416th Bombardment Group (L) Acronyms, Abbreviations, Codes and Descriptions
|
Descriptions for some common WWII Acronyms, Abbreviations
and Codes used by the 416th BG during WWII
(Expanded from the
Frank Basford (669th Gunner) Papers
at the 416th Archive and other sources)
Note: Many Acronyms, Abbreviations and Codes may include periods after letters (e.g. M.P.I. vs. MPI), but this list excludes periods for consistency
Abbreviation | Description | Abbreviation | Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|
(H) | Heavy bomb group, such as B-29s | HUMINT | Human Intelligence | |
(L) | Light bomb group, such as A-20s and A-26s | IDPF | Individual Deceased Personnel File | |
(M) | Medium bomb group, such as B-26s | IEO | Intelligence Officer | |
2A | Fuselage Code of the 669th Bomb Squadron, 416th Bomb Group | IGNIS AURUM PROBAT | Translates to English as "FIRE TESTS GOLD". Informal Motto of the 416th Bomb Group. | |
5C | Fuselage Code of the 671st Bomb Squadron, 416th Bomb Group | INP | Inspector Propellers | |
5H | Fuselage Code of the 668th Bomb Squadron, 416th Bomb Group | INS | Instrument Specialist | |
A4 | First ballistic missle, developed by Germany. German name "Aggragat 4", later renamed "Vergeltungswaffe 2" (Vengence Weapon Two, V2), | IP | Initial Point - The beginning of a bomb run | |
A-55 | USAF Station Code for Airfield at Melun/Villaroche, France, Occupied by 416th Bomb Group 24 Sep 1944 to 12 Feb 1945 | JIC | Joint Intelligence Committee | |
A-59 | USAF Station Code for Airfield at Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France, Occupied by 416th Bomb Group 25 May 1945 to c. 15 Jul 1945 | JND | Joined | |
A-69 | USAF Station Code for Airfield at Laon/Athies, France, Occupied by 416th Bomb Group 13 Feb 1945 to 25 May 1945 | JPRC | Joint Photographic Reconnaissance Committee | |
A-74 | USAF Station Code for Airfield at Cambrai, France, Occupied by 416th Bomb Group c. 15 Jul 1945 to 27 Jul 1945 | LC | Line Chief | |
AAC | Army Air Corps | LOC | Letter of Commendation | |
AAF | Army Air Force | LTI | Link Trainer Instructor | |
AAF-170 | USAF Station Code for Airfield at Wethersfield RAF Station, England, Occupied by 416th Bomb Group 1 Feb 1944 to 23 Sep 1944 | MACR | Missing Air Crew Report | |
AAFld | Army Air Field | Mae West | Nickname for yellow inflatable, vest-like life preserver jackets used during WWII by Allied aircrews. Abbreviated "M.W." | |
AAR | Aircraft Accident Report | MI | Military Intelligence, British War Office | |
AC or A/C | Aircraft or Air Corps, depending on context | MI5 | British Home Intelligence Arm | |
ACIU | Allied Central Interpretation Unit - Centralized Photo Interpretaton group stationed at Medmenham, England. Renamed from CIU 1-May-1944 | MI6 | British Secret Intelligence Service | |
ADJ | Adjutant | Milk Run | Term used to describe a mission which did (or was expected to) not encounter enemy resistance, particularly FLAK. | |
AEAF | Allied Expeditionary Air Force | MO, M/O | Movement Orders | |
AF | Air Force | MP | Military Police | |
AFHRA | Air Force Historical Research Agency | MPI | Mean or Main Point of Impact | |
AGO | Adjutant General Office | MSO | Mess Officer | |
AP | Aiming Point | MSP | Miscellaneous Support Personnel | |
APNB | Aiming Point Not Bombed (post-mission analysis) | MSS | Mess Sergeant | |
APO | Army Post Office | MTP | Motor Pool | |
ARC | Armorer Chief | MTU | Mobile Training Unit | |
ARM | Armorer or Armament | MY, M/Y | Marshalling Yards, used to separate railway cars onto one of several tracks. | |
ARO | Armament Officer | NAO | Not Able to Observe (?). Abbreviation used during post-mission analysis when the crews were unable to observe the bombing results for reasons such as cloud cover, obscuring smoke, etc. | |
ASC | Air Service Command | NMI | No Middle Initial | |
ASN | Army (Personnel) Serial Number | NOBALL | Codeword for German V1 Rocket Launch site targets. Also called "Bois Carre" or "Ski Site". | |
AUS | Army of the United States | Oboe | A British aerial blind bombing/navigation system in World War II, based on radio transponder technology. | |
