Rank and Service Abbreviations

The British in Afghanistan 1878 -1881:
Volume I
Preface to First Edition
Preface to Second Edition
Organization
British Army Order of Precedence 1861
Indian Army (Bengal)
Indian Army (Madras)
Indian Army (Bombay)
Second Afghan War Medal Rolls
Source Abbreviations
Bibliography
Text Abbreviations
Rank and Service Abbreviations
Ranks Prefaced by Numerical Identification
The British in Afghanistan 1878-1881: A-F
Volume II
The British in Afghanistan 1878-1881: G-O
Volume III
The British in Afghanistan 1878-1881: P-Z
Annex 1: Extant memorials in Afghanistan
Annex 2: Mortality
Annex 3: Incomplete References

• actg. Bombardier/acting Bombardier
• actg. Commandant/acting Commandant
• actg. Conductor/acting Conductor
• actg. Deputy Asst. Commissary Gen./acting Deputy Assistant Commissary General
• actg. Lance-Corpl./acting Lance-Corporal
• actg. Lance-Sergt./acting Lance-Sergeant
• actg. Magazine Sergt./acting Magazine Sergeant, Ordnance Department
• actg. Sergt./acting Sergeant
• actg. Sergt.-Maj./acting Sergeant-Major
• actg. Sub Conductor/acting Subordinate Conductor [Commassariat, Ordnance]
• Adjt./Adjutant
• Adjt.-Gen./Adjutant-General
• A.D.C./Aide-de-Camp
• Afghan Field Force
• Agency Surg. [Agency Surgeon]
• Agent
• Apothecary
• Apprentice Apothecary
• Armourer
• Armourer Sergt./Armourer Sergeant
• Armstrong Armourer
• Armstrong Armourer Sergt./Armstrong Armourer Sergeant
• Army Medical Department
• Army Signaller
• Army Veterinary Department
• Asst. Agent, Governor General, Baluchistan/Assistant Agent, Governor General, Baluchistan
• Asst. Adjt.-Gen./Assistant Adjutant-General
• Asst. Adjt.-Gen., Reserve List/Assistant Adjutant-General, Reserve List
• Asst. Agent/Assistant Agent [serving with C.S. superior officer in a region or territory]
• Asst. Apothecary/Assistant Apothecary
• Asst. Chaplain, Church of England, Bengal Ecclisiastical Establistment/Assistant Chaplain, Church of England, Bengal Ecclisiastical Establishment
• Asst. Commissary Gen./Assistant Commissary General
• Asst. Commissary of Ordnance/Assistant Commissary of Ordnance]
• Asst. Commissioner/Assistant Commissioner [geographical area]
• Asst. Controller Gen./Assistant Controller General
• Asst. Engineer/Assistant Engineer
• Asst. Field Engineer/Assistant Field Engineer {R.E.]
• Asst. Field Transport Officer/Assistant Field Transport Officer
• Asst. Political Officer/Assistant Political Officer [Civil Service]
• Asst. Qr.-Mr. Gen./Assistant Quarter-Master General
• Asst. Superintendent/Assistant Superintent
• Asst. Superintendent, Bengal Police/Assistant Superintendent, Bengal Police
• Asst. Superintendent of Telegraph/Assistant Superintendent of Telegraph (Khyber Line)]
• Asst. Superintendent of Telegraphs Department/Assistant Superintenden,t Telegraph Department
• Asst. Superintendent of Transport/Assistant Superintendent of Transport
• Asst. Surg./Assistant Surgeon
• Attached [to a regiment, Brigade, or Department]
• Baluchistan Agency
• Band Major
• Band Master
• Band Master Sergt./Band Master Sergeant
• Band Sergt./Band Sergeant
• Barrack Sergt./Barrack Sergeant
• Base Hospital
• Batt./Battery
• Batt. Qr.-Mr. Sergt./Battery Quarter-Master Sergeant
• Batt. Sergt.-Maj./Battery Sergeant-Major
• Bazaar Sergt./Bazaar Sergeant
• Bde. Maj./Brigade Major
• Bde. Sergt./Brigade Sergeant
• Bde. Surg./Brigade Surgeon
