Conventional Signs, Orthography (spelling of place-names) and Abbreviations used on the Maps and Sketches.

Signs: The standard British conventional signs (flags of various types) were used to denote headquarters of formations.

Orthography: The spelling adopted for place-names was generally the latest edition of the Belgian Institut Géographique Militaire sheets for Belgium, and of the old French 1:80,000 General Staff Map for France. Accents were omitted from both, except for the accent on the final or penultimate e.26

Abbreviations: The British Army conventions were followed on the maps and sketches, as in the text, as far as formation numbers were concerned. Thus armies were written in full (e.g. Second Army), corps in Roman numerals (e.g. V Corps), and divisions and other smaller formations and units in Arabic figures (e.g. 39th Division, 19th Brigade, etc.). An exception to this last rule was artillery brigades, which were given in Roman numerals (e.g. XIX Brigade R.F.A.). While British and allied formations were thus printed in normal type, German formation names and numbers were italicised. Regimental names were given their usual abbreviated army form e.g. 11/R. Sussex (instead of 11th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment), or KOYLI (Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry).

Other abbreviations used on maps and sketches (where there is any ambiguity, the colour coding makes the meaning clear British (including Imperial) and American red, French blue, Belgian brown, German green):

A Algerian (French); occasionally American (1918, Vol.4)
Aka Groups of counter-batteries (German 1918)
AM American
AM.E.F. American Expeditionary Force
ANZAC Australian & New Zealand Army Corps
Aus. Australian
B or BAV Bavarian (German); occasionally British (1918, Vol.4)
BDE or Bde Brigade
BEF British Expeditionary Force
BN Battalion
BR Bavarian Reserve (Division) (German)
C Canadian (see also CDN or Cdn); occasionally Cadre Divisions (1918, Vol.4)
CAV Cavalry
CB Cavalry Brigade
CBD Line Calais Boulogne Dunkerque Line (allied back line)
CD Cavalry Division
Cemy. Cemetery
CDN or Cdn Canadian (see also C)
COL Colonial (French)
Comp Bns Composite battalions
Cos. Companies (German)
D Division (German)
DAN DÈtachement dArmÈe du Nord (French)
Div. Division
D-Q Line Drocourt QuÈant Line (German)
E or ERS Ersatz (Replacement) Division or Brigade (German)
Feka Groups of long-distance and flanking batteries (German 1918)
Flk Gd Flank guard
Ft Dismounted cavalry (i.e. on foot)
FUS Fusilier (German)
GAC Groupe dArmÈes du Centre (French)
GAE Groupe dArmÈes de lEst (French)
GAF Groupe dArmÈes de Flandres (French)
GAN Groupe dArmÈes du Nord (French)
GAR Groupe dArmÈes de RÈserve (French)
GD Guard (German)
GDR Group of Reserve Divisions (French)
GDS Guards Division (British)
GHQ British General Headquarters
GQG French GHQ (Grand Quartier GÈnÈral)
GR or Gr Grenadier (German)
Ika Groups of batteries for engaging infantry defences (German 1918)
IND Indian Corps
IT Italian
L Lahore Division
LDW Landwehr (German)
L of C Lines of Communication
Mar Marine
M Meerut Division
MG Machine Gun
Mor Moroccan Division (French)
Nav Naval (Division) (German)
NZ New Zealand Division
OBL Old British Line
OGL Old German Line
OHL German Supreme Command (Oberste Heeresleitung); GHQ in German was Grosses Haupt-Quartier (the Kaisers political, military and naval Headquarters)
OP Observation Post
P Portugese (1918, Vol.4)
(pt) Part of
Prov Provisional
R Reserve Division (with Arabic number); Reserve Corps (with Roman number). (German)
Rdt. Redoubt
RIR Reserve Infantry Regiment (German)
RD Reserve Division (German)
RP Rallying Point (tanks)
S St¸tzpunkt (Redoubt) (German)
S.A. Bde. South African Brigade
SP Starting Point (tanks)
T Territorial (French)
U Unfit Division (1918, Vol.4)
US United States (Corps or Division)

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