BCO | Base Custody Officer | OFM | Officers Mess | |
BG | Bombardment Group or Bomb Group | Operation Crossbow | The code word "Crossbow" was used throughout the period of planning and operations as a convenient term for any matters relating to the attack on England by long range weapons, including all counter-measures against such attacks. | |
BN, B/N, B-N | Bombardier/Navigator | OPO | Operations Officer | |
Bois Carre site | One of the names of German V1 Rocket Launch sites because Bois Carre was the first V1 Launch site location identified by Photographic Reconnaissance/Interpretation. Also called "NOBALL" and "Ski Site". | ORO | Ordnance Officer | |
BS | Bombardment Squadron or Bomb Squadron | P | Pilot (Throttle Jockey) | |
BSS | Bomb Sight Specialist | PCR | Parachute Rigger (Geronimo) | |
CBW | Combat Bombardment Wing or Combat Bomb Wing | PEO | Personnel Equipment Officer | |
CC | Crew Chief | PFF | PathFinder Force (PFF) Aircraft used to lead missions over targets not expected to be able to be bombed visually; Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft from the 1st Pathfinder Squadron (Provisional), 9th Bombardment Division specially equipped with early radar navigation systems "Oboe" and later "SHORAN". Note, also sometimes abbreviated "PPF". | |
CCA | Chemical Company (Aviation) | PHO | Photographer | |
CCAM | Chemical Company (Aviation Maintenance) | PI | Photographic Interpretation or Photograph Interpreter, depending on context | |
CCAO | Chemical Company (Air operations) | PIU | Photographic Interpretation Unit | |
CCDA | Chemical Company Depots (Aviation) | PNB | Primary Not Bombed (post-mission analysis) | |
CCU | Combat Camera Unit | POM | Preparation for Overseas Movement | |
CHP | Chaplain | PPF | Abbreviation sometimes used instead of PFF (PathFinder Force) | |
CIU | Central Interpretation Unit - Centralized Photo Interpretaton group stationed at Medmenham, England. Renamed to ACIU 1-May-1944 | PR | Photographic Reconnaissance | |
CM | Communications | PRJ | Project Officer | |
CMO | Communications Officer | PRO | Public Relations Officer | |
CMW | Charge of Materiel and Weapons | PRU | Photographic Reconnaissance Unit | |
CO | Commanding Officer | PTO | Physical Training Officer | |
CRP | Crypt Section Officer | QMS | Quartermaster Supply | |
CWS | Chemical Warfare Service | RAD | Radar Specialist | |
DCO | Deputy Commanding Officer | RAF | Royal Air Force (British Air Force) | |
D-Day, DD | June 6, 1944 - Date of the Allied invasion of Europe to defeat Germany during WWII | RAO | Radio Operator | |
DDS | Dental Surgeon | RP | Rally Point - position where Aircraft re-formed their formation after a bomb run | |
DEC | Deceased | SAJ | Squadron Adjutant | |
DFC | Distinguished Flying Cross award | SAO | Squadron Armament Officer | |
DIS | Dispatcher | SCO | Squadron Commanding Officer | |
DMPI | Designated (or Desired) Mean/Main Point of Impact | SEO | Squadron Executive Officer | |
DS | Detached Service | SHAEF | Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force | |
DUC | Distinguished Unit Citation award | SHORAN | An acronym for SHOrt RAnge Navigation, a type of electronic navigation and bombing system using a precision radar beacon, initially developed during World War II. | |
EAME | European-African-Middle Eastern Theater | SIGINT | Signal Intelligence | |
EDS | Education Specialist | SIS | British Secret Intelligence Service (see also MI6) | |
eff | Effective | SKI Site | One of the names of German V1 Rocket Launch sites because some of the buildings had a curved end with the appearance of a ski on it's side. Also called "NOBALL" and "Bois Carre" sites. | |
EM | Enlisted Man / Enlisted Men | SN, S/N | Serial Number (Aircraft or Personnel) | |
ENO | Engineering Officer | SO, S/O | Special Orders | |
ETO | European Theatre of Operations | SPARE | Aircraft which took off with the formation and would fly part of the distance to the target to fill-in for an aircraft that encountered a problem and had to return early. | |
EXO | Executive Officer | SPO | Supply Officer | |