• Bde. Transport Officer/Brigade Transport Officer
• Bengal Ecclesiastical Establishment
• Bengal Cavalry
• Bengal Infantry
• Bengal Medical Department
• Bengal Police
• Bhopal Battn./Bhopal Battalion [Bombay Staff Corps]
• Bombardier
• Bombardier Collar Maker
• Bombardier Wheeler
• Bombay Cavalry
• Bombay Commissiariat Dept./Bombay Commissiariat Department
• Bombay Ecclesiastical Establishment
• Bombay Infantry
• Bombay Medical Department
• Bombay Ordnance Department
• Brig.-Gen./Brigadier-General
• Bt./Brevet (preceding rank)
• Bugle Major
• Bugler
• Candahar State Railway
• Capt./Captain
• Carpenter
• Carriage Smith
• Cavalry Bde./Cavalry Brigade
• Chaplain [Wesleyan and Presbyterian Troops]
• Chaplain [Church of Scotland; Bengal Ecclesiastical Establishment]
• Chief Commissariat Officer
• Chief Director of Transport
• Chief of the Staff [to Commander of Force, or Divivision]
• Chief of Staff of the Army of India
• Chief Political Officer
• Chief Political Officer, Northern and Eastern Afghanistan
• Cit./cited, citation, citations
• Clerk Orderly Room (see Orderly Room Clerk)
• Coast Brigade R.A./Coast Brigade Royal Artillery
• Col./Colonel
• Collar Maker
• Collar Maker Sergt./Collar Maker Sergeant
• Colour-Sergt./Colour-Sergeant
• Commandant
• Commanding [a regt.]
• Commissariat Department [British Army, Bengal, Madras, Bombay; Division, Field Force]
• Commissariat Godowns
• Commissariat Sergt./Commissariat Sergeant
• Commissariat Stores
• Commissary Gen./Commissary General
• Commissary Subordinate
• Commissary of Ordnance
• Commissioner [attached to a Division; Civil Service Officer]
• Conductor [Ordnance Department; Commissariat Stores]
• Consulting Engineer, Government of India, State Railways
• Controller General of Supply and Transport
• Corpl./Corporal
• Corpl./Collar Maker/Corporal Collar Maker
• Corps of Armourers
• Corps of Sappers and Miners (Queen’s Own) [R.E.; Army, Bengal, Madras, Bombay]
• Deputy Adjt. Gen./Deputy Adjutant General
• Deputy Asst. Adjt./Deputy Assistant Adjutant
• Deputy Asst. Commissary Gen./Deputy Assistant Commissary General
• Deputy Asst. Qr.-Mr. Gen./Deputy Assistant Quarter-Master General
• Deputy Commissioner
• Deputy Judge Advocate [to Field Force]
• Deputy Superintendent of Revenue Service
• Deputy Surg.-Gen./Deputy Surgeon-General
• Director of Transport
• District Superintendent (Police)
• Div./Division
• Divisional Field Hospital
• Divisional Provost
• Divisional Transport
• Dressing Station [Army, Bengal, Madras, Bombay Medical Departments]
• Driver
• Drum Major
• Drummer
• doing duty [serving with a Division, Regiment, Brigade, etc., on a temporary assignment]
• Ecclesiastical Department [British Army, Indian Army (Bengal, Madras, Bombay)]
• Engineer in Chief [R.E.]
• Engineer in Chief, Kurram Railway Survey [R.E.]
• Executive Commissariat Officer
• Executive Engineer, D.P. Works, State Railways [Executive Engineer, Department of Public Works, State Railways]
• Extra A.D.C./Extra Aide-de-Camp [to a superior officer]
• Farrier
• Farrier Maj./Farrier Major
• Farrier Sergt./Farrier Sergeant
• Fencing Instr./Fencing Instructor
• Field Engineer Park
• Field Hospital
• Field Hospital Transport
• Field Post Master
• Fife Major
• First Trumpeter
• Gen. List/General List [commanding Regt. or Division in a Presidentcy]
• Geological Survey of India
• Ghazni Field Force
• Gunner [R.A.]
