U single-engine, single-seat fighter |
| COTC |
Canadian Officers Training Corps |
| CPA |
Canadian Pacific Airlines |
| Cpl |
Corporal |
| CR |
Celestino Rosatelli, a plane designer for Fiat |
| Crabbing |
Limping home with a damaged plane |
| Crate |
Airplane |
| CSO |
Chief Section Officer |
| CTO, CTechO |
Chief Technical Officer |
| CTS |
Composite Training School |
| CTTB |
Central Trade Test Board |
| CU |
Conversion Unit |
| CVSM |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal |
| CWR |
Charge/Weight Ratio (% of explosive in total bomb weight) |
| D |
Destroyed |
| d |
damaged |
| D or d |
Died |
| DA |
Delayed Action bomb |
| dam |
Damaged |
| Datum |
Pre-assigned map point |
| Day Ranger |
Mission type to Seek & destroy enemy fighters, using Mosquito
[usually] aircraft |
| DC |
Depth Charge |
| DCO or D.C.O. |
Duty Carried Out |
| DCM |
Distinguished Conduct Medal |
| D-Day |
The Allied invasion of Normandy June 6 1944 |
| Dead stick |
Without engine power. As in "dead stick landing" |
| Dear-John |
An "end of relationship" letter
from a spouse |
| Deck |
The ground |
| Devil-dodger |
Padre or Chaplain |
| D/F |
Direction Finding - to locate aircraft (or home) |
| DFC
or D.F.C. |
Award - Distinguished Flying Cross (for officers) |
| DFM
or D.F.M. |
Award - Distinguished Flying Medal (for enlisted men) |
| DH |
de Havilland |
| DHC |
de Havilland Canada |
| Dirt |
Lots of AA fire |
| Dim |
Not smart, dull, dense, dumb; "take
a dim view" or dim-wit |
| Dis |
Discharged |
| Dispersal |
An area in which aircraft are dispersed as a precaution against enemy air attack |
| Ditch |
To land on/in water; from 'In the Ditch'
(the English Channel) |
| Diver |
Code name for V-1 rocket |
| Diversionary sweep |
An operation in which a smaller formation of aircraft flies over an area other than that attacked by the main force in order to divert the enemy’s fighter defences |
| DNCO |
Duty not carried out |
| DND |
Department of National Defense (Canada) |
| Do |
Doings; Same as Op; Mission; Sortie or even party |
| Do |
Dornier - German airplane maker |
| Dog |
Anything with poor performance; slow; no
good |
| Dogfight |
Aerial combat, usually between fighers |
| Doodlebug |
German V-1 rocket bomb |
| DOT |
Department of Transportation |
| DOW |
Died Of Wounds |
| Dressing Down |
"A dressing down" – to get yelled
at; chewed out |
| Drill |
What to do; the right way of doing
it; "you know the drill" |
| Drink |
The Sea or other body of water |
| DRO |
Daily Routine Order(s) |
| Drogue |
Target towed by aircraft for air firing training and practice |
| Drome |
Airfield - short for Airodrome or airdrome |
| DSC or D.S.C. |
Award - Distinguished Service Cross |
| DSO or D.S.O. |
Award - Distinguished Service Order |
| Dual |
Flying with instructor or student |
| Duff |
No good; False or inaccurate information
as in "it was Duff Gen" |
| Dust bin |
Retractable under-turret |
| Dust-up |
Heated action |
| DZ |
Drop Zone |
| EA or e/a |
Enemy Aircraft |
| EAC |
Eastern Air Command |
| EATP |
Empire Air Training Plan |
| ED |
Equipment Depot or Efficiency Decoration |
| EFTS |
Elementary Flying Training School |
| EO |
Engineering Officer or Education Officer |
| Erk |
Airman below Corporal but used generically
for ground personnel |
| esc |
Escaped |
| ETA |
Estimated Time of Arrival |
| ETPS |
Empire Test Pilot School |
| emb. |
Embarked |
| EV |
Escort Vessel |
| Evasive action |
Maneuvers made to lose an attacker |
| EVT |
Educational Vocation Training |
| F |
Fighter |
| FAA |
Fleet Air Arm |
| F/E, FE, Flt.Eng. |
Flight Engineer |
| FEAF |
Far East Air Force |
| FC or F/C |
Flight Commander |
| FFL |
French Foreign Legion |
| Fi. |
Fieseler |
| FIDO |
Fog Investigation Dispersal Operation |
| FIS |
Flying Instructor School |
| Fish-head |
Navy personnel |
| Fishpond |
Airborne radar warning bombers |
| Fix |
Your current position ("get a fix on me") |
| Fizzer |
Disciplinary charge; ie 'put on a fizzer' |
| F/L or FL |
