Marine Heritage Abbreviations Used on This Website

These are the standard abbreviations that are used in the various pages of the web site and in the maritime heritage database search results.

Abbreviation Meaning
A/ Acting (When used in conjunction with a rank title)
A/ Assistant (When used in conjunction with a position title)
(A) (Atlantic)
AB Able-Seaman (depends on context) Either a merchant navy or naval rank.
AB Alberta (depends on context)
ACC Anglican Church of Canada
AdC Aide-de-Camp to the Governor General of Canada
AdC (P) Aide-de-Camp to a provincial Lieutenant Governor
ADM Admiral
AE Aeronautical Engineer
AF Admiral of the Fleet
AFC Air Force Cross
AFM Air Force Medal
afsc Completed a course at Armed Forces Staff College (USA)
AK Alaska (State of)
AL Alabama (State of)
ansc Completed course at Army and Navy Staff College (USA)
AR Air Reserve
ARRC Royal Red Cross (2nd Class)
A/S Anti-Submarine
ASW Anti-Submarine Warfare
BA Bachelor of Arts
Bapt Baptist Church
BEM British Empire Medal
BGEN Brigadier-General
CA California (State of)
CAF Canadian Armed Forces
CAF Canadian Air Force
CAPT Captain
CB Commander of the Order of the Bath
CBE Commander of the Order of the British Empire
CC Companion of the Order of Canada
C.C.G.S. Canadian Coast Guard Ship
CDR Commander
cdsc Chief of Defence Staff Commendation
CELE Communication/Electronic Engineering Classification
CF Canadian Forces
CFAV Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel
CFB Canadian Forces Base
CFHQ Canadian Forces Headquarters
CFR Commissioned from the ranks
CFS Canadian Forces Station
C.G.S. Canadian Government Ship
C.H.S. Canadian Hydrographic Survey
CCM Member of the Order of Canada
CMDRE Commodore
CMG Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George
CMM Commander of the Order of Military Merit
CMR Collège Militaire Royal de St. Jean
CNAV Canadian Naval Auxiliary Vessel
CND Continuous Naval Duty
CO Commanding Officer
COAC Commanding Officer Atlantic Coast
CofE Church of England
COND Commanding Officer Naval Divisions
COPC Commanding Officer Pacific Coast
COTC Canadian Officer Training Corps
Cpl. Corporal
CPO Chief Petty Officer
CSE Combat Systems Engineer
CSS Confederate States Ship
CStJ Companion of the Order of St. John
CTP College Training Plan
CV Cross of Valor
CVO Commander of the Royal Victoria Order
D (Aircraft) Direction
Dal Dalhousie University
DCM Distinguished Conduct Medal
DE Delaware (State of)
DEMS Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships
DFC Distinguished Flying Cross
DFM Distinguished Flying Medal
D.G.S. Dominion Government Ship
DLitt. Doctor of Letters
DMilSc Doctor of Military Science
DND Department of National Defence
DSC Distinguished Service Cross
DSc Doctor of Science
DSM Distinguished Service Medal
DSO Member of the Distinguished Service Order
DSRV Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle
dwt. Deadweight Tonnage
E Engineering Branch
FL Florida (State of)
FOAC Flag Officer Atlantic Coast
FOPC Flag Officer Pacific Coast
F.P.V. Fisheries Protection Vessel
FRGS Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (London)
FRGSC Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of Canada
FRS Fellow of the Royal Society
FRSC Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
fsc Passed USN Flight Surgeon's course
G Gunnery
GA Georgia (State of)
GBE Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
GC George Cross
GCB Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
GCVO Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
GM George Medal
GT Gross Tonnage
H.M.A.S. Her/His Majesty's Australian Ship
H.M.C.S. Her/His Majesty's Canadian Ship
H.M.NZ.S. Her/His Majesty's New Zealand Ship
H.M.S. Her/His Majesty's Ship
Hon. Honorary
hp Horsepower
HQ Headquarters
idc Completed course at Imperial Defence College
ihp Indicated Horsepower
IJN Imperial Japanese Navy
jssc Qualified at Joint Services College (UK)
KCMG Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael & St. George
KCVO Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
KM Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
kts. Knots
KSGG Knight of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great
KStLJ Knight of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem
L Electrical Branch
LA Louisiana (State of)
LCDR Lieutenant-Commander
LD Limited Duty List
LEG Legal Classification
LGEN Lieutenant-General
LOG Logistics Classification
LS Leading Seaman
LT Lieutenant
LVO Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order
MA Massachussets (State of)
MA Master of Arts
MARCOM Maritime Command
MARE Maritime Engineering Classification
MARPAC Maritime Command Pacific
MARS Maritime Surface and Sub-Surface Classification
MB Manitoba
MBA Master of Business Administration
MBE Member of the Order of the British Empire
MC Military Cross
MD Maryland (State of)
MD Doctor of Medicine
ME Maine (State of)
MED Medical Classification
MGEN Major-General