• Head Clerk
• Head Intelligence Department
• Head of Political Department in Afghanistan
• Hon. Bde. Surg./Honarary Brigade Surgeon
• Hospital Asst./Hospital Assistant
• Hospital Apothecary
• Hospital Apprentice
• Hospital Bde. Surg./Hospital Brigade Surgeon
• Hospital Officer
• Hospital Sergt./Hospital Sergeant
• Hospital Surg.-Maj./Hospital Surgeon-Major
• Hyderabad Contingent
• Indian Medical Department [Bengal, Madras, Bombay]
• Indian Medical Service
• Inspector Commissariat Department
• Inspector/Inspecting Vet. Surg./Inspector/Inspecting Veterinary Surgeon
• Instr. of Fencing/Instructor of Fencing
• Instr. of Musketry/Instructor of Musketry
• Intelligence Branch
• Interpreter
• Judge Advocate
• Junior Chaplain
• Kabul Field Force
• Kabul-Kandahar Field Force
• Kandahar Survey Department [R.E.]
• Khyber Bde. Field Force/Khyber Brigade Field Force
• Khyber Column
• Khyber Field Force
• Khyber Line
• Khyber Line Force
• Kurram Line
• Kurram Valley Column
• Kurram Valley Field Force
• Lance-Corpl./Lance-Corporal
• Lance-Sergt./Lance-Sergeant
• Lieut./Lieutenant
• Local [preceding rank temporarily held on duty]
• Local Lieut./Local Lieutenant
• Local Maj./Local Major
• Local Brig.-Gen./Local Brigadier-General
• Lt.-Col./Lieutenant-Colonel
• Lt.-Gen./Lieutenant-General
• Madras Artillery
• Madras Cavalry
• Madras Commissariat Depar./Madras Commissariat Department
• Madras Establishment
• Madras Medical Department
• Magazine Sergt./Magazine Sergeant [Ordnance Department]
• Maj./Major
• Maj.-Gen./Major-General
• Medical Department [British Army, Bengal, Madras, Bombay]
• North West [Frontier] Province Police [Transport Department]
• Northern/North Afghanistan Field Force
• Northern Afghanistan Field Park [R.E.]
• Office Clerk
• Officiating Agency Surg./Officiating Agancy Surgeon
• Officiating Apothecary
• Officiating Asst. Apothecary/Officiating Assistant Apothecary
• Officiating Asst. Commissary Gen./Officiating Assistant Commissary General
• Officiating Commandant
• Officiating Conductor [Commissariat Department]
• Officiating Deputy Asst. Qr.-Mr.-Gen./Officiating Deputy Quarter-Master-General
• Officiating Deputy Commissary General
• Officiating Deputy Surg.-Gen./Officiating Deputy Surgeon General
• Officiating Director
• Officiating Magazine Sergt./Officiating Magazine Sergeant
• Officiating Qr.-Mr./Officiating Quarter-Master
• Officiating Squadron Officer
• Officiating Sub Conductor/Officiating Subordinate Conductor
• Officiating Surg./Officiating Surgeon
• Officiating Superintendent Telegraph Department
• Officiating Surg.-Maj./ Officiating Surgeon-Major
• Officiating 2nd Class Apothecary
• Officiating Commandant
• Orderly
• Orderly Officer [serving a superior officer]
• Orderly Room Clerk
• Orderly Room Sergt./Orderly Room Sergeant
• Ordnance Department [of Division, Army]
• Ordnance Depot
• Ordnance Field Park
• Park Conductor
• Park Sergt./Park Sergeant [R.A.]
• Passed Hospital Apprentice
• Passed Hospital Asst./Passed Hospital Assistant
• Paymaster
• Paymaster Capt./Paymaster Captain
• Paymaster Lieut./Paymaster Lieutenant
• Paymaster Sergt./Paymaster Sergeant
• Permanent Conductor [Ordnance]
• Peshawar Valley Field Force
• Pioneer
• Pioneer Sergt./Pioneer Sergeant [R.E.]
• Pipe Major
• Piper
• Piper-Major
• Pishin Moveable Column
• Political Agent [followed by region, territory]
• Political Department, Southern India
• Political Officer
• Police Department [Bengal, Madras, Bombay]
• Police Officer [to a Regt., Div., Force]
• Political Department
• Postmaster
• Principal Commissariat Officer
• Principal/Chief Commissariat Officer
• Principal Medical Officer [of a Field Force]
• Principal Superintendent of Stores [Military Stores Department]
• Principal Vet. Surg./Principal Veterinary Surgeon
• Private
• Probationary Sergt./Probationer Sergeant
• Probationary Squadron Officer
• Probationer [preceding Rank, Staff or Regt.]
• Provisional actg. Bombardier/Provisional acting Bombardier [ R.A.]
