Abbreviations ??

[Matelot]

I was wondering, If the forum had a page of the abbreviations used in reference to the content of this forum.

Having read through some of the posts, I have found myself lost in the meanings.

any help would me most appreciated

Rich

[cbuehler]

Not sure what abbreviations you are refering to. Can you give some examples?

CB

[jeanpit-frenchy]

perhaps like
OR = other rank
NCO = non comisionned officer
WM = white metal
BIM = bimetal
etc etc.....

[Matelot]

Yep Jean, the kind of abbs that are used to in discribing the types of badges and there moteffs.

cheers

Rich

[cbuehler]

In addition to Jeanpit's there are:
HM = hall mark
B or BR = brass
GM = gilding metal (often referrered to as brass)
QVC = queen victoria crown
KC = kings crown
QC = queens crown
AA = anodised aluminum
BLK = blackened
BZ = bronzed
OSD = officer service dress
SS = sterling silver
SP =silver plate
ST = shoulder title

Some other examples:
OTC = officer training corps
WO = warrant officer
IY = imperial yeomanry
TF = territorial forces
TA = territorial army
LI = light infantry

With regard to unit or regimental abbreviations, those you will just have to learn over time as there are so many. The British Army routinely uses abbreviations for military units.
Some common examples:
RE = royal engineers
RASC = royal army service corps
RAMC = royal army medical corps
RM = royal marines
RA = royal artillery
RWF = royal welch fusiliers
DLI = durham light infantry
KRRC = kings royal rifle corps
GG = grenadier guards
RF = royal fusiliers

[Matelot]

Many thanks for the info CB/Jean, much appreciated

I feel that I must express my total agreement with the spirit of this posting. We live today in a world dominated by alphabet soup ! It is always presumed that everyone will understand each and every abbreviation used and I am getting tired of that presumptious presumption !! The English language is something to be very - very - proud of !! Peoples all over the world flock to study English - so why bastardise it ??? For me it will always be white metal - not wm. It will always be an officers' service dress cap badge, not an OSD !! It is simply a matter of self discipline - so let us remember the heritage we shout about in other contexts. Regards. David

There'll always be an England
While there's a country lane
etc. etc. etc.

Rock on John Betjamin

[KLR]

I prefer to use standard abbreviations for metals
ar silver
ae brass
cu copper
etc
(can't remember what bronze is !?

and War Office terms such as
GS German silver (=WM)
GM gilding metal
(in 1897 the WO decreed the alloy composition of these two)

[ard-ri]

Rich,

You'll pick it up as you go along. No worries. More examples:

"Skins" = Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
"Fuse" = Fusiliers
"RDF" = Royal Dublin Fusilier
"RIR" = Royal Irish Rifles / Royal Irish Regiment
"RUR" = Royal Ulster Rifles
"MF" = Munster Fusiliers
"Y.C.V." = Young Citizens of Ireland Volunteers

Etc, Etc, Etc.

As I said, you'll catch on. It just takes a while.

[Mike]

made a start.

Glossary


got the first 5 done.


anyone got copyright free headdress images: cloth helmet, shakos, berets, kilmarnocks, side caps, field service caps, tropical, pugaree bands, lemon squeezer, slouch, etc etc?

[David Tremain]

Mike, I have a slouch hat worn by my grandfather during the Burma campaign. It has on the puggaree the flash of the 7th Indian Division, and on the flap what he told me was a SEAC flash, but to me looks more like R. Sigs. I'll try and take a picture of it over the weekend and post it on Tuesday (it's a long weekend here in Canada and I don't have access to a computer at home). What will you be using it for?
David

[Bill A]

Just a couple of terms/abbreviations for the glossary. Tangs = blades, frequently used to describe badge fasteners. (Maybe a "Canadianism"?) Eg Tang back.
Frosted, a type of finish on badges, usually silver, occaisionally gold.
Fire gilt, again a finish on badges, a gold colour.
Babin or Babin's. A common catalogue system used for CEF badges based upon Leonard Babin's CEF reference book.
Mazeas. Daniel Mazeas reference books/catalogue systems for Pre-1914 and 1920-1950 Canadian cap, collar and shoulder titles.. Usually refers to the Canadian Badges 1920-1950, but also Canadian Milita Badges Pre-1914.

[Mike]

Mike, I have a slouch hat worn by my grandfather during the Burma campaign. It has on the puggaree the flash of the 7th Indian Division, and on the flap what he told me was a SEAC flash, but to me looks more like R. Sigs. I'll try and take a picture of it over the weekend and post it on Tuesday (it's a long weekend here in Canada and I don't have access to a computer at home). What will you be using it for?
David

Hi David, excellent. It’s for an illustration in the glossary of the basic head-dress people mention in the forum. Idea being that a new collector/visitor doesn’t need to go googling off site to find out what posters on here are writing about - they can go to the onsite glossary instead. eg cap


Only piece of head gear I keep is a Gordon highlanders Glengarry (picture added) and a WW2 steel helmet with original cammo net!

Just a couple of terms/abbreviations for the glossary. Tangs = blades, frequently used to describe badge fasteners. (Maybe a "Canadianism"?) Eg Tang back.
Frosted, a type of finish on badges, usually silver, occaisionally gold.
Fire gilt, again a finish on badges, a gold colour.
Babin or Babin's. A common catalogue system used for CEF badges based upon Leonard Babin's CEF reference book.
Mazeas. Daniel Mazeas reference books/catalogue systems for Pre-1914 and 1920-1950 Canadian cap, collar and shoulder titles.. Usually refers to the Canadian Badges 1920-1950, but also Canadian Milita Badges Pre-1914.

Thanks Bill, have heard the term tangs used over here as well for blades. Couldn’t remember “Babin” when I wrote the list out even though he’s on the shelf!

[David Tremain]

I've just thought, I've also got a set of Guards forage caps with slashed peaks, RMP cap, as well as a Royal Canadian Artillery cap, and a Canadian Guards officer's cap (illustrated elsewhere in this forum), if you're interested. I'll see what i can do over the weekend.
David

[Mike]

Hi David, yes anything to show the basic types of headdress is most welcome.

mike