Glossary
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Glossary
| AA | anti-aircraft |
| AA & QMG | Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General |
| A/Q | |
| Abiar | wells or cisterns (pl. of bir) |
| ACCOMPLISH | Code-name for operation by Eighth Army, 26–30 April 1943, to break through Enfidaville line and exploit to Hammamet |
| Ack | Acknowledge |
| ACV | Armoured Command Vehicle |
| ADC | aide-de-camp |
| Adm, Admin | Administration |
| ADMS | Assistant Director of Medical Services |
| ADOS | Assistant Director of Ordnance Services |
| ADS | Advanced Dressing Station (forward medical establishment usually situated behind RAPs of fighting units) |
| adv | advance(d) |
| A Echelon | Transport usually taken into battle |
| AFC | Air Force Cross |
| AFV | Armoured Fighting Vehicle (tank or armoured car) |
| AG | Adjutant-General |
| AGRA | Army Group Royal Artillery |
| AIF | Australian Imperial Force |
| Ain | spring, well |
| Air Support Control | Combined Army-RAF organisation to bring air support to bear on ground operations |
| ALG | Advanced Landing Ground |
| amn | ammunition |
| AOC-in-C | Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief |
| AP | armour-piercing |
| armd | armoured |
| armd Cs | armoured cars |
| armoured brigade | formation of fast cruiser tanks, etc. |
| army tank brigade | formation of slow infantry tanks, etc. |
| arty | artillery |
| ASC | Army Service Corps |
| A tk | anti-tank |
| A Tk | |
| a-tk | |
| A-Tk | |
| Aust | Australian |
| Bde | Brigade (British or Allied formation, normally three tank or infantry battalions) |
| B Ech(elon) | Transport sometimes temporarily dispensed with in battle |
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| Bel | Belgian |
| Bel | abbr. of ben el, son of |
| Ben | (pl. beni) son of |
| Bersaglieri | Italian motorised infantry, organised in regiments each of two or three battalions |
| BGS | Brigadier, General Staff (chief staff officer at Corps or Army) |
| Bir | well or cistern (pl. Abiar) |
| Blenheim | British twin-engined bomber |
| BLOOD | Code-name for attack by 7 Armoured Division at Bir es Suera, December 1942 |
| BM | Brigade Major (chief staff officer at Brigade) |
| Bn | Battalion (a unit of tanks or reconnaissance troops, normally three squadrons plus HQ; or infantry, four rifle companies plus HQ company; or machine-gunners, four companies of Vickers guns) |
| Bn | Battalion (German unit of tanks, anti-tank or anti-aircraft guns, engineers, infantry, machine-gunners, or motor-cyclists) (Italian organisation was similar) |
| Bofors | Automatic 40-millimetre light anti-aircraft gun of Swedish design |
| Bordj | bastion, tower, rest house |
| Bou, bu, abou, | father of, owner of |
| Box | All-round defensive position for battalion, brigade or division in static operations |
| BRA | Brigadier, Royal Artillery (Corps or Army) |
| Breda | Italian heavy machine-gun or light automatic cannon |
| Bren | standard British light machine-gun |
| Bren-carrier | light armoured tracked vehicle intended to carry same, but also used for reconnaissance, carrying ammunition or wounded under fire, etc. |
| BTE | British Troops in Egypt (command excluding Western Desert Force, later Eighth Army) |
| Bty | battery (two, three or four troops of guns) |
| 1 Buffs | Royal East Kent Regiment |
| CAPRI | German code-name for attack at Medenine, 6 Mar 1943 |
| carrier (Universal) | see Bren- |
| Cav | Cavalry (light tanks, armoured cars, carriers) |
| CB | Companion of the Order of the Bath; counter-battery (fire), locating and silencing of hostile guns |
| CBE | Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
| CBO | Counter-battery officer |
| CCRA | Corps Commander, Royal Artillery |
| CCS | Casualty Clearing Station (large medical establishment situated between MDS and field hospital) |
| Cdr | Commander |
| CE | Chief Engineer (Corps or Army) |
| CGS | Chief of the General Staff |
| Chabet | gorge, defile |
| Chebka, chebket | area of streams and criss-crossed valleys |
| Chor | watercourse |
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| Chort, shott | salt marsh or lake |
| CIGS | Chief of the Imperial General Staff |
| C-in-C | Commander-in-Chief |
| CO | Commanding Officer (usually of a unit) |
| Col | Colonel; Column (of troops or transport) |
| Coln | Column |
| Comando Supremo | Italian Supreme Command (counterpart of OKW) |
