First World War glossary and list of abbreviations

Extract from Albert James McLaughlin's military personnel file
Extract from Albert James McLaughlin's military personnel file

This list provides basic definitions of common First World War terms and abbreviations. It explains many of the abbreviations found in military personnel files, and directs readers to sections of NZHistory where more information is available about military units and campaigns.

1 NZGHNo. 1 New Zealand General Hospital, Brockenhurst, England
2 NZGHNo. 2 New Zealand General Hospital, Walton-on-Thames, England
3 NZGHNo. 3 New Zealand General Hospital, Codford, England
2nd NZ (Army) Bde2nd New Zealand (Army) Brigade, New Zealand Field Artillery
2nd NZ (Army) FA Bde2nd New Zealand (Army) Brigade, New Zealand Field Artillery
27th Genl27th General Hospital, Abbasia
A/Acting
Abbasia27th General Hospital, Abbasia
ActingAn officer acting on behalf of another, or during the temporary vacancy of a position.
AdmAdmitted to a position or unit
Advance Party Samoan Expeditionary Force
AECArea Employment Company
AIBAuckland Infantry Battalion
AIRAuckland Infantry Regiment
AmbField Ambulance
AMRAuckland Mounted Rifles
ANSArmy Nursing Service
ANSCNew Zealand Army Nursing Service Corps
ANZACAustralian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), 1914-16
Anzac Mounted RegimentAnzac Mounted Regiment
AOCNew Zealand Army Ordnance Corps
Aotea CHAotea Convalescent Home, Heliopolis, Egypt
APCNew Zealand Army Pay Corps
APDNew Zealand Army Pay Department
APSNew Zealand Army Postal Service
A RegtAuckland Infantry Regiment
Area Emp CoyArea Employment Company
Area Employment CompanyEmployment Companies
Army Service CorpsArmy Service Corps
A/SActive service
ASCArmy Service Corps
Att/AttdAttached to
Attached toA soldier (or group of soldiers) are separated from their unit and temporarily attached to another
Auck Inf BattnAuckland Regiment, New Zealand infantry
Auck Inf RegtAuckland Regiment, New Zealand infantry
Auck RegtAuckland Regiment, New Zealand infantry
Aus CCSAustralian Casualty Clearing Station
AwapuniAwapuni Camp; main body mobilisation camp August-October 1914; NZ Medical Corps training camp October 1915-February 1919
BACBrigade Ammunition Column
Balmer LawnNo. 1 New Zealand General Hospital (Brockenhurst)
BD FranceNew Zealand Infantry and General Base Depot, Etaples, France
Base DepotUsually refers to New Zealand Infantry and General Base Depot, Etaples, France
Batt/BatyBattery
Bde HQBrigade Headquarters
Bde/BgdeBrigade
BdrBombardier
Bn/BtnBattalion
Bom/BombBombardier
BoscombeNew Zealand Engineers Reserve Depot, Boscombe, England
Brigade Ammunition ColumnAmmunition column
BrockenhurstNo. 1 New Zealand General Hospital (Brockenhurst)
BroctonBrocton Camp/New Zealand Rifle Brigade Reserve Depot
BtyBattery
C of EChurch of England/Anglican
C'fordNew Zealand Command Depot (Codford)
C RegtCanterbury Infantry Regiment
C1 CampA camp held at Tauherenikau in 1917-18 to bring the health of recruits up the standard required for enlistment in the NZEF
CanCanadian
Can CCSCanadian Casualty Clearing Station
Cas Clg StnCasualty Clearing Station
CBConfined to barracks
CCHCasualty Clearing Hospital
CCSCasualty Clearing Station
ChristchurchUsually refers to Boscombe Camp, England, near the town of Christchurch
CIRCanterbury Infantry Regiment
CMRCanterbury Mounted Rifles
CodfordNew Zealand Command Depot (Codford)
Com DepotNew Zealand Command Depot (Codford)
Con DepotConvalescent Depot
CoyCompany
CSMCerebo-spinal meningitis
CyclistsNew Zealand Cyclist Battalion
