In our collection you will encounter military terminology and acronyms. Here you can find out what they mean:

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F

Fighter aeroplane Queensland (RAAF)

F and F

Field and Fortress

F Fr

Free French (Second World War)

F Off

Flight Officer (Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force - WAAAF)

F Sgt

Flight Sergeant

F Sp

Flash spotting

F Tn

Field Train (USA)

F-Day

1 July 1945

F-Lt

Flight Lieutenant

F-O

Flying Officer (RAAF)

FA

Field Ambulance

FA

Department of Foreign [External] Affairs

FA

Field Artillery (USA)

FA

Financial Adviser

FA

Anti Aircraft Frigate

FA Res

Field Artillery Reserves (USA)

FAA

Fleet Air Arm (RAN Second World War)

FAB

Field Artillery Brigade

FAB Am Col

Field Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column

FABWKR

Fabric Worker

FAC

Forward Air Control/Controller (Vietnam War)

FACE

Forces Advisory Committee on Entertainment

FACE

Field Artillery Computing Equipment

FACY

Facility

FAD

Forward Ammunition Depot

FAF

French Air Force

FALINTIL

National Armed Forces for the Liberation of East Timor (East Timor)

FAM

Familiar

FAMA

Forward Airfield Maintenance Area

FAmb

Field Ambulance

FAMO

Forward Airfield Maintenance Organisation

FANK

Forces Armées Nationales Khmer (Cambodian Army)

FANY

First Aid Nursing Yeomanry

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organisation

FAP

First Aid Post

FAR

Farrier

FARELF

Far East Land Forces

FAS

Free Alongside Ship

FASF

First Assistant Secretary (Finance)

FASG

First Assistant Secretary (General)

FASO

Forward Airfield Supply Organisation

FASOC

Forward Air Support Operations Centre

FASSIP

First Assistant Secretary Strategic and International Policy

FATALCAS

Notifiable Fatal Casualty

FATCO

Forward Air Transport Operations Centre

FAVO

Fleet Aviation Officer

FAX

Facsimile

FBB

Flying boat Base

FBMU

Flying Boat Maintenance Unit (RAAF)

FBRD

Flying Boat Repair Depot (RAAF)

FBW

Fleet Base West (Located at Garden Island, Western Australia)

FC

Fighter Command (RAF)

FC

Fire Control

FCA

Fighter Control Area (USA)

FCAE

Field Company Australian Engineers

FCC

Fire Control Code (USA)

FCCS

Forces Courier Communications Service

FCE

Field Company Engineers

FCI

Fighter Combat Instructor

FCMA

Field Controller Military Accounts

FCO

Fleet Communications Officer

FCOH

Fortress combined Operational Headquarters (Second World War)

FCP

Forward Control Post

FCPB

Freemantle Class Patrol Boat

FCS

Fraser Commando School (Special Units Second World War)

FCT

Forecast

FCU

Figher Control Unit (RAAF)

FCU

Force Communications Unit (Peacekeeping)

Fd

Field

Fd

Fixed Defences

Fd

Aircraft Direction Frigate

Fd Amb

Field Ambulance

Fd Bty

Field Battery

Fd Hosp

Field Hospital

Fd Hyg Coy

Field Hygiene Company (Vietnam War)

Fd Hyg Sec

Field Hygiene Section

Fd M & D

Field Medical and Dental (Vietnam War)

Fd Med

Field Medical

Fd Prk

Field Park

Fd Regt

Field Regiment (First World War - Vietnam War)

FD SEC (EE)

Field Security (Enemy Equipment)

Fd Sqn

Field Squadron

Fd Sqn Wksp

Field Squadron Workshop

Fd Tp

Field Troop, Engineers (Vietnam War)

Fd Tp NZE

Field Troop, New Zealand Engineers [First World War New Zearland Unit]

Fd Wksp

Field Workshop

Fd Wksp S S

Field Workshop Stores Section (Vietnam War)

FDC

Fire Direction Center (USA) (Vietnam War)

FDL

Foremost Defended Localities

FDO

Fighter Direction Officer (RAAF)

