Lists of abbreviations used on Commonwealth World War I medals

When a World War I medal was issued to a member of Commonwealth forces, it was issued with a Service Number, Rank, Name and Regiment. This information should be on every medal that was issued during the First World War.

During World War I, there were four main medals issued: the 1914 Star, 1914-15 Star, Victory Medal, and the British War Medal.

From Left 1914-15 Star, Victory Medal, British War Medal

Service Number

From a service number it is sometimes possible to determine in which part of the army a medal holder served. However, this is not always the case.[note 1]

Abbreviations for Rank and Unit

There are many abbreviations for the rank and unit. The British National archive gives full listings of both Ranks and Units.[1]

Medal Card Abbreviations
  • CRV - Certified Receipt Voucher
Theatres Of War
  • 1 Western Europe
    • a France and Belgium
    • b Italy
  • 2 Balkans
    • a Greek Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria and European Turkey
    • b Gallipoli (Dardanelles)
  • 3 Russia (4–5 August 1914 to 1–2 July 1920)
  • 4 Egypt
    • a 4–5 November 1914 to 18–19 March 1916
    • b 18–19 March 1916 to 31 October - 1 November 1918
  • 5 Africa
    • a East Africa, Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia
    • b South West Africa
    • c Cameroon
    • d Nigeria
    • e Togoland
  • 6 Asia
    • a Hedjaz
    • b Mesopotamia
    • c Persia
    • d Trans Caspia
    • e South West Arabia
    • f Aden
    • g Frontier regions of India
    • h Tsingtau
  • 7 Australasia
    • a New Britain
    • b New Ireland
    • c Kaiser Wilhelmland
    • d Admiralty Islands
    • e Nauru
    • f German Samoa

Prefix letters and numbers

The following is an estimated list of all the Prefix Letter & Numbers (of what?).[2]