| Comd | Commander; Commanding |
| comn | communication(s) |
| commn | |
| conc | concentration (of troops, equipment, fire) |
| coy | (own) sub-unit of engineers, infantry or ASC troops (in infantry, three platoons; in others three or four sections) (enemy) sub-unit of tanks (=squadron), anti-tank or anti-aircraft guns, engineers, signals, infantry, service, or medical troops |
| company | |
| CRA | Commander, Royal Artillery (of division) |
| CRASC | Commander, Royal Army Service Corps (of division)—later in NZ Division called CNZASC |
| CRE | Commander, Royal Engineers (of division) |
| CREME | Commander, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers |
| CRUSADER | Code-name for British offensive resulting in relief of Tobruk |
| Crusader | British Cruiser tank Mark VI |
| CSM | Company Sergeant-Major |
| CSO | Chief Signal Officer |
| DAK | Deutsches Afrikakorps (German Africa Corps) |
| DAQMG | Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General |
| dar | house, habitation of |
| DCM | Distinguished Conduct Medal |
| det(s) | detachment(s) |
| DFC | Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Div | formation above brigade or Regiment, below corps |
| Division | |
| Div Arty | Divisional Artillery (Headquarters, often HQ NZA) |
| Div Cav | Divisional Cavalry |
| Div Workshops | Ordnance unit for maintaining guns, vehicles and other equipment |
| Djebel (Dj), jebel, gebel | mountain |
| Dor | Group of hills |
| DR | despatch rider (usually motor-cyclist) |
| DSO | Distinguished Service Order |
| Ech | First, Second, Third, three main contingents of 2 NZEF in order of embarkation, chiefly comprising 4, 5 and 6 Brigades respectively (see also A Echelon, B Echelon) |
| Echelon | |
| ech, ed, el, er, es, et | the (in place-names) |
| ED | Efficiency Decoration |
| Engr(s) | Engineer(s) |
| en portée | (of 2-pdr gun) carried on special lorry, ready to fire |
| Erg | country of sand-dunes |
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| FAD | Field Ammunition Depot |
| fd | field |
| Fd Amb | Field Ambulance (medical unit) |
| Fd Coy | Field Company (of engineers) |
| FDL(s) | Forward defended locality (localities) (the front was seldom a line, usually a series of FDLs) |
| Fd Pk Coy | Field Park Company (of engineers) |
| Fd Regt | Field Regiment (unit of artillery) |
| FF | Free French |
| FFF Column | Free French Flying Column |
| FIRE-EATER | Code-name for Eighth Army operation to capture Tripoli, January 1943 |
| FMC | Field Maintenance Centre (included FAD, FSD, etc.) |
| FOO | Forward Observation Officer (field or medium artillery) |
| Foum | mouth, opening (in Sahara) |
| FSD | Forward Supply Depot |
| fwd | forward |
| GAF Brigade | German Air Force Brigade |
| G Branch (Office) | Staff of division or higher formation or command dealing with operations |
| ‘G’ staff | |
| GCMG | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George |
| Gds | Guards |
| GHQ | General Headquarters |
| Gk | Greek |
| GOC (-in-C) | General Officer Commanding (-in-Chief) |
| Gp | (Battalion or Brigade) force of all arms |
| GPO | Gun Position Officer (field or medium artillery) |
| GRAPE | Code-name for Eighth Army objective north-west of Gabes |
| Greys | The Royal Scots Greys |
| GSO (I, II, III) | General Staff Officer (Class 1, 2, 3) |
| GUILLOTINE | Code-name for 30 Corps' operation to break through and outflank the El Agheila position, December 1942 |
| H | Hussars; heavy |
| 51 (H) Div | 51 (Highland) Division |
| HAA | Heavy anti-aircraft |
| 11 HAC | 11 Honorable Artillery Corps |
| Half-track | Vehicle with wheels in front, tank-like tracks in rear |
| Hamada, hamadet | rocky plain, plateau |
| Hamma | warm spring |
| HE | high explosive |
| HMG | heavy machine-gun |
| Honey | nickname for General Stuart tank (American M3) |
| HQ | headquarters |
| hrs | hours |
| hy | heavy |
| I | Intelligence (of enemy) |
| Int | |
| 2 i/c | Second-in-command |
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| incl | inclusive; including |
| Ind | Indian |
| inf | infantry |
| IO | Intelligence Officer |
| Kalaa | fortress, rugged feature |
| KBE | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
| KCB | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
| KDG | King's Dragoon Guards (a reconnaissance unit) |
| Kef | rock, cliff, hill |
| kilo | kilometre |
| km | |
