Glossary
of Terms

3.7" ; 4.7"		Heavy anti-aircraft (HAA) Artillery weapons.	back
AA, A/A   also HAA, LAA		Anti Aircraft (guns) Heavy Anti Aircraft, Light Anti Aircraft	back
A/C		Aircraft	back
A.G.		Air Gunner (aircrew)	back
Accts. Sect.		Accounts Section	back
Albacore, Alb.		A biplane, designed as a torpedo bomber, similar to the 'Swordfish', which was more successful.	back
Allotment		Pay allowances	back
A.O.C.		Air Officer Commanding (RAAF)	back
Ark		The Aircraft carrier HMS 'Ark Royal'	back
A/S		Airscrew; propeller	back
A/S patrol		Anti-submarine patrol	back
A.S.R.		Air-sea-rescue	back
A.S.V.		Anti-surface-vessel	back
A.T.O.		Ammunition Technical Officer	back
B's		Battleships, being more heavily armed than Cruisers.	back
baccy		tobacco	back
Baltimore bomber		This twin-engined fighter/bomber was also used in reconnaissance missions.   Famed for its heavy firepower and speed, this aircraft is a bit like the Beaufort bomber in appearance.	back
'bathe in the drink'		Swim in the sea	back
Beaus, Beaufighter		The Bristol Beaufighter was a fast and heavily armed night-fighter, said to have been able to shoot down an enemy bomber with a single burst from its four cannons.	back
Beaufort Bomber		The Bristol Beaufort was a longer-range bomber able to strike its target using torpedos and normal bombs, as well as being armed with four heavy-machine guns.	back
Birsi; Birzi		Birzebbugia,	back
Blighty		England	back
blitz(s)		refers to aerial bombardment; air raids -- a short form for the German phrase 'blitzkrieg' meaning 'lightning' (blitz/e) 'war' (krieg); a term used by the allies after the Battle of Britain	back
'blood tub'		Ambulance	back
Bofors AA Gun		This extremely popular, light Anti Aircraft (LAA) gun of Swedish design was adopted by the British Army and, subsequently, the Royal Navy (when it was adapted to be fitted to ships).   The standard Bofors used in WW2 by the British Army was single-barrelled and could shoot some 120-150 rounds of cartridges (circa 1 foot long). The version used on ships was double-barrelled and water-cooled.	back
Bomb hoppys		Frightened of bombing; run for cover at the first sign of bombing	back
Bostons		The Douglas A-20J Boston aircraft was an American-built, twin-engined medium bomber, known to operate at extremely low altitudes.	back
"Breconshire"		This merchant vessel (merchantman) formed part of British Convoys.   She was sunk from enemy action after reaching Malta (Convoy MW10).	back
browned off		Fed-up, discontented, bored	back
brown-hatters		Homosexuals; an often-used derogatory remark in the services	back
bully		short for 'bullybeef'; corned beef; canned, processed meat	back
buzzes, Buss		Rumours	back
C&PO's		Chiefs' & Petty Officers' Club	back
Cable		Telegram	back
cans		Can of worms - problems	back
CANTS / Cants		CRDA, Italian reconnaissance, torpedo-bomber, search-and-rescue seaplanes	back
choca		Overwhelmed; full-up; overflowing	back
C.O.		Commanding Officer	back
Coffman		Coffman starter - uses an explosive cartridge to start an aero-engine turning	back
Cv, CV		Cruiser Vessels -- a fast man-of-war of medium tonnage, having less firepower and generally being less armoured than a battleship.	back
D.A.'s		Delayed action bombs (designed to explode at a later time)	back
Devons		Devonshire Regiment	back
dickie		Unwell	back
'do'		A party, a feast; a good time; a big (or successful) job	back
dobeying		Personal kit	back
Dog		Malta 'Dog' was an unpleasant form of diarrhoea accompanied by acute stomach pains, possibly caused by uncooked food, the heat or a chill.	back
'drink'		Sea	back
'drome/s		Aerodrome/s (airstrip/s, runway/s)	back
DR's		Destroyers.	back
'duffing up', 'duffed up'		Doing up, making good, repairing; to groom. Also used with sarcasm.	back
E.D.		Excused duty	back
F.A.A.		Fleet Air Arm -- the Royal Navy's air section	back
Fish		Torpedo	back
Flicks		Cinema filmshow	back
Fly, Sand fly		Sandfly;   sandfly fever caused by mudflies.   Its effects are a high temperature, nasty headache and depressing after-effects.	back
F.R.U.		Fighter Reconaissance Unit	back
Fulmar		The Fairey Fulmar was the FAA's first aircraft carrier-based reconaissance-fighter/light-bomber.   It had the same weight and fire-power as the RAF's Hurricane.	back
Fw109		The Focke-Wulf FW190 was a German light fighter-bomber (able to conduct hit-and-run raids)	back
Gen		Information	back
Gib		Gibraltar	back
Gives me the pip		Makes me angry	back
G.P.O.		General Post Office (original name of Royal Mail)	back
hafna / haffna		Free or none	back
Hants (Hamps)		The Royal Hampshire Regiment, stationed at Malta 1940-43.	back
Hobs hunting		Hunting for a meal - bread is it mere coincidence that bread in Maltese is 'Hobz' (pron. Hops)?	back
Hurri's / Hurries		Hurricane aircraft (RAF)	back
I/c		In-charge	back
Iti / Itis		Italian/s	back
Jerry / Jerries		German/s	back
