Aviation Landmarks - Norfolk and Suffolk

GLOSSARY

2/Lt

Second Lieutenant

A&AEE

Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment

AAP

Aircraft Acceptance Park - Airfield designated to receive aircraft from contractors for inspection and acceptance.

AAR

Air-to-air refuelling

ABCT

Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust

ACM

Air Chief Marshal

AFC

Air Force Cross

AG

Air Gunner

Air Cdre

Air Commodore

AOC

Air Officer Commanding

ASR

Air-sea rescue

AVM

Air Vice-Marshal

Bde

Brigade

B1 hangar

Large aircraft repair hangar built mainly on bomber airfields. Steel construction with corrugated iron cladding.

BG

Bomb (Bombardment) Group (USAAF)

Blister hangar

Small arched shed suitable for the storage of smaller aircraft such as fighters.

BS

Bomb (Bombardment) Squadron (USAAF)

BW

Bomb (Bombardment) Wing (USAAF)

C-type hangar

Standard hangar designed for permanent stations of the RAF expansion scheme, suitable for heavy bomber aircraft.

CAA

Civil Aviation Authority (the late Wg Cdr Ken Wallis mischievously termed this 'the Campaign Against Aviation').

Cdr

Commander

C-in-C

Commander-in-Chief

CFE

Central Fighter Establishment

CH/CHL/CHEL

Chain Home radar stations developed from the original station at Bawdsey, as early warning to detect enemy aircraft (official name was AMES but this was rarely used). There were also CHL (Chain Home Low) stations to detect low-flying enemy aircraft. CHEL (Chain Home Extra Low) stations provided low-level cover but with upgraded equipment.

Circus operation

Operation consisting of bombers escorted by fighters and designed to draw enemy fighters into combat.

CO

Commanding Officer

CWGC

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

DFC

Distinguished Flying Cross (there was also an American DFC).

DFC*

Distinguished Flying Cross (asterisk signifies Bar to decoration)

Diver Battery

Heavy anti-aircraft battery used from June 1944 to combat V-bomb threat. Laid out in V-shape.

DSC

(American) Distinguished Service Cross - the second highest US decoration.

DSO

Distinguished Service Order

EDP

Eastern Daily Press

ELG

Emergency Landing Ground

FG

Fighter Group (USAAF)

Fg Off.

Flying Officer

FIDO

Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation

Flak

RAF term for anti-aircraft fire. Derived from the German 'Fliegerabwehrkanone'.

Flt Lt

Flight Lieutenant

FS

Fighter Squadron (USAAF)

GCI

Ground Controlled Interception radar was an advance on the CH stations, which were limited in coverage to coastal areas. GCI enabled night fighters to be directed towards attacking bombers. Ground stations went through various stages of development during the war from 'early' (mobile), 'intermediate' and 'final' (from 1942 onwards).

GEE

First navigational aid introduced in 1942 by which a bomber navigator could calculate the position of the aircraft by observing the time taken to receive pulse signals from three different ground stations. Its main drawback was the limited range of 400 miles. See also OBOE.

GLCM

Ground-launched cruise missile

Gp

Group

Gp Capt.

Group Captain

HAS

Hardened Aircraft Shelter

HCU

Heavy Conversion Unit

HD

Home Defence

ICBM

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

IRBM

Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile

K site

Dummy airfield for day use, with dummy aircraft and mock buildings (See also QL and Q site).

LG

Landing Ground

Met.

RAF abbreviation for meteorological

MRAF

Marshal of the Royal Air Force

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

NHER

Norfolk Historic Environment Record

NLG

Night Landing Ground

NWT

Norfolk Wildlife Trust

OBOE

Aerial blind bombing targeting system introduced in December 1942. This consisted of a pair of radio transmitting stations on the ground (a 'mouse' and a 'cat') that sent a radar pulse to an aircraft to be re-transmitted. The bombs or markers were released at the point of intersection with another beam from a second ground station. For example, the station at Winterton-on-Sea represented the 'cat', with Kingsdown in Kent the 'mouse'. As with GEE, the main weakness of Oboe was its limited range due to the earth's curvature.

OCU

Operational Conversion Unit

Orlit post

Royal Observer Corps post in the Cold War named after the manufacturer. A concrete and rectangular structure designed for early warning observation of enemy aircraft. Type A stood at ground level and Type B was raised on 4ft 6in concrete legs with a wide metal ladder for access.

OS

Ordnance Survey

PFF

Pathfinder Force

Plt Off.

Pilot Officer

PRU

Photographic Reconnaissance Unit

Q site

Dummy airfield for night use with lights to resemble flarepaths and other features of an active airfield.

QL site

Decoy site electrically powered and often associated with Starfish sites as urban decoys. (See also K site).

RAAF

Royal Australian Air Force

RCAF

Royal Canadian Air Force

RCM

Radio countermeasures

RDF

Radio Direction Finding (later radar) see also CH; CHL; GCI

RFC

Royal Flying Corps

Rhubarb

Fighter or fighter-bomber sweep at low level over the English Channel to enemy territory to seek out targets of opportunity on the ground.

RNAS

Royal Naval Air Service

RNZAF

Royal New Zealand Air Force

ROC

Royal Observer Corps. See also Orlit post.

Rotor

Term used to describe the upgrading of the UK radar coverage in the early 1950s in response to the threat from Soviet bombers. It was to enhance the reporting (early warning) element of...