FDO

Fire Direction Officer (Vietnam War)

FDS

Field Dressing Station

FDT

Field Distribution Terminal (telephone services)

FE

Far East

FE

Field Engineer

FEA

Foreign Economic Administration, Washington

FEAC

Far Eastern Allied Commission

FEAF

Far East Air Forces (USA)

FEASC

Far East Air Service Command (USA)

FEBA

Forward Edge of the Battle Area

FEC

Far East Command

FECB

Far East Combined Bureau

FECH

Fighting Echelon

FEFS

Fighter Escort Fire Suppression

FEG

Force Element Group

FELO

Far Eastern Liaison Office

FER

Field Engineer Regiment

FER

Forward Engine Room

FERRY

Airfield used as a staging post (RAAF)

FF

Frigate(s)

FF

Fire Fighter

FF

Field Force

FFAR

Folding Fin Aircraft Rocket

FFCC

Filed Force Commander’s Commendation (Peacekeeping)

FFG

Guided missile frigate (RAN)

FFH

Frigate(s) with helicopter

FFI

French Forces of the Interior (Forces Francaises de 1'Interieur)

FFO

Furnace Fuel Oil

FFR

Frontier Force Regiment (Indian Army)

FFR

Fitted for Radio

FFRS

Fast Fleet Replenishment Ship

FFV

Field Force Vietnam War

FG

Fighter Group (US)

FGA

Fighter(s), ground attack

FGCM

Field General Courts Martial

FGP

General Purpose Frigate

FHR

Early War Office Intelligence tests named after the initials of the authors

Fi

Fighter (USA)

FIAT

Field Information Agency Technical

FIC

Flying Instructors Course

FIC

French Indo-China

FIDO

Fog Investigation Dispersal Operation

FIG

Figure

FIK

Forces in Korea

FIMA

Fleet Intermediate Maintenance Authority

Fin O

Finance Officer (USA)

FIR

Flight Information Region

Fire for Fire

The act of returning fire at the enemy if fired upon

Firefly

Helicopter fitted with a cluster of high powered spotlights (Vietnam War)

Fit Armt

Armament fitter (Peacekeeping)

FIU

Forward Interpretation Unit (USA)

FL

Flight Lieutenant

FL

Flight Level

Flail

A tank with steel chains rotating in front of it and thrashing the ground to explode anti‑tank mines

Flak

Enemy anti‑aircraft fire (Second World War)

FLBU

Front Line Broadcasting Unit

FLC

Field and Lines of Communication

Fld

Field (USA)

Fld Amb

Field Ambulance (First World War)

Fld Bky

Field Bakery

Fld Butch

Field Butchery

FLEX

Fleet Landing Exercise (USA)

FLEX

Flexowriter Equipment

Flg Offr

Flying Officer (RAAF)

FLIP

Flight Information Publication

FLO

Family Liaison Officer

FLOT

Forward Line own Troops

FLSG

Force Logistics Support Group (East Timor)

Flt

Flight(s) (USA)

Flt Lt

Flight Lieutenant

Flt Off

Flight Officer (Women's Royal Australian Air Force - WRAAF)

Flt Sgt

Flight Sergeant

FLTCDR

Flight Commander

FLTLOSCAP

Fleet Liaison Officer with Supreme Commander for Allied Powers

FM

Field‑Marshal

FM

Field Manual (USA)

FM

Frequency Modulated

FMA

Foreign military assistance

FMA

Forward Maintenance Area

FMC

Field Maintenance Centre

FMFLant

Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (USA)

FMFPac

Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (USA)

Fmns

Formations

FMS

Federated Malay States

FNAA

French Naval Air Arm

FO

Field Orders (USA)

FO

Flying Officer (RAAF)

FO

Forward Observer

FOAM

Flag Officer attached Middle East (British‑Greece)

FOB

Forward Observer, Bombardment

FOB

Forward Operational Base

FOB

Free On board Ship

FOBAA

Flag Officer, British Assault Area

FOCAF

Flag Officer Commanding HMA Fleet

FOCEA

Flag Officer Commanding East Australia Area

FOD

Forward Ordnance Depot

FOD

Foreign Object Damage

FOD

For Onward Dispatch

FOF

Field of Fire

FOIC

Flag Officer in Charge

FOIC EA

Flag Officer in Charge, East Australia Area

FOL

Follow

Folboat

Two man canoe (used in special operations Second World War)

