GLOSSARY

ABBREVIATIONS

AA	Anti-Aircraft
AB	Able Seaman
AM	Air Mechanic
ASC	Army Service Corps
CB	Companion of the Bath
CFS	Central Flying School
CMB	Coastal Motor Boat
CO	Commanding Officer
CPO	Chief Petty Officer
DFC	Distinguished Flying Cross
DSO	Distinguished Service Order
FAU	First Aid Unit
HE	High Explosive
HMS	His Majesty’s Ship
HMT	Hired Military Transport
HQ	Headquarters
MAA	Master-at-Arms
MO	Medical Officer
MVO	Member of the Victorian Order
NCO	Non-commissioned Officer
NO	Naval Officer
PO	Petty Officer
PoW	Prisoner of War
RAF	Royal Air Force
RFA	Royal Field Artillery
RFC	Royal Flying Corps
RM	Royal Marines
RMA	Royal Marine Artillery
RMLI	Royal Marine Light Infantry
RN	Royal Navy
RNACD	Royal Naval Armoured Car Division
RNAS	Royal Naval Air Service
RNR	Royal Naval Reserve
RNVR	Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
SMS	Seiner Majestät Schiff (His Majesty’s Ship)
SOFFAAM	Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum
SS	a) Steam Ship. b) Submarine Scout
TB	Torpedo Boat
VA	Vice Admiral
VC	Victoria Cross
W/T	Wireless Transmissions (or Transmitter)
WRNS	Women’s Royal Naval Service

DEFINITIONS

Archie	Anti-aircraft fire
Bessoneau	A type of temporary canvas-covered aircraft hangar
Blimp	Dirigible airship without a rigid skeleton, whose shape depends on the pressure of gas within. Supposedly of American derivation, since the US Army was said to classify airships as Type A- Rigid, and Type B – Limp, hence blimp. Alternatively, said to mimic the sound made by flicking the inflated envelope of the balloon with the finger.
Bully	Tinned corned beef, widely issued as rations. Originally from the French boeuf boilli or boiled beef, which was prepared as a ration meat and stored in glass jars.
Crusher	Regulating Petty Officer, a naval rating responsible for discipline.
Immelman Turn	An aerial manoeuvre, supposedly named after Max Immelman, a German air ace. It consisted of diving to pick up speed, then pulling up to near stalling and applying rudder. Difficult to carry out without stalling or spinning, if executed correctly would re-position the aircraft into an attacking position above an enemy aircraft.
Jaunty	Master at Arms, the senior non-commissioned officer responsible for discipline.
Kite balloon	A type of stabilised balloon, with rudimentary inflated fins, capable of being towed behind a warship and carrying an observer aloft for gunnery spotting and general surveillance. Known as the ‘Cacquot type’ after its designer, this design survived into the Second World War for use as barrage balloons.
Lewis	A .303-inch calibre machine gun, of American design, widely used by British land forces and a popular airborne weapon, usually fired by observers and air gunners. Ammunition was provided in a 97-round drum-shaped magazine.
Liberty Boat	A boat taking sailors ashore on ‘liberty’ i.e. leave. In the custom of the RN, also used in shore establishments for buses filling the same purpose.
Make and Mend	An afternoon when no work is scheduled, deriving from sailing-ship days when sailors were given time off to make and mend their uniforms.
Maxim	A .303-inch calibre heavy machine gun, designed in the late nineteenth century by Sir Hiram Maxim. A bulky weapon, usually mounted on a tripod and served by a crew of three.
Monitor	A shallow-draft naval vessel, usually mounting a single large-calibre gun and used for shore bombardment.
Pipe Down	Routine activities on board RN vessels are governed by ‘pipes’, so named because signalled on the Bo’sun’s call, a type of whistle. In major vessels with a Royal Marine detachment, activities are signalled by bugle calls. The day’s routine starts with Reveille at 7.00am (07.00) and proceeds with calls including those for meal times, Secure (cease work) and ending at 10.30pm (22.30) with ‘Pipe Down’, i.e. turn in. ‘Pipe down’ is often used as a peremptory order to sailors to stop chattering.
Quirk	A First World War term used to describe trainee pilots.
Rotary engine	Probably the most widely-used aircraft engine for scout and fighter aircraft because of its favourable power-to-weight ratio, the rotary engine was of the radial type, usually with a single row of an odd number of cylinders. In this engine, the crankshaft is fixed and the entire engine and attached propeller rotate around it.
Submarine Scout	The designation for smaller dirigibles in RN service.
Uhlan	German light cavalry
Vickers	Somewhat heavier than the Lewis gun, the Vickers .303-inch calibre machine gun became the standard forward-firing armament for British fighters, e.g. in the Camel, which had a twin mounting. The closed-bolt design enabled the gun to be synchronised with the propeller, enabling forward fire in the pilot’s eye-line.