We know what AWOL and POW is but have you ever come across A.P.or the B.W.I, or heard mention of D.B., or E.R.A. , P.U.O. or even S.I.W? Probably not!
We all abbreviate in some way and depending where you work or which hobby you pursue, there will be a set of abbreviations that all within those fields will know and feel comfortable using. For example you are a lover of sport, the NVA will immediately become the National Volleyball Association, but belong to an association connected with the brave men who fought within the Normandy conflict in WW2 and NVA will mean The Normandy Veterans Association. The same few letters but within different groups mean totally different things.
As the heading says, we are talking about Military Abbreviations, so many to consider that you could never remember the more obscure ones. The military know the abbreviations, they use them every day but it is us that follow in our soldiers footsteps that are left wondering what regiment great uncle Fred served in and what he did during his service.
Many more military records are being placed on free, pay per view and subscription websites that it would be handy and ease the curiosity complex that all family historians seem to have to have a list of abbreviations.
Give a family historian something i.e. an abbreviation, half a story or tell them that you would rather not say and woop! – curiosity mode pops up within seconds and won’t rest until there is a good answer with evidence to support the findings.
Where to go if you find P.U.O. or E.R.A. on a record, headstone of website………