Flight Lieutenant
or Flying List |
| Flak |
Anti-aircraft fire |
| Flamer |
Aircraft or vehicle on fire |
| Flap |
Panic, alarm, disturbance, excitement |
| Flat out |
Full speed - as fast as possible |
| Flight |
Less than a squadron - usually 2 to 6 aircraft |
| FLS |
Fighter Leader School |
| FLT |
Short for Flight / or maybe Flight Lieutenant |
| F/O or FO |
Flying Officer |
| Form |
Information |
| Form 540 |
Squadron diary |
| Fort |
B-17 Flying Fortress |
| Fruit Salad |
Decorations, referring to medal ribbons |
| F/S or FS |
Flight Sergeant; also F/Sgt, FSgt. etc. |
| FTR |
Failed to Return |
| FTS |
Flying Training School |
| FTU |
Flying Traing Unit |
| FUBAR |
Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition |
| Fucked by the Fickle Finger of Fate |
Not good. Got screwed over. Long version - Fucked by the Fickle Finger of Fate, dashed by the deadly digits of destiny, screwed, blued & tattooed, all in one go |
| Fucking The Dog |
Doing nothing. Wasting time. Taking a break |
| Fuck like a mink |
Either has lots of sex or does it well |
| Fuselage |
The body of any aircraft |
| Fw. or FW |
Focke-Wulf - German airplane maker |
| FW |
Fighter Wing |
| GAF or G.A.F. |
German Air Force AKA the Luftwaffe |
| Gaggle |
A group of enemy aircraft |
| Gardening |
Mine laying by aircraft |
| Gash |
Spare, surplus, extra |
| GC |
George Cross |
| G/C or GC |
Group Captain |
| GCA |
Ground Controlled Approach |
| GCI |
Ground Controlled Intercept |
| GD |
General Duties |
| Gee |
British radio navigation system |
| Gen |
Information; as in "getting
the gen" |
| George |
Aircraft auto pilot |
| Gestapo |
Feared German "Geheime
Staatspolizei;" or basically, German State Police |
| Gestapo |
Slang word for Allied Military Police |
| Get some in |
Addressed to those with less service time |
| Gib |
Gibraltar |
| GIS |
Ground Instructor School |
| Glasshouse |
Penal detention center |
| GM |
George Medal |
| Golden Eagle Day |
Payday; 'The golden eagle lays today' |
| Goon |
Mindless oaf, from characters in contemporary
Popeye strip cartoon. Later used by Allied prisoners of war for their
German guards |
| Gone for a Burton |
Dead or killed. Derived from either Burton Beer or the Burton suits airmen received when they left the Air Force |
| Gong |
Medal or decoration award |
| Got his Crown |
Promoted to Flight Sergeant |
| GP |
General Purpose (type of bomb, of CWR 40%
or less) |
| Grand Slam |
22,000 lb bomb |
| Gravy |
Gasoline, fuel, petrol |
| Greenhouse |
Cockpit cover |
| Griff |
Information; similar to "Gen" |
| Group |
A grouping of a number of squadrons or wings |
| Groupie |
Group Captain |
| GRS |
General Reconnaissance School |
| GTS |
Glider Training School |
| H2S |
Airborne radar navigation & target ID
aid |
| Hack |
An aircraft not on strength but reserved for personal or squadron use |
| Hacked-off |
Angry |
| Had it |
Finished; washed up; done for |
| Hat-trick |
Scoring 3 "kills" in one mission [a hockey term] |
| Hang-up |
A bomb that failed to release |
| Happy Valley |
Ruhr Valley |
| HC |
High Capacity (type of bomb, or CWR 80% or
more) |
| HCU |
Heavy Conversion Unit; where one learns to fly four-engined
aircraft |
| He |
Heinkel - German airplane maker |
| HE |
High Explosive |
| HE |
Home Establishment |
| Hedge-hog |
Shipboard ASW weapon |
| Hightail |
Move away at high speed |
| Hip Flask |
Service Revolver |
| HMCS |
His Majesty's Canadian Ship |
| HMS |
His Majesty's Ship |
| HMT |
His Majesty's Transport (Ship)
|
| Homework |
Girlfriend; as in "a piece of homework" |
| Horizontal Refreshment |
Sleep |
| Horizontal PT |
Sex |
| Hs |
Henschel - German airplane maker |
| HSL |
High Speed Launch |
| HQ |
Headquarters |
| House Traps |
Submarines |
| HWE |
Home War Establishment |
| Huff-Duff |
High frequency radio direction finding equipment |
| Hun |
Any German fighting man or machine |
| Hurri-bomber |
A Hurricane equipped to carry bombs |
| IAS |
Indicated Air Speed |
| I/C |
In Charge |
| ID
or I.D.