| 1 KRRC | 1 Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps (the ‘60th Rifles') |
| Ksar | (pl. ksour) walled or fortified village |
| LAA | light anti-aircraft |
| laager | defensive disposition of unit or formation halted in mobile operations, open order by day and close order by night (often spelt ‘leaguer’, though pronounced ‘laager’) |
| LAD | Light Aid Detachment (Ordnance establishment for repairing guns, transport, etc.) |
| 56 (L) Div | 56 (London) Division |
| ‘L’ Force | Code-name for French force under General Leclerc |
| line (transport) | |
| 1st | unit |
| 2nd | divisional (carrying between FMC and division) |
| 3rd | rear (carrying between railhead and FMC) |
| LMG | light machine-gun |
| LO | Liaison Officer |
| LOB | Left out of battle |
| L of C | Line(s) of communication |
| LRDG | Long Range Desert Group |
| Lt | Lieutenant; light |
| 2 Lt | Second-Lieutenant |
| Luftflotte | German Air Fleet, largest formation of Luftwaffe |
| Luftwaffe | German Air Force |
| M | medium |
| M13 | chief Italian medium tank |
| Maaten | shallow wells |
| Mac Troop | Royal Artillery troop of captured enemy 88-mm guns attached to 4 Fd Regt—named after Brig McIntyre, RA |
| Mark (I, II, etc.) | designation of production type, especially of tanks (in German documents, ‘Mark II’=Matilda tank; British documents refer to Pzkw II, III, IV as Mark II, III, IV; see also Crusader; the Mark VIB was the standard British light tank) |
| Marsa, mersa | port, anchorage |
| Maryland | twin-engined bomber (American) |
| MBE | Member of the Order of the British Empire |
| MC | Military Cross; motor-cycle |
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| MDS | Medical Dressing Station (divisional medical establishment usually situated between ADS and CCS) |
| ME(F) | Middle East (Forces) |
| Me109F | high-flying single-engined Messerschmitt (German) fighter |
| Me110 | twin-engined long-range fighter or fighter-bomber |
| Med | Medium |
| Medjez | ford |
| MET | mechanised enemy transport (i.e., enemy vehicles) |
| (M)MG | (Medium) machine-gun |
| m.i.d. | Mentioned in Despatches |
| m.i.h. | miles in the hour (a rate allowing for halts) |
| MM | Military Medal |
| MO | Medical Officer |
| Mot | motorised |
| m.p.g. | miles per gallon |
| m.p.h. | miles per hour (actual rate) |
| MT | mechanised transport |
| mtd | motorised |
| Mtd | Mounted |
| NAAFI | Navy, Army, Air Force Institute(s) |
| ‘Nat Pat’ parcel | National Patriotic Fund Board Parcel |
| NCO | non-commissioned officer |
| n.c.o. | |
| Notts Yeo | Nottinghamshire Yeomanry |
| 50 (N) Div | 50 (Northumbrian) Division |
| NZA | New Zealand Artillery |
| NZASC | New Zealand Army Service Corps |
| NZE | New Zealand Engineers |
| NZEF | New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
| NZEME | New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers |
| NZMC | New Zealand Medical Corps |
| NZOC | New Zealand Ordnance Corps |
| OBE | Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
| Obelisco | obelisk |
| OC | Officer Commanding (squadron, battery, company) |
| offrs | officers |
| Os | officers |
| Ogla, oglat | group of wells |
| OKH | Oberkommando des Heeres (High Command of the German Army) |
| OKL | Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (High Command of the German Air Force) |
| OKM | Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine (High Command of the German Navy) |
| OKW | Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces, roughly equivalent to the War Office) |
| OP | Observation Post |
| Ops | Operations; staff branch dealing with same |
| ORATION | Code-name for operation to break through the Enfidaville line |
| Ouest | middle |
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| ORs | other ranks (not officers) |
| oued, wadi | watercourse |
| PA | Personal Assistant (to GOC) |
| Panzergruppe Afrika | Panzer Group Africa |
| Pz Gp Africa | |
| PEACH | Code-name for El Hamma |
| PHEASANT | Code-name for 17-pdr anti-tank gun |
| pl | platoon |
| PLUM | Code-name for the southern entrance to the Tebaga Gap |
| Point | Height marked on map, usually in metres above sea level |
| Pt | |
| POL | Petrol, oil and lubricants |
| portée | see en portée |
| posn | position |
| pr | pounder |
| pdr | |
| PUGILIST | Code-name for operations, 12–24 March 1943, to break through the Mareth Line |
| PW | prisoner(s) of war |
| p.w. | |
