A/A or AA

Aircraft Apprentice or Anti-Aircraft fire (Ack-Ack)

AAEE

Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment (Boscombe Down)

AAF

Auxiliary Air Force

AASF

Advanced Air Striking Force

AC

Aircraftsman

A/C

Air Commodore

ACHGD

Aircrafthand, General Duties

ACIs

Air Council Instructions

Ack-Ack

Anti-Aircraft fire

ADGB

Air Defence of Great Britain

AFC

Air Force Cross

AFM

Air Force Medal    or   Air Frame Mechanic

AFRO

Air Force Routine Orders

AFU

Advanced Flying Unit

A/G or AG

Air Gunner

AGL

Above ground level

AHQ

Air Headquarters

Alligator or 'Gator

Navigator

A/M or AM

Air Marshall

AMES

Air Ministry Experimental Station

AMO

Air Ministry Order

AMWD

Air Ministry Works Directorate

ANS

Air Navigation School

AOC

Air Officer Commanding

AOC-in-C

Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief

AOS

Air Observer School

AP

Air Publication: also Armor Piercing

Apron

The tarmac around a hangar

Ar.

Arado

Arrival

An aircraft landing of barely adequate standard.

ASL

above sea level

ALG

Advanced Landing Ground

ASO

Assistant Section Officer

ASR

Air Sea Rescue

ASV

Air-Surface Vessel

ATC

Air Traffic Control: also, Air Training Corps

AVG

American Volunteer Group (the Flying Tigers)

A/V/M or AVM

Air Vice Marshall

AW

Air Woman

B/A or BA

Bomb Aimer

Bandit

Enemy aircraft

BAT

Blind (or Beam) Approach Training

Bat Boy

Personal assistant / Go-fer

BCATP

British Commonwealth Air Training Plan

BD

Bomb Disposal

Beehive

Bomber formation closely escorted by fighters

BEF

British Expeditionary Force

BEM

British Empire Medal

Benders

Knees

Bf or BF

Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian Aircraft Works) as in Bf-109.
Designs after 1938 were designated Me for Messerschmitt   *

BGS   or  B&GS

Bombing & Gunnery School

Bible-Puncher

Padre or Chaplain

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"

Blackouts

WAAF issue knickers (panties); winter, navy blue (see Twilights)

Blanket Drill

Sleep; alt 'Horizontal Drill'

Blood Wagon

Ambulance

BoB

Battle of Britain

Bob / Bobbing

Modern equivalent of "brown-noser" or "brown-nosing"

Bod

Person or body as opposed to just being a name on a list

Bogey

An unidentified aircraft / suspected enemy aircraft (e/a)

Boob

Mistake or error

Bought it

Killed or missing

BR

Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron

Brassed off

Angry

Browned off

Lesser degree of angry

Brat

Short for 'Trenchard Brat' an ex-aircraft apprentice or boy entrant

Brolly

Parachute

Brown Job

Any member of the Army (see 'Pongo')

BSL

Below sea level

Bumf / Bumph

All paperwork; from 'bum-fodder'

Buzz bomb

V-1 rocket bomb, slang

Bv. or BV

Blohm & Voss

CAN/RAF

Canadian in the RAF

Canteen Cowboy

Airman who sees himself as a ladies man; alt 'NAAFI Romeo'

Can

Full responsibility; take the blame; to "carry the can"

CAS

Chief of Air Staff

CB

Confined to Barracks. Punishment

CBE

Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

CC

Confined to Camp; punishment like CB

CEF

Canadian Expeditionary Force

CFB

Canadian Forces Base

CFI

Chief Flying Instructor

CFS

Central Flying School

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-off

Angry

Chief / Chiefy

Flight Sergeant

Circus

Fighter escorted, short range, bombing attack

CIU

Clinical Investigation Unit

Civvy Street

Civilian life

Close the hangar

Stop talking shop   (or Close the hangar doors)

Clot

Fool; idiot; "thick" or dumbass

Clueless

Ignorant, dumb  (this word is now common english ;^)

C/O or CO

Commanding Officer. There can be only one on site

COMM

Communications Squadron

Cookie

4000 lb bomb

CPA

Canadian Pacific Airlines

Cpl

Corporal

CR

Fiat fighter plane

CSO

Chief Section Officer

CTechO

Chief Technical Officer

CTTB

Central Trade Test Board

CWR

Charge/Weight Ratio (% of explosive / overall stated bomb weight)

D

Died

DA

Delayed Action bomb

dam

Damaged

Day Ranger

Seek & destroy enemy fighters, using Mosquito [usually] aircraft

DC

Depth Charge

DCM

Distinguished Conduct Medal

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Normandy June 6 1944

Dear-John

An "end of relationship" letter from a spouse

Devil-dodger

Padre or Chaplain

DFC

Distinguished Flying Cross

DFM

Distinguished Flying Medal

DH

de Havilland

DHC

de Havilland Canada

Dim

Not smart, dull, dense, dumb; "take a dim view" or dim-wit

Ditch

To land on/in water; from 'In the Ditch' (the English Channel)

Diver

Code name for V-1 rocket

DNCO

Duty not carried out

DND

Department of National Defense (Canada)

Do.