|
Identification |
| IFF |
Identify Friend or Foe |
| IFR |
Instrument Flight Rules |
| IFS |
Instrument Flying School |
| In Dock |
In sick quarters or hospital |
| Intercom |
Intercommunication system within/between aircraft |
| I/O, IO or I.O. |
Intelligence Officer or "Spy" |
| Irons |
Knife, fork & spoon issued
to all non-coms |
| ITS |
Initial Training School |
| ITW |
Initial Training Wing |
| Jankers |
Disciplinary punishment of parades in full
kit |
| Jerry |
A German |
| JG |
Jagdgeschwader (German fighter wing) |
| Jink |
Jerky evasive action |
| Joe |
the unfortunate. "Average Joe" |
| Joy |
Action / Satisfaction / Enemy Aircraft;
"did you find any 'joy'"? |
| Ju |
Junkers - German airplane maker |
| Jug |
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt |
| Jug |
Guardroom cell or detention room |
| K or k |
Killed |
| Kampfgeschwader |
Luftwaffe bomber formation comprising approximately 96 aircraft. There is no R.A.F. equivalent. |
| KCB |
Award - Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Order
of the Bath |
| KG |
Kampfgeschwader (German bomber wing) |
| KIA |
Killed In Action |
| KIFA |
Killed In a Flying Accident |
| Kill |
Destruction of an enemy plane (or other object) |
| Kipper Control |
Coastal Command aircraft convoying fishing boats |
| Kipper Fleet |
Coastal Command |
| Kit |
All of your issued gear used in your occupation |
| Kite |
Airplane |
| Kraut |
German |
| Kriegie |
Term used by air force POWs to describe themselves. Short for "Kriegsgefangener" (German for POW) |
| KRs |
King's Regulations |
| LAC |
Leading Aircraftman |
| LAW |
Leading Aircraftwoman |
| LDV |
Local Defence Volunteer |
| Leigh-Light |
24-inch airborne search light |
| Let down |
To lose height or altitude gradually |
| LFS |
Lancaster Finishing School |
| LG |
London Gazette |
| LG |
Landing Ground |
| Line or Line-shoot |
Boastful exaggeration. Bullshitting, etc. "shooting a line" or "Line-shooting" |
| Line astern |
One aircraft lined up behind another |
| Line Book |
Written, witnessed record of 'lines shot'
by members of mess or unit. "Put that one in the line book" |
| LL-RP |
Low Level Rocket Projectile [Typhoon Ammo ;^) |
| LMF |
Lack of Moral Fiber. Branded a "chicken" |
| Loco |
Locomotive |
| Long-Distance Gong |
Slang for the LS&GCM- see below |
| LS&GCM |
The Long Service & Good Conduct Medal
(LS&GCM) awarded to noncommissioned personnel (mainly) after 18
completed years of satisfactory RAF service |
| Luftwaffe |
German Air Force |
| LWOP |
Leave Without Pay |
| LWP |
Leave With Pay |
| Mach. |
Machinist |
| MAD |
Nagnetic Anomaly Detection |
| Mae West |
Life-preserver jacket worn by
flying personnel. Named after an American actress known for her "chest" |
| MAFL |
Manual of Air Force Law |
| M and V |
Meat and Vegetable — standard meal fare |
| Master Bomber |
The pilot in charge of a bombing raid
|
| MAP |
Ministry of Aircraft Production |
| Mayday |
The universal distress call |
| Me |
Messerschmitt - German airplane maker |
| Mein Kempf |
Leaflets to be dropped in enemy territory |
| MBE |
Award - Member of the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire |
| MC |
Macchi Castoldi - Italian Aircraft Manufacturer |
| MC |
Medium Capacity (type of bomb, CWR of 60%
approx) |
| MD |
Manning Depot |
| Me. |
Messerschmitt |
| m/e |
Multi Engined |
| Meat Wagon |
Ambulance |
| Met |
Meteorological service |
| MET |
Motorized Enemy Transport |
| MFDF |
Medium Frequency Direction Finding |
| mg |