| PZ | German tank; armoured (unit or formation) |
| Panzer | |
| Q | Quartermaster |
| QM(G) | Quartermaster(-General) |
| quad | lorry for towing British field gun or anti-tank 18-pdr |
| RA | Royal Artillery |
| RAC | Royal Armoured Corps |
| RAMC | Royal Army Medical Corps |
| RAP | Regimental Aid Post (unit medical establishment) |
| Ras, rass | cape, headland, summit |
| RASC | Royal Army Service Corps |
| rd | road, round |
| RE | Royal Engineers |
| recce | reconnaissance; reconnoitre |
| Regt | Regiment (unit of tanks, reconnaissance troops, or artillery; in British Army also groups of tank, artillery or infantry units, e.g., RTR, RHA, Black Watch) |
| Regt | Regiment (enemy) (formation of armoured troops or infantry, roughly equivalent to ‘brigade’; also unit of field or medium artillery) |
| Reinforcements (4th, 5th, etc.) | Successive contingents of 2 NZEF after Third Echelon |
| Repat | Repatriation |
| rept, rpt | repeat (message) |
| Res | reserve |
| RFC | Royal Flying Corps |
| RHA | Royal Horse Artillery (motorised, usually supporting armoured troops) |
| RHQ | Regimental Headquarters |
| Ridotto | redoubt |
| Rmel | sand, sandy earth |
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| RMO | Regimental Medical Officer (of a unit) |
| RMT | Reserve Mechanical Transport (general carrier when not taking infantry into or out of action) |
| Res MT | |
| RNZA | Royal New Zealand Artillery (Regular Force only) |
| Royals | The Royal Dragoons (reconnaissance unit) |
| RSM | Regimental Sergeant-Major (senior NCO of unit) |
| R/T | radio-telephony (wireless transmission of speech) |
| RTR | Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Tanks (part of RAC) |
| R Tks | |
| SA | small arms |
| Sahel | coast, shore |
| sangar | rocks piled up for protection in lieu of slit trench where ground was too hard to dig |
| Saniet | deep well |
| SC | Staff Captain (administrative staff officer at Brigade) |
| SCIPIO | Code-name for Eighth Army attack on Wadi Akarit, 6 Apr 1943 |
| scorpion | tank fitted with a flail device for clearing a path through a minefield |
| Sebka, sebcha, sebcbet, sebkra, sebkret | salt lake, marsh |
| sec | section (2–3 guns; detachment of Signals; third of infantry platoon; third of ASC company, etc.) |
| Serb | Serbian |
| SIDEWINDOWS | Code-name for alternative advance towards Gabes, bypassing El Hamma |
| Sidi | saint or marabout |
| Sigs | Signals (responsible for R/T, W/T, DR, telephone and other communications) |
| sitrep | situation report |
| slit trench | one- or two-man trench for fire position or protection |
| SP | self-propelled (gun); Starting Point |
| spandau | nickname for standard German light and medium MG |
| sqn | squadron (of tanks, reconnaissance troops, or aircraft) |
| ST | Starting Time |
| Staffs Yeo | Staffordshire Yeomanry |
| ‘Stonk’ | A quick defensive artillery concentration according to a prearranged pattern |
| Stuart (General) | American M3 light cruiser tank |
| Stuka | Junkers 87 dive-bomber |
| SUPERCHARGE | Code-name for operation to break through Tebaga Gap and capture Gabes. Also known as SUPERCHARGE II, to distinguish it from the operation at El Alamein |
| Superlibia | Italian Command in North Africa |
| Svy | Survey |
| SWEAT | Code-name for attack by 51 (Highland Division) at Marsa Brega, December 1942 |
| Tac Army | Tactical Headquarters, Eighth Army |
| Tac HQ | Tactical Headquarters |
| TAF | Tactical Air Force |
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| Tell | high ground, small hill |
| tentacle | wireless detachment, usually of Air Support Control |
| Tk | tank |
| TOIL | Code-name for attack by 2 NZ Division to cut the El Agheila - Marada track, December 1942 |
| Tommy gun | Thompson sub-machine gun |
| TORCH | Code-name for Anglo-American landings in French North Africa, November 1942 |
| tp(s) | troop(s); part of squadron of tanks or reconnaissance troops (usually four tanks, armoured cars); part of battery (4–6 guns) |
| Trg | Training |
| Trigh | track |
| U-boat | German submarine |
| USAAF | United States Army Air Force |
| VC | Victoria Cross |
| VD | Volunteer Officers' Decoration |
| wadi, oued | watercourse |
| wastage | reduction of manpower |
| WDF | Western Desert Force |
| WE, war establishment | authorised full allotment (of men, weapons, etc.) |
| Wehrmacht | German Armed Forces |
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