D TrainDivisional Train
DACDivisional Ammunition Column
DardanellesGallipoli­
DECDivisional Employment Company
DepDepot
DevonportDisembarkation port, England
DHQDivisional Headquarters
DischDischarged
Div Art/ArtyDivisional Artillery
Div Emp CpyDivisional Employment Company
Div EngrsNew Zealand Engineers
Div Sig Coy NZEDivisional Signallers Company New Zealand Engineers
Div SignlrsDivisional Signallers
Div TrainDivisional Train
DivisionAn organisational unit in an army
Divisional Ammunition ColumnAmmunition column
Divisional Employment CompanyEmployment Companies
Divisional TrainArmy Service Corps
DPSDirector of Personal Services
DRDirector of Recruiting
DrvrDriver (rank)
EEFEgyptian Expeditionary Force
EFTEngineer Field Troop
Egyptian EFEgyptian Expeditionary Force
EngineersNew Zealand Engineers
Ent BattnNew Zealand Entrenching Battalion
EstablishmentThe number of personnel a unit tries to maintain through reinforcements
EtaplesNew Zealand Infantry and General Base Depot, Etaples, France
ETCNew Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company
EwshotNew Zealand Field Artillery Reserve Depot, Ewshot, England
F AmbField Ambulance
F/ArmForearm
F ArtField Artillery
F BakeryASC Field Bakery
FAField Artillery
Fd/FldField, on active service 'in the field' (serving in the actual battle zone)
Fd/Fld AmbField Ambulance
FEField Engineers
FeatherstonFeatherston Camp
FGCMField General Court Martial
Field‘In the field’ means serving in the actual battle zone
Field AmbulanceNew Zealand Medical Corps
Field BakeryArmy Service Corps
Field ButcheryArmy Service Corps
Field TroopEngineer Field Troops
Fld Troops NZEEngineer Field Troops
Forest ParkNo. 1 New Zealand General Hospital (Brockenhurst)
Flers-Courcellete, battle ofA phase of the Somme campaign
FP No. 1Field Punishment No. 1
FP No. 2Field Punishment No. 2
FstonFeatherston Camp
G'TowersGrey Towers – alternate name for New Zealand Convalescent Hospital (Hornchurch)
GHGeneral Hospital
GHQGeneral Headquarters
Gen/Genl HGeneral Hospital
Grey TowersGrey Towers – alternate name for New Zealand Convalescent Hospital (Hornchurch)
GSWGunshot wound
H'church/HchNew Zealand Convalescent Hospital (Hornchurch)
Heavy Trench MortarTrench Mortar Batteries
HMNZTHer Majesty's New Zealand Troopship
HMTHer Majesty's Transport
HornchurchNew Zealand General Base Depot, England, January-September 1916, New Zealand Convalescent Hospital September 1916-June 1919 – New Zealand Convalescent Hospital (Hornchurch)
HosHospital
HSHospital Ship
How B/BatHowitzer Battery
HQHeadquarters
ICCImperial Camel Company
Inf Bde HQNew Zealand Infantry Brigade Headquarters
Inf RegtInfantry Regiment
In the fieldServing in actual battle zone
Isolation HIsolation Hospital
KatiaPhase of the Sinai campaign
KrithiaPhase of the Gallipoli campaign
L/CorpLance-Corporal (rank)
L/CplLance-Corporal (rank)
LarkhillSling Camp
LieutLieutenant (rank)
Light RailwaysLight Railway Operating Section
Light Trench MortarTrench Mortar Batteries
LROSLight Railway Operating Section
LTMBNew Zealand Light Trench Mortar Battery
LWPLeave without pay
M/IMarched In
M/O or M/OutMarched out
Machine Gun SectionMachine Gunners
Machine Gun SquadronMachine Gunners
MahenoHospital Ship
Main BodyThe first group of New Zealand soldiers to leave New Zealand in October 1914. All subsequent soldiers were reinforcements to that original group.
Maori conscriptionMaori men of military age were eligible for conscription from June 1917
Maori Pioneer BattalionNew Zealand Maori (Pioneer) Battalion
MaorisNew Zealand Maori (Pioneer) Battalion