Dornier

Dog

Anything with poor performance; slow; no good

Doodlebug, Doodle bug

V-1 rocket bomb, slang

DOT

Department of Transportation

DOW

Died Of Wounds

Dressing Down

"A dressing down" – to get yelled at; put in your place

Drill

The correct method; the right way of doing it; "you know the drill"

Drink

The Sea or other body of water

DSC

Distinguished Service Cross

DSO

Distinguished Service Order

Duff

No good; False or inaccurate information as in "it was Duff Gen"

DZ

Drop Zone

EA  or  e/a

Enemy Aircraft

EAC

Eastern Air Command

EATP

Empire Air Training Plan

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

EV

Escort Vessel

EVT

Educational Vocation Training

F

Fighter

FAA

Fleet Air Arm

F/E or FE   or Flt. Eng.

Flight Engineer

FEAF

Far East Air Force

Fi.

Fieseler

FIDO

Fog Investigation Dispersal Operation

FIS

Flying Instructor School

Fish-head

Navy personnel

Fishpond

Airborne radar warning bombers

Fix

Aircraft 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

Flap

Panic, alarm, disturbance, excitement

FLS

Fighter Leader School

FLT

Flight (sub formation within a squadron or unit etc)

F/O or FO

Flying Officer

Form 540

Squadron diary

Fruit Salad

Decorations, referring to medal ribbons

F/S or FS, F/Sgt, FSgt

Flight Sergeant

FTR

Failed to Return

FTS

Flying Training School

Fw. Or FW

Focke-Wulf

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

Gee

British radio navigation system

Gen

Information; usually accurate, as in "getting the gen"

George

Aircraft auto pilot

Gestapo

Slang word for (our) Military police. Not to be confused with ...

Gestapo

Feared German "Geheime Staatspolizei;" or German State Police

Get some in

Addressed to those with less service time

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

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

Griff

Information; similar to "Gen"

Groupie

Group Captain

GRS

General Reconnaissance School

GTS

Glider Training School

Hacked-off

Angry

Hang-up

A bomb that failed to release

HC

High Capacity (type of bomb, or CWR 80% or more)

HCU

Heavy Conversion Unit; as in, on to four-engined aircraft.

HE

High Explosive

He.

Heinkel

Hedge-hog

Shipboard ASW weapon

HMCS

His Majesty's Canadian Ship

HMS

His Majesty's Ship

HMT

His Majesty's Transport (Ship) / Troopship

Homework

Girlfriend; as in "a piece of homework"

Horizontal refreshment

Sleep

Horizontal PT

Sex

Hs.

Henschel

HSL

High Speed Launch

HQ

Headquarters

Huff-Duff

High frequency radio direction finding equipment

H2S

Airborne radar navigation and target identification aid

IAS

Indicated Air Speed

I/C

In Charge

ID or I.D.

Identification

IFF

Identify Friend or Foe

IFR

Instrument Flight Rules

In Dock

In sick quarters or hospital

I/O or IO or I.O.

Intelligence Officer or "Spy"

Irons

Knife, fork and spoon eating utensils issued to all non-coms

ITS

Initial Training School

ITW

Initial Training Wing

Jankers

Disciplinary punishment of parades in full kit, fatigues, etc.

Ju.

Junkers

Jug

Guardroom cell or detention room

Joy

Action / Satisfaction / Enemy Aircraft ; "did you find any 'joy'"?

K

Killed

KCB

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

Kipper Fleet

Coastal Command

Kite

Airplane

KRs

King's Regulations

LAC

Leading Aircraftman

LAW

Leading Aircraftwoman

LDV

Local Defence Volunteer

Leigh-Light

24-inch airborne search light

LFS

Lancaster Finishing School

LG

Landing Ground

Line or Line-shoot

Boastful exaggeration of one's own prowess or abilities, etc.

Line Book

Written, witnessed record of 'lines shot' by members of mess or unit

LMF

Lack of Moral Fiber

Loco

Locomotive

Long-Distance Gong

The Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (LS&GC) awarded to non­commissioned personnel (mainly) after 18 completed years of satisfactory RAF service.

MAD

Nagnetic Anomaly Detection

Mae West

Life-preserver jacket worn over chest by flying personnel

MAFL

Manual of Air Force Law

Master Bomber

The pilot in charge of a bombing raid - Lead Bomber

MAP

Ministry of Aircraft Production

MBE

Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

MC

Medium Capacity (type of bomb, CWR of 60% approx)

MD

Manning Depot

Me.

