Glossary of Terms

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

A.A.

Anti Aircraft

A.D.H.

Assistant Director of Hygiene

A.D.M.S.

Assistant Director of Medical Services

A.F.P.U.

Army Film and Photographic Unit

Appell

Roll call

Appelplatz

Place of roll call, parade ground.

Aufseherin

Wardress

Arbeitsdienst

Labour service

Arbeitsdienstführer

SS Labour Control Officer

Arbeitskommando

Working squad

Aufenthaltslager

Detention/Internment camp

B.A.O.R.

British Army of the Rhine

Bauarbeiterlager

Construction Workers Camp

B.C.

Battery Commander

Beerdigunskommando

Burial squad

Blockältester

Block leader

Blockführer

SS block leader

Brig.

Brigadier

Brigadeführer

Brigadier

Camp No 1

The Belsen Trial name for Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp

Camp No 2

The Belsen Trial name for Bergen-Belsen Barracks (now Bergen-Hohne)

Capt.

Captain

C.C.S.

Casualty Clearing Station

C.O.

Commanding Officer

Col.

Colonel

Cpl.

Corporal

C.S.M.

Company Sergeant Major

D.D.M.S.

Deputy Director Medical Services

D.L.I.

Durham Light Infantry

D.P.

Displaced Persons

Dr.

Doctor

Ehrholungslager

Recovery camp

Entlausung

Bath House/Delousing facility

Elternloser Kinder

Orphaned children

Frauenlager

Womens camp

Friedhof

Cemetary

Gedenkstätte

Memorial Site

Gefolgschaft

Staff (eg of a factory)

Gemüsekeller

Vegetable Cellar/Store

Gnr.

Gunner (Royal Artillery Rank equivalent of Private)

Großes Frauenlager

Large womens camp

Gruppenführer

Major-General

Häftling

Prisoner

Haftlingslager

Prisoners camp

Hauptscharführer

Warrant Officer Class 2

Hauptsturmführer

Captain

Heeresneubauarbeiterlager

Construction workers camp

Internierunglager

Internment camp

J.R.U.

Jewish Relief Unit

Kapo

Term used for certain prisoners who worked inside the concentration camps in various lower administrative positions. The German word may also mean foreman and non-commissioned officer, and is derived from French for Corporal or the Italian word capo. Kapos received more privileges than normal prisoners, towards whom they were often brutal. They were often convicts who were offered this work in exchange for a reduced sentence or parole.

Kläranlage

Drainage/Sewage system

Kommando

Squad

Kommandoführer

SS Leader of squad

Krankenlager

Sick bay/camp

Krematorium

Crematorium

Kriegsgraber

War Grave

Küche

Kitchen

L.A.A.

Light Anti Aircraft

Lager

Camp

Lagerältester

Senior camp prisoner

Lagerführer

SS camp leader

Lazarett

Field Hospital

LCpl.

Lance Corporal

Leichenkommando

Burial squad

Löschwasserbecken

Emergency Water Supply or Water Reservoir

Lt.

Lieutenant

Lt. Col.

Lieutenant Colonel

Luftwaffe

German air force

Maj.

Major

Maj. Gen.

Major General

Neutralenlager

Neutrals' Camp

N.C.O.

Non Commissioned Officer

Oberaufseherin

Head wardess

Oberführer

A rank between Colonel and Brigadier with no British equivalent

Obergruppenführer

Lieutenant General

Oberscharführer

Staff Sergeant

Oberstgruppenführer

General

Obersturmbannführer

Lieutenant Colonel

Obersturmführer

Lieutenant

O.C.

Officer Commanding

P.O.W.

Prisoner of war

Pte.

Private

Q.M.

Quartermaster

R.A.

Royal Artillery

R.A.F.

Royal Air Force

R.A.M.C.

Royal Army Medical Corps

R.A.S.C.

Royal Army Service Corps

Rapportführer

Staff member who calls the roll

R.C.A.F.

Royal Canadian Air Force

R.C.A.M.C.

Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps

Reichsarbeitsdienst

German Labour Service

Reichsführer

Field Marshal

R.E.M.E.

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

R.H.A.

Royal Horse Artillery

Rottenführer

Corporal

R.S.M.

Regimental Sergeant Major

R.T.R.

Royal Tank Regiment

S.A.S.

Special Air Service

Scharführer

Sergeant

Schießstand

Small arms range

Schreiber

Clerk

Schuhberg

Mountain of shoe leather

Schuhkommando

Working party used to recycle shoes

Schuhzelt

Shoe Tent

Schütze

Private

Schutzehäfling

Prisoner in protective custody

Schwimmbad

Swimming Pool

Sgt.

Sergeant

S.M.O.

Senior Medical Officer

Sonderkommando

Special squad

Sonderlager

Special Camp

Sqn. Ldr.

Squadron Leader

SSgt.

Staff Sergeant

S.S.M.

Squadron Sergeant Major

Stabsarzt

Medical Officer

Stalag

Shortened version of Stammlager, prisoner of war camp

Stammlager

Prisoner of war camp

Standartenführer

Colonel

Standartenjunker

A rank between Sergeant and Staff Sergeant with no British equivalent

Standartenoberjunker

A rank between Warrant Officer Class 1 and Warrant Officer Class 2 with no British equivalent

Stellvertreter

Deputy

Sternlager

Star Camp

Strafkommando

Punishment squad

Straßenbaukommando

Road building squad

Stubenältester

Room leader who is a prisoner

Stubendienst

Prisoner who cleans out rooms

Sturmbannführer

Major

Sturmmann

Lance Corporal

Sturmscharführer

Warrant Officer Class 1

T.A.

Territorial Army

Totenkommando

Execution squad

Ungarnlager

Hungarians camp

Unterscharführer

Corporal

Untersturmführer

2nd Lieutenant

U.N.R.R.A.

United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration

Verwaltungsführer

Administration officer

Vorarbeiter

Foreman

Waldlager

Forest Camp

Wirtschaftsamt

Office for economic administrative matters

W.O.

War Office
Warrant Officer

Wohnlager

Refugee camp

Zigeuner

Gypsy