Machine Gun |
| MIA |
Missing In Action |
| Mickey Mouse |
Automatic bomb lever |
| MiD |
Award - Mention in Despatches (or Dispatches) |
| Mission |
Same as Op; Sortie; Do |
| ML |
Motor Launch |
| MM |
Motor Mechanic |
| MM |
Military Medal |
| M/O or MO |
Medical Officer |
| Mod |
Modification |
| MoH |
Medal of Honor |
| Monica |
Airborne tail-warning radar |
| Mothers Meeting |
Any conference or meeting of senior officers |
| Movies |
Action/combat - as "Go to the movies" is to go into action |
| MP |
Military Police |
| MT |
Originally, Mechanical Transport; later,
Motorized Transport. Also "MT section" |
| MTB |
Motor Torpedo Boat |
| MT Section |
Part of a unit tasked with transportation |
| MU |
Maintenance Unit, (storage and repair depot) |
| m/u |
Mid upper gunner / turret |
| MV |
Motor Vessel |
| NAAFI |
Navy, Army & Air Force Institute |
| Nacelle |
Engine cowling |
| Naffy |
Navy, Army and Air Force Institute canteen
and recreation building |
| Nav |
Navigator |
| NCO |
Non-commissioned Officer |
| NETD |
Non-Effective Transit Depot |
| N/E Unit |
Non-Effective Unit |
| N/F |
Night Fighter |
| Nickle |
Propaganda leaflet |
| Noball |
V-1 launch site |
| Non-com |
Non-commissioned Officer |
| NORAD |
North American Air Defense Command |
| NRC |
National Research Council |
| NWAC |
North West Air Command |
| OBE |
Award - Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire |
| Oboe |
Blind bombing & target marking system
controlled from ground radar stations |
| O/C or OC |
Officer Commanding. An OC might be a senior
officer commanding a Wing or Squadron, but might equally apply to
a very junior officer given specific 'secondary duties.' Not the same
as CO. |
| OCTU |
Officer Cadet Training Unit |
| OLC |
Oak Leaf Clusters |
| Old Man |
The Commanding Officer |
| Old Sort |
A Veteran or experienced soldier |
| Oleo |
Shock-absorbing aircraft landing gear |
| On Strength |
There and doing your job; part of a crew
/ unit |
| On the Clock |
On the airspeed indicator |
| On the Hooks |
On a disciplinary charge; in trouble |
| Op |
Short for operation - see below |
| Operation |
Whatever it is that you are sent out to accomplish, or do. A mission |
| Oppo |
Pal, friend, mate; from "opposite number" |
| Ops |
Operations |
| Ops room |
Operations Room where you gather and disseminate information |
| Orbit |
To fly in circles |
| Orderly Dog |
Duty appropriate to rank (Orderly Officer/ Sergeant/ Corporal) |
| ORORB |
Other ranks Operations Record Book |
| OTG |
On The Ground |
| OTS |
Operational Training Squadron |
| OTU |
Operational Training Unit |
| Packed/pack up |
Died; shut down; quit working |
| Panic Bowler |
Standard issue steel helmet |
| Paper Factory |
Air Ministry, London |
| Paraffin Pete |
Flying Control officer (from using goose-neck
flares at night) |
| Passion-Killers |
WAAF issue knickers (panties); winter, navy
blue (see "Blackouts") |
| PDC |
Pilot Disposal Center |
| Peel Off |
To break away from a flying formation |
| Penguin |
Any non-flying person - could also be called
a 'Kiwi'
- Not to be confused with a New Zealander
|
| Peri-track |
Tarmac roadway for aircraft and vehicles
around perimeter of airfield runways area |
| Perspex |
A clear acrylic used to make canopies for planes |
| PFF or P.F.F. |
Path Finder Force (No 8 Group, Bomber Command) |
| Piece of Cake |
Easy to do; as in "this will be a piece
of cake" |
| Pit |
Bed |
| Pitot head |
A tube mounted externally on aircraft to give airspeed |
