303 – Size of the Machine Guns on most Lancasters [.303″] approx 7.7mm
A&AAE – Aeroplane & Armanent Experimental Establishment
ABC – Airborne Cigar. Used to foil German fighter controllers
AGLT – Automatic Gun Laying Turret. “Village Inn”
AOC – Air Officer Commanding
ASR – Air Sea Rescue
ATA – Air Transport Auxiliary
AVRO – Designer & Main Manufacturer of the Lancaster
BABS – Beam Approach Beacon System
BBMF – Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Belly – Underside of the Aircraft
Call Sign Example- AJ-G first 2 letters designate the squadron, [617] 3rd letter is the specific aircraft, in this case G for George. This was Guy Gibson’s Aircraft on the Dam Busters Raid
CF – Conversion Flight
CFS – Central Flying School
CGS – Central Gunnery School
Circuit Pattern – followed by an Aircraft when it arrived at an Airfield. [Box shaped]
CNS – Central Navigation School
CU – Conversion Unit
Ditched T- he Crew undertook a semi controlled landing in the Sea or Lake
EXODUS – Repatriation of ex Prisoners of War from Europe
FIDO – Fog Investigation & Dispersal Operation
Flak – Anti Aircraft Guns Firing from the Ground, or Ship mounted
FN – Frazer Nash
Forced Landing- Land at the earliest opportunity, anywhere, unplanned
FRL – Flight Refuelling Ltd
GEE – Aircraft Navigation Aid from the Ground
Halifax Handley – Page 4 engined British Heavy Bomber
H2S – Navigation & Target Identification Radar
HCU – Heavy Conversion Unit
LFS – Lancaster Finishing School
MANNA – Operation in 1945 to drop supplies in Holland
MAP – Ministry of Aircraft Production
MONICA – Gave warning of Fighters
MU – Maintenance Unit
MV – Metropolitan Vickers, Aircraft Manufacturer
OBOE – Navigation Bombing Aid
OCU – Operational Conversion Unit
OTU – Operational Training Unit
Overshoot- Land too far down the Runway, possibly running into something
PFF – Pathfinder Force
Photoflash – A flash created by the Aircraft to enable the taking off a picture
POW – Prisoner of War
PR – Photographic Reconnaissance
PRU – Photographic Reconnaissance Unit
RAAF – Royal Australian Airforce
RAE – Royal Aircraft Establishment
RAF – Royal Air Force
RAF ID – RAF number used on each Aircraft. eg: PA474 is the BBMF Lancaster
RCAF – Royal Canadian Air Force
RDF – Radio Direction Finding
RNZAF – Royal New Zealand Air Force
R/T – Radio Telephone
SAAF – South African Air Force
SABS – Stabilised Automatic Bomb Sight
SMR – School of Maritime Reconnaissance (RAF)
SOC – Struck Off Charge
SS – Sold For Scrap
Swung – The Aircraft would not be running straight ahead on the Runway
TI – Target Indicator
U/C – Undercarriage
U/S – Unserviceable
VA – Vickers Armstrong, Aircraft Manufacturer
VAC – Victory Aircraft of Canada, Aircraft Manufacturer
VC – Victoria Cross
Wash – The Wash, large inlet of water South East of Boston & Skegness in Lincolnshire
Wheels Up – Referred to the Undercarriage being withdrawn
WINDOW – Strips of Aluminium Foil Dropped from Aircraft to Confuse Radar
Heavy Bomber