MaramaHospital Ship
Marched inSoldiers join (or rejoin) their unit
Marched outSoldiers leave their unit
MaymornMaymorn Camp
MBMounted Rifles Brigade
Messines, battle ofBattle of Messines, part of the Western Front campaign
MGCMachine Gun Company
MG CoyMachine Gun Company
MGSMachine Gun Squadron
Mil CemMilitary Cemetery
MoascarMoascar Camp, Egypt
Mobile Vet SecMobile Veterinary Section
Morval, battle ofPhase of the Somme campaign
Motor WorkshopArmy Service Corps
MRNew Zealand Mounted Rifles
Mtd BdeNew Zealand Mounted Rifles
Mtd Fd AmbNew Zealand Mounted Rifles Field Ambulance
Mtd Sig TrpMounted Signal Troop
MVSMobile Veterinary Section
Narrow NeckNarrow Neck Camp
Native ContingentMaori Contingent
NNNo regimental number assigned
No. 5 (NZ) Lt Rly SLight Railways Operating Company
NZ Adv Base DepotNew Zealand Advance Base Depot
NZAB Post OfficeNew Zealand Advance Base Depot Post Office
NZANSNew Zealand Army Nursing Service
NZAOCNew Zealand Army Ordnance Corps
NZAPCNew Zealand Army Pay Corps
NZA Pay CorpsNew Zealand Army Pay Corps
NZAPDNew Zealand Army Pay Department
NZAPSNew Zealand Army Postal Service
NZASCNew Zealand Army Service Corps
NZ Con DepotNew Zealand Convalescent Depot
NZ Con HomNew Zealand Convalescent Home
NZCCNew Zealand Camel Company
NZCDNew Zealand Chaplains Department
NZ Div TrainNew Zealand Divisional Train
NZ DivisionNew Zealand Division
NZDCNew Zealand Dental Corps
NZENew Zealand Engineers
NZE Fld TroopEngineer Field Troop
NZE Signal TroopSignallers
NZE Tun CoyNew Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company
NZE TunnellersNew Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company
NZE WirelessNew Zealand Wireless Troop
NZEFNew Zealand Expeditionary Force
NZET CoyNew Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company
NZETCNew Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company
NZFANew Zealand Field Artillery
NZFA Res DepNew Zealand Field Artillery Reserve Depot, Ewshot, England
NZFENew Zealand Field Engineers
NZGH BrockenhurstNo. 1 New Zealand General Hospital, Brockenhurst, England
NZGH CodfordNo. 3 New Zealand General Hospital, Codford, England
NZGH W on TNo. 2 New Zealand General Hospital, Walton-on-Thames, England
NZ InfNew Zealand Infantry
NZIB HQNew Zealand Infantry Brigade Headquarters
NZI & GBDNew Zealand Infantry and General Base Depot, Etaples, France
NZLTMBNew Zealand Light Trench Mortar Battery
NZMCNew Zealand Medical Corps
NZMGCNew Zealand Machine Gun Corps
NZMRNew Zealand Mounted Rifles
NZMR BdeNew Zealand Mounted Rifles
NZMR Tng (Units) & DepotNew Zealand Mounted Rifles Training Regiment and Base Depot, Moascar
NZNCNew Zealand ‘Native’ (Maori) Contingent
NZ Pioneer BattalionNew Zealand Pioneer Battalion
NZPBNew Zealand Pioneer Battalion
NZ Raro CoyRarotongan Company
NZRBNew Zealand Rifle Brigade
NZ(R)BNew Zealand Rifle Brigade
NZRSUNew Zealand Reserve Signalling Unit, Stevenage, England
NZSCNew Zealand Staff Corps
NZTCNew Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company
NZ Training UnitThe collective name for all the men in training in New Zealand preparatory to embarkation.
NZVCNew Zealand Veterinary Corps
NZVSNew Zealand Veterinary Section
New Zealand and Australia DivisionThe Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), 1914-16
OC, O/C, O i/cOfficer in Charge (of a unit)
O RegtOtago Infantry Regiment
OIROtago Infantry Regiment
OMROtago Mounted Rifles
OMR SquadronOtago Mounted Rifles
Other ranksMilitary personnel below officer rank
Pion BnNew Zealand Pioneer Battalion