| PL or P/L |
Privilege Leave |
| Plonk |
Generic 'surname' for lowest airman [AC2 and AC1] |
| Plumber |
Originally any member of armament trades,
but extended later to most ground technical tradesmen |
| PMRAFNS |
Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service |
| P/O or PO |
Pilot Officer |
| PAF or P.A.F. |
Polish Air Force |
| Pongo |
Any officer in the Army |
| Poontang |
Pussy. Female. "Get some poontang" - have sex |
| Poor Man's Piano |
Beans or a meal with beans - referring to farting |
| Popsie |
Female, usually young and attractive |
| POW / PsOW |
Prisoner Of War & Prisoners Of War (plural) |
| PR |
Photographic Reconnaissance (PRU or PR Unit) |
| Prang |
Crash, wreck. Used as noun and verb |
| PRC |
Personnel Reception Center |
| PRO |
Public Relations Officer |
| prob |
Short for Probably Destroyed |
| Prop |
Propeller |
| Props |
Propeller cloth badge worn by LACs on tunic
sleeve |
| ProTem / PT |
Pro tempore - for the time being |
| PRU |
Photo Reconnaissance Unit |
| Prune |
RAF legendary pilot, Pilot Officer Percy
Prune, who served as supreme example of what not to do; applied to
any unthinking air crew member flaunting the rules. |
| P/T
or PT
|
Physical Training |
| Pte |
Private - rank |
| PTI |
Physical Training Instructor |
| PTU |
Port Transit Unit |
| Pvt |
Private - rank |
| Pukka |
Old inter-Service term; true, correct, dependable
(ie "Pukka Gen") |
| QCA |
Queen Charlotte Airlines |
| Queen Bee |
Senior WAAF officer on any station or unit |
| RAAF |
Royal Australian Air Force |
| RAE |
Royal Aircraft Establishment (Farnborough) |
| RAF |
Royal Air Force |
| RAFO |
Reserve of Air Force Officers |
| RAFVR |
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
| Ramrod |
Fighter escorted daylight bombing attack |
| Ranger |
Seek & Destroy enemy fighters in
the air and OTG
|
| RC |
Recruiting (or Release or Reselection) Center |
| RCAF |
Royal Canadian Air Force |
| RCMP |
Royal Canadian Mounted Police |
| RCN |
Royal Canadian Navy |
| RCNVR |
RCN Volunteer Reserve |
| RD |
Repair Depot |
| Recce |
Armed reconnaisance |
| Remuster |
To change trades (change jobs in the military) |
| RDF |
Radio Direction Finding (radar) |
| Recce |
A reconnaissance flight |
| RFC |
Royal Flying Corps (1912-18 only) |
| Rhubarb |
Small-scale low-level fighter attack in search of targets
of opportunity
|
| Rings |
Cloth badges of rank worn on lower sleeves
of all officers tunics |
| RN |
Royal Navy |
| RNAS |
Royal Naval Air Service (1914-18 only) |
| RNS |
Radio & Navigation School |
| RNZAF |
Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| R/O or RO |
Radar Operator or Radar Observer |
| Robomb |
German V-1 flying bomb |
| Rock Ape |
Any member of an RAF Regiment |
| Rocket |
Severe reprimand from higher authority |
| Rodeo |
A fighter sweep over enemy territory |
| Roller Skate |
Tank |
| Ropey |
Slacker, careless, unreliable, bad |
| ROTC |
Reserve Officers Training Corps |
| RP |
Rocket Projectile (airborne armament) |
| RSU |
Repair and Salvage Unit |
| RT or R/T |
Radio Telephone/Transmitter (communication
system) |
| RU |
Radar (or Radio) Unit |
| R/V or RV |
Rendezvous |
| SAA |
Small Arms Ammunition |
| SAAF |
South African Air Force |
| SADO |
Senior Air Defense Officer |
| SAO |
Senior Administrations Officer |
| SAC |
Strategic Air Command |
| SAP |
Semi-Armor Piercing (bombs / SAA / RP etc) |
| Sapper |
Loosely, a small-arms style "combat
engineer" |
| SASO |
Senior Administration Staff Officer |
| SBA |