Prefixes on medals issues to members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force
  • 1/ - Samoan Advance Force
  • 2/ - Artillery
  • 3/ - Medical Corps
  • 4/ - Engineers
  • 5/ - Service Corps
  • 6/ - Canterbury Infantry
  • 7/ - Canterbury Mounted Rifles
  • 8/ - Otago Rifles
  • 9/ - Otago Mounted Rifles
  • 10/ - Wellington Rifles
  • 11/ - Wellington Mounted Rifles
  • 12/ - Auckland Rifles
  • 13/ - Auckland Mounted Rifles
  • 14/ - Army Service Corps Divisional Train
  • 15/ - Headquarters Staff
  • 16/ - Maori Battalion
  • 17/ - Veterinary Corps
  • 18/ - Chaplains Department
  • 19/ - Samoan Relief Force, Infantry
  • 20/ - Samoan Relief Force, Mounted Rifles
  • 21/ - Army Pay Corps
  • 22/ - Nursing Service
  • 23/ - 1st Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade
  • 24/ - 2nd Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade
  • 25/ - 3rd Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade
  • 26/ - 4th Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade
Prefixes on Silver War Badge
  • A - Australia Silver War Badge Prefix
  • B - Unknown Silver War Badge Prefix
  • I - India Silver War Badge Prefix
  • MN - Merchant Navy Silver War Badge Prefix
  • NZ - New Zealand Silver War Badge Prefix
  • O - Unknown Silver War Badge Prefix
  • RAF - Royal Air Force Silver War Badge Prefix
  • RM - Royal Marines Silver War Badge Prefix
  • RN - Royal Navy Silver War Badge Prefix
  • SA - South Africa Silver War Badge Prefix
Others
  • 3/ - Seaforth Highlanders 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • 3/ - Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • 3/ - Royal Berkshire Regiment 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • 3/ - Gordon Highlanders 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • 3/ - Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • 3/ - Royal Highlanders 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • 3/ - Cameron Highlanders 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • 4/ - Royal Irish Rifles 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
  • 5/ - Connaught Rangers 5th (Service) Battalion
  • 15/ - West Yorkshire Regiment 15th (Leeds Pals) Battalion
  • A - Army Service Corps Old Army Special Reserve
  • A - King's Royal Rifle Corps Early wartime recruits
  • A - Royal Scots Fusiliers 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • A - King's Own Scottish Borderers 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • A - Highland Light Infantry 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • A - Scottish Rifles 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • A - Army Ordnance Corps
  • A - Royal Fleet Reserve First period of enlistment
  • A (HT) - Army Service Corps Horse Transport Special Reserve
  • AA - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Anti-Aircraft
  • ARMR - Army Ordnance Corps Armourer
  • ASE / ASR - Army Service Corps
  • B - Royal Fusiliers 26th (Banker's) Battalion
  • B - Royal Fleet Reserve Second Period of Enlistment
  • B - King's Royal Rifle Corps
  • B - Highland Light Infantry
  • B - Scottish Rifles 4th (Special Reserve) Battalion
  • B / BZ - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Bristol Division
  • B - Army Service Corps Special Reserve
  • B (HT) - Army Service Corps Horse Transport Special Reserve TF
  • C - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Clyde Division
  • C - King's Royal Rifle Corps 16th Battalion onwards enlistment
  • C - Royal Fleet Reserve 3rd Period of Enlistment
  • C - Royal Munster Fusiliers 1st Garrison Battalion
  • C - Middlesex Regiment
  • C - Rifle Brigade
  • C - Royal Fleet Reserve Chatham / Royal Navy Chatham
  • C (MT) - Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport Special Reserve
  • CAT - Army Service Corps Caterpillar Mechanical Transport
  • CH - Royal Marines Chatham Division / Royal Marine Light Infantry / Royal Fleet Reserve Chatham
  • CH/RMP - Royal Marine Police Chatham
  • CHT - Army Service Corps, Corps of Horse Transport
  • CMT - Army Service Corps, Corps of Motor Transport
  • CZ - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Clyde Division wartime enlistment
  • D - Dragoons
  • D - Royal Fleet Reserve Devonport
  • D - Royal Navy Devonport
  • DEAL - Royal Marines Deal Depot
  • DEPOT / D - Royal Marine Light Infantry Deal Depot Permanent Staff
  • DEV - Royal Fleet Reserve Devonport
  • DM2 - Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport Learners, discontinued 11/16
  • E - Royal Fusiliers 17th (Empire) Battalion
  • E - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Birmingham Electrical Volunteers
  • E - Army Service Corps Forage (ordinary rates of army pay)
  • EX - Royal Marines Exton Division (World War II Only)
  • F - Middlesex Regiment 17th & 23rd (Football) Battalions
  • F - Royal Naval Air Service / Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
  • F - Army Service Corps Forage (not paid from Army Funds)
  • G - Royal Irish Fusiliers 1st, 2nd 3rd (Garrison) Battalion
  • G - Home Counties Regiments New Army men and later
  • GOA - Royal Navy Goa
  • GS - British Army General Service Enlistment
  • GSR / GSSR - Royal Sussex Regiment Special Reserve, enlisted under hostilities only terms
  • H - Hussars
  • H - North Irish Horse Given to all on strength in mid-1917
  • J - Royal Navy Seaman branch Prefix
  • J - Royal Fusiliers 38th, 39th 40th, 42nd (Judean) Battalions
  • J - Royal Navy Seamen and Communications
  • K - "Kitchener battalion"???