JU's;   JU 52;   JU-87;   JU-88;   Junker 88 D4		The Junker 52 was used both as a civilian and military transport plane (since ca.1932 and upto 1945).     Nicknamed 'Antie Ju' (Tante Ju),   the JU 52 was even used in 1937 to bomb the Basque city of Guernica in the Spanish Civil War, in aid of (later dictator) Francisco Franco. Junker 87's (Stukas) were the notorious German dive-bomber / fighter planes, the size of British Spitfires, that made a horrifying (whining) sound as they descended on their targets. Junker 88's, on the other hand, were the much larger (heavy) bomber aircraft of the Luftwaffe.	back
K.G.VI		King George the Sixth of England	back
kites		Aircraft	back
Lt/C		Lieutenant Commander; officer who has not yet reached the rank of Commander in the R.N.	back
'load of tripe'		A lot of rubbish	back
Luftwaffe		German airforce; lit. 'Air Weapon'	back
Macchi 202		Italian fighter aircraft, later developed into the Macchi 205, with more weaponry.	back
make and mend		Time-off to carry out all the small domestic jobs	back
matelot(s); matelote(s)		slang term for RN personnel; derived from the Old French 'matelot' meaning 'sailor'	back
ME's, ME-109		Messerschmitt bf 109; an advanced German fighter aircraft, with a range of 410 miles (660Km).	back
M.E.		Middle East	back
M.L.		Motor-launch	back
Mo'bike; mo-bike		Motor-bike	back
M.O.		Medical officer	back
MT		Motor transport	back
M.V.		Merchant vessel (also known as 'merchantman', as opposed to a Royal Navy vessel)	back
N.A.S.		Naval Air Station	back
N.C.O.		Non-Commissioned Officer	back
N.F.S.		National Fire Service	back
Op/s.		Operation/s	back
Take a peke		Have a look (a peek)	back
Pens		Open aircraft shelters (usually with stone or sandbagged walls, though at Malta, used   petrol cans filled with soil provided a good alternative), covered in netting/camouflage.	back
p.o.		Push-over	back
P.O., P/O		Pilot Officer (RAF); Petty Officer (RN); Post Office (see also GPO)	back
Poky Di		Poker dice	back
Pompey		Portsmouth	back
pranged		hit by bombs; in the case of the Regency Cinema, which was totally destroyed, leaving many servicemen casualties.	back
RDF		Radio direction finding	back
R.E.		Royal Engineers	back
'recco'		reconnaissance (flight)	back
R.N.V.R.		Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve;   formed in 1903, it was an opportunity for sea-loving persons to gain naval training.	back
R.W.K.		The Royal West Kents were amongst the few infantry battalions on Malta when WW2 came to the Islands' shores.	back
ropey		Under the weather; feeling unwell	back
'S'		Serviceable	back
S'fish		Swordfish biplane	back
'shakey do'		aerial bombardment; air raid; also used metaphorically	back
'shifti' round		Look around	back
Shiroc		Typical warm (damp) and bleak Maltese weather from the Italian 'scirocco' for Southeast (Xlokk -- pron. Shlokk -- in Maltese) referring to the southernly wind.	back
snuff-it		To die	back
spitchered		Blown to pieces; shot-up; destroyed; the devastating effects of heavy aerial bombardment	back
Spits		British Spitfire aircraft; belated ace in the Battle of Malta	back
sprog		New or inexperienced	back
Squaddies		Squadron-buddies	back
S.S.Q.		Station Sick Quarters (R.A.F.)	back
sticks		bombs	back
stooged for a ...		'stooged' for a 'pukka' Night Op -- went in (as in volunteered, or stood in) for a first-class Night Operation	back
Stukas, stukes		The Stuka JU-87 was a light German fighter plane, that made a name for itself in the Battle of Britain.	back
'strip'		Airfield / e.g. Safi-strip (airstrip at Safi village)	back
Sunderland		Short S.25 Sunderland; an ocean patrol, four-engined, anti-submarine flying boat used also in sea-rescue operations.	back
Swordfish		A biplane, designed as a torpedo bomber, similarly to the 'Albacore' but legendary in its WW2 triumphs, including its essential role in the sinking of the Bismark.	back
throw back		Throw back period; re-occurrence of medical symptoms (in this case 'shell-shock')	back
tiflar		Tailor	back
Tin Fish		Torpedoes	back
Torps		Torpedoes	back
U/C		Undercarriage	back
U/S		Unserviceable	back
V.A.M.		Vice Admiral, Malta	back
Vernon		The Vernon Club, at Castille Square (close to the Admiralty Offices) was a bar, restaurant and entertainment centre.	back
wanglers / wangled		Those who / craftily obtaining something	back
wimpey		There were different versions of the (Brit.) Vickers Wellington 'Wimpey' aircraft during WW2.   They were used as bombers and for maritime reconaissance.	back
windy; windiness		Scared; fear	back
HMS 'Welshman'		An Abdiel-Class cruiser (minelayer), the H.M.S. "Welshman" was armed with 6 pairs of 4" guns,   4 two-pounder AA guns and 8 half-inch machine guns.     She had the capacity to carry over 150 mines and cruised at 40 knots.	back
W.O.'s		Warrant Officers	back

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