Appointment Titles

Back in the mists of time, before unsporting chaps listened in to other chaps' radio messages, before even BATCO and Clansman, and before we decided to confuse everyone on the net with such unromantic things as callsigns and callsign indicators........

Every appointment had a title; the Boss was Sunray, the search dog was called Wagtail, the EOD were Felix, there was Molar, Acorn, and Bluebell. Although why the REME ended up with a flower title, I don't know. Added to that, you had "Major" and "Minor" as qualifiers (hence "Sunray Minor" for the 2ic), just to show off that the system was invented by Public School boys who had learned Latin.

SUNRAY --------- Commander

MOONBEAM ------- Chief of Staff

SEAGULL -------- Operations / Adjutant

BOXWOOD -------- General Staff (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical)

ACORN ---------- Intelligence

MANHOLE -------- Administrative Staff

MOLAR ---------- Logistics Staff / Quartermaster

NUTSHELL ------- Q Staff / Equipment

CONROD --------- Air Defence

SPYGLASS ------- Air Reconnaissance

BASEBALL ------- Air Traffic Controller

ATOLL ---------- Air Transport Support Operations

HAWKEYE -------- Land Air

IRONSIDE ------- Armour

SHOTGUN -------- Armament Officer

SHELDRAKE ------ Artillery

CRACKER -------- Locating Battery / Arty Intelligence

HOLDFAST ------- Engineer / Airfield Construction

FORTUNE -------- Forward Air Controller

GLOWWORM ------- Ground Liaison Officer

FOXHOUND ------- Infantry

STARLIGHT ------ Medical

CONTRACTOR ----- Movements Staff

RICKSHAW ------- Ordinance

WATCHDOG ------- Provost

BLUEBELL ------- Electrical / Mechanical Engineering

PRONTO --------- Signals

PLAYTIME ------- Supply and Transport

METEOR --------- Meteorological

GOLDFINGER------ Paymaster

SKYPILOT-------- Padre

Obviously, learning twenty or thirty such titles was much easier. Anyway, with secure comms, we'd go back to them, except it would completely stuff up NATO interoperability. (Anyone know if there's a STANAG for appointment titles?) Just as long as we don't end up like the Americans, where it all seems to be:

"Screaming Eagle Six, this is Broken Lance Actual"

The modern British version would probably be different:

"Hello Scaley, fetch Boss, Over....."

'Other halves' i.e. wives or husbands are also referred to as Sunray Minor / Long Haired Sunray (or occasionally 'SO3 Welfare') (or "OA on the Alternative Command Net") or Domestic Chief of Staff