  • K - Royal Navy Stokers and Mechanicians
  • K - Royal Fusiliers 22nd (Kensington) Battalion
  • KP / KW / KX - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Crystal Palace Enlistment from Kitchener's New Armies
  • L - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve London Division
  • L - Lancers
  • L - Home Counties Regiments Regulars
  • L - Royal Artillery Wartime enlistment
  • L - South Wales Borderers 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
  • L - Royal Navy Officers' Stewards, some Officers' Cooks
  • L - Royal Navy Lee-on-Solent (FAA)
  • LSR - Royal Sussex Regiment Special Reserve, enlisted under regular terms
  • LZ - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve London Division wartime enlistment
  • M - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Mersey Division
  • M - Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport
  • M - Royal Navy Miscellaneous enlistments (e.g. writers etc.)
  • M - Royal Navy Others - Artificers, Electrical, Supply etc.
  • M1 & 2 /(SR) - Army Service Corps Enlisted Special Reserve for New Armies
  • M1, 2 - Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport
  • MALTA - Royal Navy Malta
  • MB - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Motor Boat Reserve
  • MC - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Mine Clearance Service
  • MFA - Mercantile Fleet Auxiliary
  • MS - Army Service Corps Mechanical Specials
  • MZ - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Mersey Division wartime enlistment
  • N - Royal Army Medical Corps
  • O - Rifle Brigade
  • P - Military Foot Police
  • P - Royal Fleet Reserve Portsmouth / Royal Navy Portsmouth
  • P - Dragoon Guards
  • PET - Army Service Corps Petroleum Dept
  • PLY - Royal Marines Plymouth Division RMLI
    • PLY/RMP - Royal Marine Police Plymouth
  • PO - Royal Marines Portsmouth Division RMLI
    • PO/RMP - Royal Marine Police Portsmouth
  • PO - Royal Fleet Reserve Portsmouth
  • PS - Royal Fusiliers 18th, 19th, 20th & 21st (Public Schools) Battalions
  • PS - Middlesex Regiment 16th (Public Schools) Battalion
  • PW - Middlesex Regiment 18th, 19th & 26th (Public Works) Battalions
  • PZ - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Crystal Palace Enlistment from civilian life
  • R - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
  • R - Army Service Corps Remounts
  • R - King's Royal Rifle Corps Later recruits up to 16th Battalion
  • R4, RX4 - Army Service Corps 1st/2nd/3rd/4th New Armies Remounts
  • RMA - Royal Marines Artillery
  • RMB - Royal Marines Band
  • RME - Royal Marines Engineers
  • RS & R/TS - Army Service Corps Remount Specials
  • RX - Army Service Corps Army Remount Section
  • S - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Sussex Division
  • S - Army Service Corps Supply Branch
  • S - Scottish Regiments Wartime Enlistment
  • S - Royal Army Medical Corps
  • S - Royal Artillery
  • S - Highland Regiments Wartime Enlistment
  • S - Home Counties Regiments 3rd Battalion
  • S - Rifle Brigade
  • S - Royal Munster Fusiliers
  • S - Army Ordnance Corps
  • S - Dorset Regiment
  • S1, 2, 3, 4 - Army Service Corps 1st/2nd/3rd/4th New Armies Supply (S4 Labour)
  • SD - Sussex Regiment 11th, 12th & 13th (South Downs) Battalions
  • SE - Army Veterinary Corps 9th Section
  • SF - Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (Short Service)
  • SK - Royal Navy Stokers (Short Service)
  • SM - Royal Navy Miscellaneous (Short Service)
  • SPTS - Royal Fusiliers 23rd & 24th (Sportsman) Battalions
  • SR - British Army Special Reserve ?
  • SRMT - Army Service Corps Special Reserve Motor Transport
  • SS - Army Service Corps Supply Specials
  • SS - Royal Navy Seamen and Communications (Short Service)
  • STK - Royal Fusiliers 10th (Stockbroker's) Battalion
  • SWS - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Shore Wireless Service
  • SZ - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Sussex Division wartime enlistment
  • T - Army Service Corps Horse Transport
  • T - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Tyne Division
  • T - Army Ordnance Corps
  • T / TF - Territorial Force
  • T1 & 2/(SR) - Army Service Corps Enlisted Special Reserve for New Armies
  • T1, 2, 3, 4 - Army Service Corps 1st/2nd/3rd/4th New Armies Horse Transport
  • TR - Trimmer (Royal Navy, Mercantile Fleet Auxiliary etc.)
  • TS - Army Service Corps Transport Specials
  • TT - Army Veterinary Corps Territorial Force ?
  • TZ - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Tyne Division wartime enlistment
  • W - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Wales Division
  • W - Cheshire Regiment 13th (Wirral) Battalion
  • W - Royal Artillery 38th (Welsh) Division
  • WR - Royal Engineers Waterways and Railways
  • WT4 - Welsh Army Service Corps (see T4 above)
  • WZ - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Wales Division wartime enlistment
  • Y - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Deferred enlistment (replaced by divisional prefix on actual enlistment)
  • Y - King's Royal Rifle Corps Early wartime enlistment
  • Z - Rifle Brigade

Notes
  1. This does not apply to the Silver War Badge (SWB), which has its own code.

References
  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20120113125734/http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/help/abbreviations-rank.asp
  2. http://www.britishmedalforum.com - Useless reference: needs a username & password
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