FOO

Forward Observation Officer - Artillery officer observing from a forward observation post

FOP

Forward Observation Post - Site for the Forward Observation Officer (FOO)

FOP

Forward Observer Party

FOR

Free on Rail

Force 136

Code name for Special Operations Executive in South East Asia (Second World War)

Foresters

The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment)

FORLAND

Forward Echelon Land Headquarters

FORS

Field Operations Research Section (Vietnam War)

FORY

Flag Officer, Royal Yacht

FOW

Free on Wharf

FP

Field Punishment (often No. 1 or No. 2)

FPB

Fast Patrol Boat

FPDA

Five Power Defence Arrangements

FPF

Final Protective Fire

FPL

Final Protective Line (USA)

FPO

Field Post Office

FPO

Flight Planning Officer

FPRC

Flying Personnel Research Committee

FPRU

Flying Personnel Research Unit (RAAF)

FQCO

Fuel Quality Control Officer

FR

Flash Ranging (USA)

FR

Flight Reconnaissance

Fr

France

FRAGO

Fragmentary Order

FREQ

Frequency

FREQSEP

Frequency Separation

Fridge Flat

Space which houses the ships main refrigerators and cool rooms

Friendlies

A jargon term used in wireless conversation to refer to either Australian military elements, or, to Government of [South] Vietnam (GVN)/Free World Military Assistance Forces (including United States) military elements

FROM

Fleet Royal Marine Officer

Frontstalag

Frontstammlager (German) - Forward Prisoner of War camp

FRS

Fellow of the Royal Society

Frt

Fortress

Frt

Field Resuscitation Team

FS

Field Service

FS

Fighter Squadron (USA)

FS

Fire Support

FS, HQ

Fighter Section, Headquarters

FSA

Anti Submarine Frigate (First Rate)

FSB

Field Service Board (USA)

FSB

Fire Support Base (Vietnam War)

FSB

Anti Submarine Frigate (Second Rate)

FSB

Force Support Battalion

FSCC

Fire Support Coordination Centre

FSCC

Fire Support Coordination Center (USA)

FSCL

Fire Support Coordination Line

FSD

Field Supply Depot

FSK

Frequency Shift Keying

FSN

Federal Stock Number

FSO

Flying Safety Officer

FSO

Field Security Officer

FSO

Flying Safety Officer

FSPB

Fire Support Patrol Base (Vietnam War)

FSPB

Field Service Pocket Book

FSPB

Fire Support Patrol Base (Vietnam War)

FSR

Field Service Regulations

FST

Field Surgical Team

FST

Frequency Shift Telegraphy (RAN)

FSU

Field Surgical Unit

FSV

Fire Support Vehicle

Ft CP

Fort Command Post (seacoast artillery) (USA)

FTC

Flying Training Command (RAF)

FTD

Full Time Duty

FTM

Flying Training Manual

Ftr

Fighter(s) (aircraft)

FTS

Flying Training School (RAAF)

FTT

Fast troop transport (RAN)

FTT

Field Transfusion Team

FUP

Forming up Place

Fus

Fusilier

Fus

Fuselage

FUSE, FUZET

The nose of a shell. There are three main types: Percussion, Time and Time and Percussion.

FW

Fighter Wing (USA)

Fwd

Forward

Fwd Del Tp

Forward Delivery Troop (Vietnam War)

Fwd Ech Lhq

Forward Echelon Land Headquarters (USA)

FWf

Fixed wing

FWF

Free World Forces

FWMAF

Free World Military Assistance Forces (US, Australian, South Vietnamese and other allied forces during the Vietnam War)

FWMAO

Free World Military Assistance Office/Organisation

FWR

Fitted with Radio

FWSF

Fitted with Stretcher Frame

FX

Fixed Service (RAN)

FXD DEF

Fixed Defences

FY

Fiscal year