• Provisional Lance-Corpl./Provisional Lance-Corporal
• Provisional Lance-Sergt./Provisional Lance-Sergeant
• Provisional Sergt./Provisional Sergeant
• Provisionally [preceding or following Staff or Regt.]
• Provost Marshall
• Punjab Chiefs’ Contingent
• Punjab Line Force
• Qr.-Mr./Quarter-Master
• Qr.-Mr. Gen./Quarter-Master General
• Qr.-Mr. Sergt./Quarter-Master Sergeant
• Quetta Field Force
• R.A. Field Park/Royal Artillery Field Park
• Regt. Sergt.-Maj./Regimental Sergeant-Major
• Regt. Transport Officer/Regimental Transport Officer
• Remount Est./Remount Establishment
• Reserve Div./Reserve Division
• Reserve Officer
• Reserve Transport [Regimental Transport]
• Riding Est./Riding Establishment [R.A.]
• Riding Master
• Road Commandant
• Royal Cavalry
• Saddler Sergt./Saddler Sergeant
• Sappers and Miners [R.E. and Presidentcies]
• Senior Apothecary
• Senior Chaplain
• Senior Medical Officer
• Sergt./Sergeant
• Sergt. Collar Maker/Sergeant Collar Maker [also Collar Maker Sergeant]
• Sergt. Comdr. of Stores/Sergeant Commander of Stores
• Sergt. Commissariat Department [Sergeant with Commissariat Department]
• Sergt.-Farrier/Sergeant-Farrier
• Sergt. Instr. of Fencing/Sergeant Instructor of Fencing
• Sergt. Instr. of Musketry/Sergeant Instructor of Musketry
• Sergt.-Maj./Sergeant-Major
• Sergt. Master Tailor/Sergeant Master Tailor
• Sergt. Wheeler/Sergeant Wheeler [Artillery]
• Shoeing Smith
• Signal Corps
• Signaller
• Southern Afghanistan Field Force
• Squadron
• Squadron Commander
• Squadron Officer [Cavalry]
• Staff Officer
• Staff Paymaster
• Store Sergt./Store Sergeant [Ordnance Departments]
• Sub Asst. Commissary Gen./Subordinate Assistant Commissary General [Commissariat Department]
• Sub Conductor/Subordinate Conductor [followed by Department, Regiment, Force, Division, etc.]
• Sub Hospital Charge [followed by Section of Hospital]
• Sub Lieut./Subordinate Lieutenant
• Sub Medical Department [Subordinate Medical Department], Bengal, Madras, Bombay
• Superintendent [followed by branch, office, dept., etc.]
• Superintendent of Army Signalling
• Superintentent of Post Offices, Baluchistan
• Superintendent of Post Offices, Kabul
• Superintending {R.E.]
• Supertending Communications
• Suply Engineer [R.E.]
• Surg./Surgeon
• Surg.-Gen./Surgeon-General
• Surg.-Maj./Surgeon-Major
• Survey Department [Survey of India; staffed by civilians]
• Survey of India
• Telegraph Department
• Telegraph Operator
• Temporary Commissary [Ordnance]
• Temporary Conductor [Ordnance]
• Temporary Conductor Department [Ordnance]
• Temporary Magazine Sergt./Temporary Magazine Sergeant
• Temporary Sub Conductor/Temporary Subordinate Conductor [R.A, Ordnance.]
• Transport Department
• Transport Officer
• Transport Sergt./Transport Sergeant
• Transport Sergt.-Maj./Transport Sergeant-Major
• Transport Service
• Troop Sergt./Troop Sergeant
• Troop Sergt.-Maj./Troop Sergeant-Major
• Trooper
• Trumpet Maj./Trumpet Major
• Trumpeter
• Unattached List [commanding a regt.]
• Unpassed Hospital Apprentice
• Upper Kurram Valley Bde./Upper Kurram Valley Brigade
• Vet. Surg./Veterinary Surgeon
• Victualing Sergt./Victualing Sergeant [Commissariat Department]
• Warrant Officer
• Wheeler [Artillery]
• Wheeler Bombardier [Artillery]
• Wheeler Corpl./Wheeler Corporal [Artillery]
• Wheeler Sergt./Wheeler Sergeant [Artillery]
• Wing Commander [Queen’s Own Corps of Guides]