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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
Site News: January 14, 2025
The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 94,957 vessel histories (with 16,337 images and 13,935 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters).
The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,599 entries (with 3998 images).
My thanks to Ray Warren who is beginning a long process of filling gaps in the photo record of the vessel histories in the vessel database. Ray has been documenting the ships of Vancouver Harbour for more than 60 years.
Thanks to contributor Mike Rydqvist McCammon for the hundreds of photos he continues to contribute to illustrate British Columbia’s floating heritage.
My very special thanks to our volunteer IT adviser, John Eyre, who (since 2021) has modernized, simplified and improved the update process for the databases into semi–automated processes. His participation has been vital to keeping the Nauticapedia available to our netizens.
Thanks to John Spivey who is beginning his 4th year of fact checking all of the entries in the vessel database.