Pioneer BattalionNew Zealand Pioneer Battalion
PioneersNew Zealand Pioneer Battalion
Polygon WoodA phase of the Third Battle of Ypres/Passchendaele offensive
PresPresbyterian
Pro OverseasProceeded overseas
Proceeded overseasLeaving New Zealand or a staging area near the front for the war zone
PtePrivate (rank)
PvtePrivate (rank)
R GroupReserve Group
RARoyal Artillery
RAMCRoyal Army Medical Corps
Raro CoyRarotongan Company
RCRoman Catholic
RERoyal Engineers
ReinforcementsReinforcements
RejdRejoined unit
Rejoined unitA soldier rejoins their unit, usually after a period of hospitalisation, leave, or attachment to another unit
ResReserve
Res Bn/BtnReserve Battalion, a unit's training section based in England
Res FANew Zealand Field Artillery Reserve Depot, Ewshot, England
Res GroupReserve Group, infantry training units at Sling Camp
ReservistA man of military age who is eligible to be conscripted
Reverts to the ranksReturns to a lower rank after temporary promotion
RfmRifleman
RftsReinforcements
RORoutine orders
Romani, battle ofPhase of the Sinai campaign
RotoruaUsually refers to King George V Military Hospital in Rotorua
RouenNew Zealand Embarkation Camp and hospital, Rouen
Samoan Expeditionary ForceSamoan Expeditionary Force
Samoan GarrisonSamoan Expeditionary Force
Samoan ReinforcementsSamoan Expeditionary Force
San SectionSanitary section of New Zealand Medical Corps
SHStationary Hospital
Sig CoySignal Company
Sig SqdnDivisional Signallers
Sig TroopDivisional Signallers
SlingSling Camp, Wiltshire, England
Sling CampSling Camp, New Zealand reserve and training centre, Wiltshire, England
SOSStruck off strength
Spec Co/CoySpecialist Company, a training unit in New Zealand
SprSapper
SRFSamoan Relief Force
SqdrnSquadron
Stat HosStationary Hospital
Str off strStruck off strength
Struck off strengthA soldier no longer capable of active service is removed from the list of soldiers available for serving at the front
StyStationary Hospital
Sty HStationary Hospital
T/Temporary
T11st Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade
T22nd Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade
TauherenikauTauherenikau Camp
TfdTransferred
TMTrench Mortar Battery
Tng RegtTraining Regiment
TprTrooper (rank)
Tr M BatyTrench Mortar Battery
Transloy Ridge, battle ofPhase of the Somme campaign
Trench MortarTrench Mortar Battery
TrenthamTrentham Camp
Trentham RegimentAlternate name for the New Zealand Rifle Brigade
Trg RgtTraining Regiment
TunnellersNew Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company
TunngNew Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company
Vet CorpsNew Zealand Veterinary Corps
Walton/Walton-on-ThamesNo. 2 New Zealand General Hospital, Walton-on-Thames, England
Western F.F.Western Frontier Force
WFFWestern Frontier Force
WIRWellington Infantry Regiment
Wireless Squadron or Wireless TroopWireless Squadron
W RegtWellington Infantry Regiment
WMRWellington Mounted Rifles
WndWound/wounded
WOWarrant Officer (rank)
Ypres, Third battle ofAlternate name for the Passchendaele offensive
Zeitoun CampZeitoun Camp, Egypt
How to cite this page

'First World War glossary and list of abbreviations', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/ww1-abbreviations-acronymns, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 6-Dec-2021

Community contributions

1 comment has been posted about First World War glossary and list of abbreviations

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Anonymous

Posted: 30 Apr 2020

Helpful to learn what OMR stands for in a death notice in today’s ODT