Messerschmitt

Meat Wagon

Ambulance

Met

Meteorological service

MET

Motorized Enemy Transport

MFDF

Medium Frequency Direction Finding

mg

Machine Gun

MIA

Missing In Action

MiD

Mention in Despatches (award)

ML

Motor Launch

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

MP

Military Police

MT

Originally, Mechanical Transport; later, Motorized Transport

MTB

Motor Torpedo Boat

MU

Maintenance Unit, (base storage and/or major repair depot)

m/u

Mid upper gunner / turret

MV

Motor Vessel

NAAFI

Navy, Army & Air Force Institute

Naffy

Navy, Army and Air Force Institute canteen and recreation building

NCO

Non-commissioned Officer

Nickle

Propaganda leaflet

Non-com

Non-commissioned Officer

NORAD

North American Air Defense Command

NRC

National Research Council

OBE

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

Old Man

The Commanding Officer

On Strength

There and doing your job; part of a crew / unit; assigned to

On the Hooks

On a disciplinary charge; in trouble

Oppo

Pal, friend, mate; from "opposite number"

Ops

Operations

Orderly Dog

Duty appropriate to rank (Orderly Officer/Sergeant/Corporal)

ORORB

Other ranks Operations Record Book

OTG

On The Ground

OTU

Operational Training Unit

Panic Bowler

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")

Penguin

Any non-flying person - could also be called a 'Kiwi' -
Not to be confused with a New Zealander who was also called a Kiwi

Peri-track

Tarmac roadway for aircraft and vehicles around perimeter of airfield runways area

PFF

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

Plonk

Generic 'surname' for lowest airman classifications of 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

Pongo

Any officer in the Army

Popsie

Female, usually young and attractive

POW

Prisoner Of War

PR

Photographic Reconnaissance (PRU or PR Unit)

Prang

Crash, wreck. Used as noun and verb

PRC

Personnel Reception Center

prob

Probable. Refers to an official rating of "Probably Destroyed"

Props

Propeller cloth badge worn on each tunic sleeve by LACs

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

PTI

Physical Training Instructor

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

RAFVR

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Ramrod

Fighter escorted daylight bombing attack

Ranger

Seek & Destroy enemy fighters in the air and OTG

RCAF

Royal Canadian Air Force

RCMP

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

RCN

Royal Canadian Navy

RCNVR

RCN Volunteer Reserve

RD

Repair Depot

RDF

Radio Direction Finding (original cover-name for radar)

RFC

Royal Flying Corps (1912-18 only)

Rhubarb

Small-scale fighter attack in search of targets of opportunity, low level

Rings

Cloth badges of rank worn on lower sleeves of all officers tunics

RN

Royal Navy

RNAS

Royal Naval Air Service (1914-18 only)

RNZAF

Royal New Zealand Air Force

Rock Ape

Any member of an RAF Regiment

Rocket

Severe reprimand from higher authority

Rodeo

A fighter sweep over enemy territory

Ropey

Slacker, careless, unreliable

RP

Rocket Projectile (airborne armament)

RSU

Repair and Salvage Unit

R/T or RT

Radio Telephony / Transmitter (planes communication system)

RU

Radar Unit

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 trim on peaked hats of officers, Group Captain and higher

Scraper

Thinner center 'ring' of Squadron Leaders badges of rank

Scrub

Cancel, forget it, don't bother, eliminate, destroy

SFTS

Service Flying Training School

Sgt

Sergeant

sh

Shared

SHAEF

Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force

SHQ

Station Headquarters

Skew-ell

Squadron Leader

S/L or SL, Sqd Ldr

Squadron Leader

S.M. or SM

Savoia-Marchetti

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

SOS

Struck Off Strength

S/P or SP

Sergeant Pilot

SP

Service Police

Sparks

Wireless tradesman, from cloth badge worn on right tunic sleeve

Spawny

Lucky

Sprog

Recruit, anyone fresh to his trade or category; a newbie; noob

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.)

SSQ

Station Sick Quarters

Stationmaster

Officer in overall command of an RAF station

Stiffener

A 'binder', 'moaner', 'grumbler', boring, a 'drag' ; not what you want

Stooge

Assistant, Go-fer, 'Joe Soap'; To fly around aimlessly; do nothing

Strip

Reprimand from superior, usually 'to tear him off a strip'

Swede

Anyone from rural / rustic origins, or with 'country' dialect; yokel

Sweeny

Hair-cut to Service standards; from Sweeny Todd, the 'demon barber'

SWO

Station Warrant Officer

Tallboy

12,000 lb bomb

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

TI

Target Indicator

TOS

Taken On Strength

TTS

Technical Training School

Twilights

Lightweight issue WAAF knickers of lighter blue shade

Type

General classification, "he's a bad / good 'type'"

Tyro

The new guy (i.e. inexperienced man on a unit); newbie

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

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)

WAAF

Women's Auxiliary Air Force

WAC

Western Air Command

Wad

Cake or bun

WAG

Wireless Air Gunner

W/C or WC

Wing Commander; Winco

WD

Women's Division

WIA

Wounded In Action

Window

Aluminum strips dropped to confuse German radar

Wingco or Winco

Wing Commander

Wizard

Great, very good, excellent, first-class, amazing

W/O or WO

Warrant Officer

WOP

Wireless Operator

WOP/AG

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner

Works & Bricks

Air Ministry Works Directorate; alt 'Wonders and Blunders'

WS

Wireless School

W/T

Wireless Telegraphy or Wireless Transmitter

Zombie

Canadian Draftee. They were only required to serve at home. These usually disgruntled "soldiers" were called the "Zombie Squad"