Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
This section will assist in the identification of unit abbreviations used on RAF Service Records, particularly World War 2 records. Due to the method of entry, the different styles and quality of handwriting used and the age of the records, care should be taken when reading the records as letters can often be misread.
The list below is by no means exhaustive and should you come across others not listed, feel free to contact me and I can hopefully clarify them.
Abbreviation | Unit Title | Notes |
AAC | Anti-Aircraft Co-operation | |
AACU | Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit | |
A & AEE | Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment | |
AAS | Air Armament School | |
ACDC | Air Crew Despatch Centre | |
ACDW | Air Crew Disposal Wing | |
ACRC | Air Crew Receiving Centre | |
ACSB | Aviation Candidates Selection Board | |
ACSEA | Air Command South East Asia | |
AD | Aircraft Depot | |
AFDU | Air Fighting Development Unit | |
AFEE | Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment | |
AGS | Air Gunner School | |
AHQ | Air Headquarters | |
AONS | Air Observer and Navigation School | |
AOS | Air Observer School | |
AP | Aircraft Park | |
APC | Armament Practice Camp | |
APS | Armament Practice Station | |
AS | Air School | South Africa |
ASP | Air Stores Park | |
BAT | Beam Approach Training | |
BB | Barrage Balloon | |
BC | Balloon Centre | |
BD | Bomb Disposal | |
BFTS | British Flying Training School | In USA |
BTU | Balloon Training Unit | |
CFS | Central Flying School | |
CGS | Central Gunnery School | |
CME | Central Medical Establishment | |
Coy | Company | |
Conv Flt | Conversion Flight | |
CU | Conversion Unit | |
EANS | Empire Air Navigation School | Also Elementary Air Navigation School (early WW2) |
ECFS | Empire Central Flying School | |
EFTS | Elementary Flying Training School | |
EU | Embarkation Unit | |
E & WS | Electrical and Wireless School | |
FIS | Flying Instructors School | |
FIU | Fighter Interception Unit | |
Flt | Flight | |
FPP | Ferry Pilot Pool | |
FTU | Ferry Training Unit | |
Gp | Group | Also Grp |
GTS | Glider Training School | |
HCU | Heavy Conversion Unit | |
HE | Home Establishment | |
HQTC | Headquarters Transport Command | |
ITS | Initial Training School | |
ITW | Initial Training Wing | |
LFS | Lancaster Finishing School | |
MAEE | Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment | |
MCU | Marine Craft Unit | |
MCS | Marine Craft Section | |
ME ARU | Middle East Aircraft Repair Unit | |
ME (TS) | Middle East (Training Squadron) | |
Met | Meteorological | |
MT | Motor Transport | |
NICTS | Northern Ireland Central Training School | |
(O) AFU | (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit | |
OADU | Overseas Air Despatch Unit | |
OAPU | Overseas Aircraft Packing Unit | |
OCTU | Officer Cadet Training Unit | |
OTU | Operational Training Unit | (C) as a prefix meant Coastal |
(P) AFU | (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit | |
PC | Personnel Centre | |
PDC | Personnel Disposal Centre/Despatch Centre | |
PDU | Photographic Development Unit | |
PHU | Personnel Holding Unit | |
PRC | Personnel Reception Centre | |
PRU | Photographic Reconnaissance Unit | |
PT | Physical Training | |
PTC | Personnel Transit Centre | |
(P) FTS | (Polish) Flying Training School | |
RC | Recruit Centre | |
Regt | Regiment | |
Res | Reserve | |
RS | Radio School | |
R & SU | Repair and Salvage Unit | |
RW | Recruit Wing | |
Sch | School | |
SD | Stores Depot | |
SFTS | Service Flying Training School | |
SoGR | School of General Reconnaissance | |
SoTT | School of Technical Training | Als S. TT |
SP | Staging Post | |
SS | Signals School | Also Sg Sc |
Sqdn | Squadron | Also Sqn. and Sq. |
Trg | Training | |
TT | Target Towing | |
TTU | Torpedo Training Unit | |
UAS | University Air Squadron | |
WAAF | Womens' Auxiliary Air Force | |
Wg | Wing |
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