F6 | Fuselage Code of the 670th Bomb Squadron, 416th Bomb Group | Sq, Sqd | Squadron | |
FC | Flight Chief | TAC | Tactical Air Command | |
FCW | French Civilian Worker | TD, T/D | Table of Distribution | |
FO, F/O | Field Order | TO | Table of Organization | |
FR | From | TOE | Table of Organization and Equipment | |
FRT | Front Line | trfd | Transferred | |
FRTLNT | Front Line Tour | TRS | Transferred | |
FTR | Fail To Return - Date a Soldier Failed to Return from a Mission | TSO | Technical Supply Officer | |
G | Gunner (God Bless Em) | TTY | TeleType | |
GAJ | Group Adjutant | TWX | Teletypewriter Exchange Service | |
GC | Ground Crew | Ultra | Designation adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by breaking high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park. Ultra eventually became the standard designation among the western Allies for all such intelligence. | |
GCO | Group Commanding Officer | USAAF | Unites States Army Air Force | |
GDS | Group Dental Surgeon | V1 | Jet-propelled flying bomb, developed by Germany. German names "Vergeltungswaffe Eins" (Vengence Weapon One, V1), "Fieseler Fi 103 (Fi-103) flying bomb", "FZG-76", "Kirschkern (CherryStone)", "Maikafer (JuneBug)", and "Krahe (Crow)". Also nick-named "Buzz Bomb", "Doodlebug", "Hellhound" and "Diver" by the Allies. | |
GEE | Early navigational system used by Allied Aircraft, originally termed code letter G (for grid), changed to GEE in July, 1940, for security reasons. | V2 | First ballistic missle, developed by Germany. German name "Aggragat 4" (A4), later renamed "Vergeltungswaffe 2" (Vengence Weapon Two, V2), | |
GO, G/O | General Orders | WD | War Department | |
GP bombs | General Purpose bombs | WEO | Weather Officer | |
Gp, Grp | Group | WEP | Weapons Officer | |
H-Hour | On June 6, 1944, H-hour was 0630 (6:30 AM) on most beaches, one hour after first light, an hour after low tide. | WINDOW | Aluminium stips released ahead of the main bombing formation, which would flutter downward, generating a cloud of false echoes disrupting the enemy radar signal, reducing the effectiveness of the German FLAK and anti-aircraft automated radar controls. Also, Aircraft assigned to carry and release the WINDOW strips. | |
HQ | Headquarters | WWII, WW2 | World War Two |
MACR and AAR Crewmember Status
(Primary Sources: FOLD3 MACR Status Description
and AAIR Action Codes)
Status | Description | Status | Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|
ALW | Alive And Well | KLACoG | Killed in a Landing Accident out of Gas | |
Bailed out | Bailed out | KMAC | Killed, Mid Air Collision | |
CAP | Captured (?) | LWA | Lightly Wounded In Action | |
DED | Declared Dead (Public Law 490) | LWIA | Lightly Wounded In Action | |
DL | Dead List | LWS | Lightly Wounded In Service(?) | |
DLD | Died in the Line of Duty | Major injuries | Major injuries | |
DNB | Died Non-Battle | MIA | Missing In Action | |
DOW | Died Of Wounds | Minor injuries | Minor injuries | |
DOWRIA | Died Of Wounds Received In Action | NOK | Next Of Kin | |
EUS | Evacuated To The United States | Not injured | Not injured | |
Fatal | Fatal | POW | Prisoner Of War | |
FOD | Finding of Death | RET | Returned (?) | |
Injured | Injured | RMB | Returned To Military Control (hospitalized for Battle wounds) | |
ITT | Injured in Training | RMC | Returned To Military Control | |
KBO | Killed, Bail Out | RMN | Returned To Military Control (hospitalized for Non-battle injuries) | |
KCR | Killed in a CRash | RTD | Returned To Duty | |
KCRGC | Killed in Crash Ground Collision | RZI | Returned to Zone of Interior | |
KCRT | Killed, CRashed on Take off | Seriously Injured | Seriously Injured | |
KCRTEF | Killed CRash on Take off Eng Failure | SIA | Severely Injured in Action | |
KIA | Killed In Action | Slightly Injured | Slightly Injured | |
Killed | Killed | SWA | Seriously Wounded In Action | |
Killed on impact | Killed on impact | WIA | Wounded In Action | |
KIT | Killed In Training | WLD | Wounded in the Line of Duty |
Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) Codes