Standard Beam Approach |
| SBC |
Small Bomb Container |
| Scramble |
Emergency take-off at fastest possible speed |
| Scrambled Eggs |
Gold oak leaves on hats of officers, G/C & up |
| Scraper |
Thinner center 'ring' of Squadron Leaders
badges of rank |
| Scrub |
Cancel, forget it, eliminate or
destroy |
| S/C or SC |
Set Course |
| SCW |
Spanish Civil War |
| s/e |
Single Engined |
| SFTS |
Service Flying Training School |
| Sgt |
Sergeant |
| Sgt.P. or S/P |
Sergeant Pilot |
| sh |
Shared |
| SHAEF |
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary
Force |
| Show |
A mission or action encountered on a mission |
| SHQ |
Station Headquarters |
| Skew-ell |
Squadron Leader (SQL) |
| Skipper |
The pilot of a bomber or multi-manned aircraft |
| SL or S/L |
Squadron Leader; also Sqd.Ldr. etc. |
| Slip Stream |
Air stream created behind spinning propeller |
| SLTW |
Special Leave Travel Warrent |
| SM or S.M. |
Savoia-Marchetti - Italian airplane maker |
| SNAFU |
Situation Normal All Fucked Up |
| SNCO |
Senior Non-commissioned Officer |
| Snoop |
Military Policeman |
| Snowdrop |
Military Policeman (in USAAF use) |
| S/O or SO |
Section Officer |
| SOC |
Struck off Charge |
| SOE |
Special Operations Executive |
| Sortie |
Same as Op; Mission; Do |
| SOS |
Struck Off Strength |
| S/P or SP |
Sergeant Pilot; also Sgt.Plt. etc |
| SP |
Service Police |
| Sparks / Sparky |
Wireless tradesman, from cloth badge worn
on right tunic sleeve |
| Spawny |
Lucky |
| Spinner |
Propellor boss or extreme nose; most-forward part of plane before
the prop |
| Spit / Spitter |
Supermarine Spitfire |
| Sprog |
Recruit, anyone fresh to his trade or category |
| Spy |
Slang word for Intelligence Officers |
| Sq/O |
Squadron Officer |
| Square-bashing |
All forms of drill training on the station
square (the tarmac area on all prewar stations intended for parades
etc.) |
| Squarehead |
German soldier |
| Squirt |
Machine gun or cannon burst |
| SR |
Special Reserve |
| SSQ / SQ |
Station Sick Quarters |
| Stand down |
No operations. Cancelled. |
| Stationmaster |
Officer in overall command of an RAF station |
| Sten gun |
British light machine gun |
| Stick |
A bunch of bombs released together |
| Stiffener |
A binder, moaner, grumbler, boring,
a 'drag' , a downer; not what you want |
| Stooge |
Assistant, Go-fer, 'Joe Soap'; To fly around
aimlessly; do nothing |
| Strafe |
To attack ground targets with cannon/machine guns |
| Strawberry |
Immediate message of congratulations from Army HQ |
| Strike |
Attack on enemy shipping |
| Strip |
Reprimand from superior, usually 'to tear
him off a strip' |
| SU |
Staging Unit |
| Summerfelt Matting |
British system of wire netting laid on ground to create runway |
| Swede |
Anyone from rural / rustic origins, or with
'country' dialect; yokel |
| Sweeny |
Hair-cut to Service standards; from Sweeny
Todd, the 'demon barber' |
| Sweep |
An offensive operation by a fighter formation to clear the air of hostile aircraft over a particular sector of enemy territory. |
| SWO |
Station Warrant Officer |
| TAC |
Tactical Air Command |
| Tac R |
Tactical Reconnaissance |
| TAF |
Tactical Air Force |
| Tallboy |
12,000 lb bomb |
| Tallyho |
Signal given by leader to attack |
| Tannoy |
The loudspeaker address system |
| Taped |
Solved |
| Tapes |
NCOs cloth chevrons of rank worn on tunic
sleeves |
| Tate & Lyle |
Warrant Officers badges of rank; resembled
well-known golden syrup manufacturer's trademark |
| TCA |