MI Michigan (State of)
M.I.D. Mentioned-in-Despatches
MMM Member of the Order of Military Merit
MSc Master of Science
MSC Meritorious Service Cross
MSM Meritorious Service Medal
MT Montana (State of)
MUSC Musician Classification
MV Motor Vessel
MX Mexico (Republic of)
N Navigation
nadc Completed course at NATO Defence College
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
NB New Brunswick
NC North Carolina (State of)
ND Navigation and Direction
ndc Completed course at National Defence College
NDHQ National Defence Headquarters
NF Newfoundland
NH New Hampshire (State of)
nhp Nominal Horsepower
NHQ Naval Headquarters
NJ New Jersey (State of)
Nm Nautical Miles
NR Naval Reserve
NRS Naval Radio Station
NS Nursing Sister
NS Nova Scotia
NSHQ Naval Service Headquarters
NT Northwest Territories
NUR Nursing Classification
NV Nunavut Territory
NY New York (State of)
nwc Completed Naval Command Course at National War College (USA)
NWT Northwest Territory
O Observer
OBE Officer of the Order of the British Empire
OC Officer of the Order of Canada
OE Ordinance Engineer Officer
OH Ohio (State of)
OIC Officer-in-Command
OMM Officer of the Order of Military Merit
ON Ontario
OR Oregon (State of)
OS Ordinary Seaman
OStJ Officer of the Order of St. John
P Protestant Church (For Chaplains Only)
P Pilot
(P) Pacific
PA Pennsylvania (State of)
PC Member of the Privy Council
pcsc Completed Command and Staff Course
PE/PEI Prince Edward Island
PE & R Physical Education & Recreation Classification
pfc Completed a course at the Royal Air Force Flying College
pfsc Completed the Canadian Forces Staff College Course
PhD Doctor of Philosophy
plsc Completed the Canadian Land Forces Staff Course (Kingston)
PLT Pilot Classification
PO Petty Officer
PQ Province de Quebec
Presb Presbyterian Church
P & RT Physical and Recreational Training
psa Completed RCAF Staff College Course
psc Completed Staff College Course
psm Completed Canadian Army Staff College Course
QHNS Queen's Honorary Nursing Sister
QHP Queen's Honorary Physician
QHS Queen's Honorary Surgeon
QTC Completed course at Royal Military College of Science (UK)
R Radio/Radar
RADM Rear-Admiral
RAF Royal Air Force
RAN Royal Australian Navy
RC Roman Catholic (Church)
RCA Royal Canadian Artillery
RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force
RCASC Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
rcds Completed Course at Royal College of Defence Studies (UK) (Successor to the Imperial Defence College)
RCMP Royal Canadian Mounted Police
RCN Royal Canadian Navy
RCNAS Royal Canadian Naval Air Service
RCNC Royal Canadian Naval College
RCNR Royal Canadian Naval Reserve
RCNVR Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
RCOC Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
RCSCC Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps
RE Royal Engineers
(Ret.) Retired
RFC Royal Flying Corps
RI Rhode Island (State of)
RM Royal Marines
RMC Royal Military College of Canada
RMLI Royal Marine Light Infantry
RN Royal Navy
RNAS Royal Naval Air Service
RNAS Royal Naval Air Station
RNC Royal Naval College
RNCAS Royal Naval Canadian Air Service
RNCVR Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve
RNR Royal Naval Reserve
RNVR Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force
RNZN Royal New Zealand Navy
ROTP Regular Officer Training Plan
RRC Royal Red Cross (1st Class)
RRMC Royal Roads Military College
RT Registered Tonnage
S Supply Branch
SACLANT Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic
SB Special Branch
SBStJ Serving Brother of the Order of St. John
SC Star of Courage
SC South Carolina (State of)
Sgt. Sergeant
SK Saskatchewan
SLT Sub-Lieutenant
SM Medal of Service
Sp Special Duty List
SS Steam Ship
SSA Short Service Appointment
SSBN Nuclear-powered ballistic missile Submarine
SSN Nuclear-powered Submarine
TAS Torpedo Anti-Submarine
T Torpedo
tp Completed Test Pilot's Course at Empire Test Pilot's School
TX Texas (State of)
UBC University of British Columbia
UCC United Church of Canada
UNB University of New Brunswick
UNTD University Naval Training Division
UofA University of Alberta
USA United States of America
USAF United States Air Force
U.S.C.G. United States Coast Guard
U.S.C.G.C. United States Coast Guard Cutter
USN United States Navy
USS United States Ship
UVIC University of Victoria
VA Virginia (State of)
VADM Vice-Admiral
W Wren Officer
WA Washington (State of)
WHA While holding appointment.
WI Wisconsin (State of)
WO Warrant Officer
WRAF Women's Royal Air Force
WRCNS Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service
WRNS Women's Royal Naval Service
WT Washington Territory
W/T Wireless/Telegraphy
XO Executive Officer
YT Yukon Territory


To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John M. (2012) Marine Heritage Abbreviations Used on This Website. Nauticapedia.ca 2012. http://nauticapedia.ca/Articles/Dict_abbrev1.php

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