assigned to 416th BG Enlisted men during WWII
See more complete MOS lists at:
(134th Infantry Regiment list of MOS codes )
(TM 12-427 Military Occupational Classification of Enlisted Personnel, 12-Jul-1944 (PDF))
MOS | Description | MOS | Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|
014 | Automotive Mechanic (Second Echelon) | 675 | Messenger | |
050 | Carpenter, General | 678 | Power Turret and Gunsight Mechanic | |
055 | Clerk, General | 683 | Bombsight Mechanic | |
056 | Postal Clerk | 685 | Airplane Electrical Mechanic | |
058 | Conductor, Railway | 686 | Airplane Instrument Mechanic | |
060 | Cook | 687 | Airplane Propeller Mechanic | |
123 | Medical Technician | 695 | Duty Soldier III | |
225 | Surgical Technician | 699 | Truck Driver, Light | |
237 | Teletype Operator | 747 | Airplane and Engine Mechanic | |
238 | Lineman, Telephone and Telegraph | 748 | Airplane Mechanic-Gunner | |
239 | Teletype Mechanic | 750 | Airplane Maintenance Technician | |
256 | Welder, Combination | 751 | Airplane Flight Chief | |
267 | Translator | 752 | Airplane Maintenance Technician | |
275 | Classification Specialist | 754 | Radio Mechanic, AAF | |
283 | Athletic Instructor | 755 | Radio Operator, AAF | |
309 | Telephone Operator | 756 | Radio Operator, AAF | |
345 | Truck Driver, Light | 757 | Radio Operator - Mechanic-Gunner, AAF | |
355 | File Clerk | 766 | Radio Operator, High Speed, Manual | |
378 | Motorcyclist | 807 | Cryptographic Code Compiler | |
409 | Medical Technician | 809 | Decontaminating Equipment Operator | |
475 | Longshoreman | 813 | Transportation NCOs | |
501 | Administrative and Technical Clerk | 821 | Quartermaster Supply Technician | |
502 | Administrative NCO | 824 | Mess Sergeant | |
504 | Munitions Worker | 826 | AAF Supply Technician | |
505 | Ammunition NCO | 835 | Supply Clerk | |
511 | Armorer | 855 | Dental Technician | |
513 | Airplane Inspector | 861 | Surgical Technician | |
521 | Basic | 862 | Radar Mechanic (IFF) | |
534 | Chaplain's Assistant | 868 | Radio-Teletype Mechanic | |
540 | Chief Switchboard Operator, Common Battery | 870 | Chemical NCO | |
542 | Communications Chief | 888 | Radio Mechanic F | |
552 | Control Tower Operator | 890 | Photo Interpreter | |
555 | Aircraft Sheet Metal Worker | 898 | Radio Repairman | |
585 | First Sergeant | 901 | Munitions Worker | |
611 | Aerial Gunner | 903 | Small Arms Weapons Mechanic | |
612 | Airplane Armorer-Gunner | 909 | Mechanic, Engine, Track Vehicle | |
613 | Computer (Calculations) | 911 | Airplane Armorer | |
620 | Parachute Rigger and Repairman | 925 | Aircraft Engineering Technician | |
650 | Telephone Switchboard Operator | 928 | Automotive Equipment Mechanic | |
652 | Section Leader | 929 | Automotive Equipment Operator | |
663 | Airplane Armorer | 931 | Truck Driver, Heavy | |
664 | Armament Inspector | 932 | Special Vehicle Operator | |
673 | Medical NCO | 3160 | Soils Analyst | |
674 | Message Center Chief |
Enlisted and Officer Rank
(Primary Sources: United States Army enlisted rank insignia of World War II and
United States Army officer rank insignia)
Abbreviation | Enlisted Full Title | Abbreviation | Officer Full Title | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pvt / PVT | Private | Cadet / OT | Officer candidate | |
Pfc / PFC | Private First Class | CDT / OC | Officer candidate | |
Cpl / CPL | Corporal | CWO | Chief Warrant Officer | |
T/5 | Technician Fifth Grade | F/O / Flt O | Flight Officer | |
Sgt / SGT | Sergeant | 2d Lt / 2LT | Second Lieutenant | |
T/4 | Technician Fourth Grade | 1st Lt / 1LT | First Lieutenant | |
S/Sgt / SSG | Staff Sergeant | Capt / CPT | Captain | |
T/3 | Technician Third Grade | Maj / MAJ | Major | |
T/Sgt / TSG | Technical Sergeant | Lt Col / LTC | Lieutenant Colonel | |
M/Sgt / MSG | Master Sergeant | Col / COL | Colonel | |
1st Sgt / 1SG | First Sergeant | Brig Gen / BG | Brigadier General | |
SMJ | Sergeant Major | Maj Gen / MG | Major General | |
Lt Gen / LTG | Lieutenant General | |||
Gen / GEN | General | |||
GAF | General of the Air Force | |||
GA | General of the Army | |||
GAS | General of the Armies |