Trans-Canada Air Lines |
| TD |
Temporary Duty |
| t/e |
Twin (or Two) Engined |
| Thornaby bag |
Air-sea rescue equipment, consisting of a buoyant canvas bag containing supplies, dropped to survivors adrift in dinghies. |
| Through the gate |
To open the throttle fully for maximum power |
| TI |
Target Indicator |
| Tit |
Starter button (engine) or gun button (trigger) |
| Tit in a tight crack |
In a bad position. Like being "between a rock & a hard place" |
| Tit Time |
Starting of the engines |
| Tiffy |
Hawker Typhoon |
| Tin fish |
Torpedo |
| T/O or TO |
Take Off |
| Top line |
Ready to go. Prepared |
| TOS |
Taken On Strength |
| Trade |
As in bogeys; Blips on the radar screen that could turn into
"Joy" / or anything to destroyed |
| TTS |
Technical Training School |
| Twilights |
Lightweight issue WAAF knickers of lighter
blue shade |
| Type |
Person, General classification, "a bad
/ good 'type'" |
| Tyro |
The new guy; Sprog (inexperienced man on a
unit) |
| u/i |
Unidentified |
| Undercarriage |
Aircraft landing gear |
| unIDd |
Unidentified |
| unk |
Unknown |
| Upstairs |
The sky |
| U/S or u/s |
Unserviceable |
| USAAF |
United States Army Air Force (later the USAF) |
| USN |
United States Navy |
| USS |
United States Ship |
| UofT |
University of Toronto |
| VC |
Victoria Cross |
| Vector |
To direct an a/c in the air to a specific target |
| VE-Day |
Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945 |
| Vegetables |
Air-dropped mines; "planting vegetables" |
| VJ-Day |
Victory in Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945 |
| View |
Opinion |
| Vic |
Arrow-head (V) formation of three aircraft
or more |
| V-l |
Fieseler Fi. 103 flying bomb (Vergeltungswaffe 1) |
| V-2 |
A-4 artillery rocket (Vergeltungswaffe 2
or reprisal-weapon 2) |
| w/ |
With |
| WAAF |
Women's Auxiliary Air Force |
| WAC |
Western Air Command |
| Wad |
Cake or bun |
| WAG |
Wireless Air Gunner ( same as WOAG ) |
| Wailing Winnie |
Air Raid Siren |
| W/C or WC |
Wing Commander ( Winco ) |
| WD |
Women's Division |
| Weaver |
A fighter aircraft which zig-zags above & behind another a/c or formation to guard against attack. |
| Wehrmacht |
German Army |
| w.e.f. |
With Effect From |
| Whirlibomber |
Whirlwind fighter equipped to carry bombs. |
| Whole Nine Yards |
USAAF 50 caliber ammo belts were nine yards long. When you had
fired all your ammo, it was said that you gave him "the whole nine
yards" |
| WIA |
Wounded In Action |
| Winco / Wingco |
Wing Commander |
| Window |
Aluminum strips dropped to confuse German
radar |
| Wing |
Made up of flying squadrons (between 2 & 4) |
| Wizard |
Great, very good, excellent, first-class,
amazing |
| W/Mech |
Wireless Mechanic |
| W/O or WO |
Wireless Operator also W/Op etc. |
| WO1 & WO2 |
Warrant Officer (1st & 2nd Class) |
| WOAG |
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner |
| WOP or W.Op |
Wireless Operator |
| WOP/AG |
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner |
| Works & Bricks |
Air Ministry Works Directorate; also 'Wonders
and Blunders' |
| Write-off |
Destroyed. Not worth fixing. |
| WS |
Wireless School |
| W/T |
Wireless Telegraphy or Wireless Transmitter |
| Wuffs |
Gun noises |
| "Y" Depot |
Overseas Transit Depot |
| ZG |
Zerstörergeschwader (German twin-engine fighter wing) |
| Zombie |
Canadian Draftee. Few did make it overseas but originally they were only required
to serve at home. These usually disgruntled "soldiers" were
called the "Zombie Squad" |
| |
|
