Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
Glossary
1AM Air Mechanic 1st Class
2AM Air Mechanic 2nd Class
2 Lt 2nd Lieutenant
3AM Air Mechanic 3rd Class
AC Aircraftman
AC1 Aircraftman 1st Class
AC2 Aircraftman 2nd Class
ACH Aircrafthand
ACH/FM Aircrafthand/Flight Mechanic
ACH/GD Aircrafthand/General Duties
ACW Aircraftwoman
ACW1 Aircraftwoman 1st Class
ACW2 Aircraftwoman 2nd Class
A/Cdre Air Commodore - 1 star rank (equivalent to Brigadier and Commodore)
ACM Air Chief Marshal - 4 star rank (equivalent to General and Admiral)
Act Acting
ADGB Air Defence of Great Britain
Adm Admiral
AG Air Gunner
AHQ Air Headquarters
AM Air Marshal - 3 star rank (equivalent to Lieutenant-General and Vice-Admiral)
AM1 Airman 1st Class
AVM Air Vice-Marshal - 2 star rank (equivalent to Major-General and Rear Admiral)
AOA Air Officer in charge of Administration
AOC Air Officer Commanding
AOC in C Air Officer Commanding in Chief
Ass Paym Assistant Paymaster
Brig-Gen Brigadier-General (This rank ceased to exist in the British Army in 1922, being replaced by Brigadier)
Capt Captain
Cdr Commander
Cdre Commodore
Cdt Cadet
Chap Chaplain
Clk 2 Clerk 2nd Class
Clk 3 Clerk 3rd Class
Col Colonel
Cpl Corporal
C/T Chief Technician
EPAS Equipment Provisioning & Accounting Section
F IIA Fitter II (Airframes)
F IIE Fitter II (Engines)
FAA Fleet Air Arm of the RAF (until July 1937, when it was control reverted to the Royal Navy)
Fg Off Flying Officer (equivalent to Lieutenant in the Army and Sub-Lieutenant in the Navy)
Flt Flight (a sub division of a squadron)
Flt Cdr Flight Commander
Flt Cdt Flight Cadet
Flt Lt Flight Lieutenant (equivalent to Captain in the Army and Lieutenant in the Navy)
FMA Flight Mechanic (Airframes)
FME Flight Mechanic (Engines)
Flt Sgt Flight Sergeant
Gen General
GOC General Officer Commanding
Gp Capt Group Captain (equivalent to Colonel in the Army and Captain in the Navy)
HQ Headquarters
J/T Junior Technician
LAC Leading Aircraftman
LACW Leading Aircraftwoman
L/Cpl Lance Corporal (Army and RAF Regiment)
Lt Lieutenant
Lt Cdr Lieutenant Commander
Lt-Col Lieutenant-Colonel
Lt-Gen Lieutenant-General
Maj Major
Maj-Gen Major-General
Mech Mechanic
Mem Member (WRAF)
Mid'n Midshipman
MRAF Marshal of the RAF - 5 star rank (equivalent to Field Marshal and Admiral of the Fleet - discontinued in 1999)
Paym Paymaster
PFO Probationary Flight Officer
Plt Off Pilot Officer (equivalent to 2nd Lieutenant in the Army, no equivalent in the Navy)
Pvt Private
Pvt 1 Private 1st Class
Pvt 2 Private 2nd Class
Pvt 3 Private 3rd Class
QMS Quartermaster Sergeant
R-Adm Rear Admiral
RFC Royal Flying Corps
RNAS Royal Naval Air Service
RUSI Royal United Services Institute
SAC Senior Aircraftman
SACW Senior Aircraftwoman
SASO Senior Air Staff Officer
Sgt Sergeant
S/T Senior Technician
SWO Station Warrant Officer
QFI Qualified Flying Instructor
QWI Qualified Weapons Instructor
Sqn Squadron
Sqn Cdr Squadron Commander
Sqn Ldr Squadron Leader (equivalent to Major in the Army and Lieutenant Commander in the Navy)
(T) Temporary
V-Adm Vice-Admiral
Wg Cdr Wing Commander (equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and Commander in the Navy)
W/O Warrant Officer
WOp Wireless Operator
(WS) War Substantive
WSO Weapons Systems Officer/Operator
This page was last updated on 17/03/25ゥ