Miscellaneous
Research resources for naval-history.net editors: Miscellaneous. A list of links, with description, to help find information about topics that don't fit the Ships, Places, People and Abbreviations categories.
Last revision: 23 September 2024

This list of links has been accumulated by editors.
They are used as a source for research whilst editing the official log-books of Royal Navy ships from the World War 1 era, and Arctic voyages of United States vessels from the mid 19th century onwards.

If you want to see something corrected, or add items to the list, drop me .

Abbreviations
naval-history.net – Known Abbreviations
A list of known abbreviations accumulated by naval-history.net editors
Royal Navy Log Directions
An image of a log book page with log directions and weather codes explained
WW1 Armed Forces Abbreviations
General United Kingdom armed forces abbreviations from WW1
Modern Royal Navy Abbreviations
A list of modern Royal Navy abbreviations
Royal Army Medical Corps Abbreviations
Military abbreviations applicable to the Medical Corps
Abbreviations Used In Gunnery
A list of British gunnery abbreviations, from the The Gunnery Pocket Book
Calgary Military Historical Society – Military Abbreviations
Browse an extensive alphabetical list of military abbreviations used in military documents and for medal inscriptions
US Navy Command Title Abbreviations
Abbreviated titles authorized for use in official correspondence and despatches after effecting the U.S. Fleet Organization in 1931
Abbreviations Used for US Navy Enlisted Ratings
An alphabetical listing of rating abbreviations with long titles for the ratings
US Navy Rank Abbreviations
A full 69 pages of rank abbreviations, for officers and enlisted alike (PDF file)
Symbols of U.S. Navy Ships
Symbols of US Navy Ships, The Aleutians Campaign June 1942 – August 1943
Navigation Acronyms, Abbreviations and Definitions
Navigation acronyms, abbreviations and definitions compiled by David Broughton (PDF file)
Beaufort Code
Wolstanton Marsh Weather Station – Full details of Beaufort Code, a system which uses letters and numbers to denote various weather types
CLIWOC Multilingual Meteorological Dictionary
An English-Spanish-Dutch-French dictionary of wind force terms used by mariners from 1750 to 1850 (PDF file)
Skipper Tips – Seabed Abbreviations
A table of chart seabed abbreviations
Ratings
Royal Navy Branches, Ranks and Ratings 1918
An excellent overview of the branches, ranks and rating of the Royal Navy in 1918 (PDF)
naval-history.net – United States Navy World War 1
Commissioned Officers; Enlisted Rates; Enlisted Branches and Definitions; Enlisted Rank abbreviations; Yeoman (F)
Summary of Ranks and Rates of the U.S. Navy in WW2
Reprinted With Minor Changes From The Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin Issue of May 1943
U.S. Navy Enlisted Ratings and Apprenticeships
A listing of enlisted ratings and apprenticeships in the U.S. Navy from 1775 to 1969
Terminology
The Sailor's Word-Book, by Admiral W. H. Smyth (1867)
An alphabetical digest of nautical terms, including some more especially military and scientific, but useful to seamen; as well as archaisms of early voyagers, etc.
Shiploading
A picture-dictionary of shiploading terms
A Naval Encyclopedia (1884)
A dictionary of nautical words and phrases; biographical notices, and records of naval officers; special articles on naval art and science; together with descriptions of the principal naval stations and seaports of the world
A Military and Naval Dictionary (1905)
A large list of terms used in all branches of the U.S. military
Bluejacket.com – Terms, Traditions and Customs of the Naval Service
An extended list compiled from several sources
Jackspeak of the Royal Canadian Navy
Words and terminology that are commonly used in the Canadian Navy
Signals and Symbols
Boat Safe – Signal Flags
International Code Flags or Signaling Flags
The Telegraphic Dictionary and Seamen's Signal Book
The Telegraphic Dictionary and Seamen's Signal Book, adapted to Signals by Flags or Other Semaphores and Arranged for Secret Correspondence, through Morse's Electro-Magnetic Telegraph: for the use of Commanders of Vessels, Merchants, &c. 1845
The Deck and Boat Book of the United States Navy (1917)
Everything you need to know about boats, drills, exercises and signals.
Symbols.com
Symbols.com is a unique online encyclopaedia that contains everything about symbols, signs, flags and glyphs
Ships, Shipping, Rigging and Seamanship
American Practical Navigator: An Epitome of Navigation and Nautical Astronomy 1916
Everything anyone might want to know about navigation
Ships & Shipping
A handbook of popular nautical information; with numerous diagrams plans and illustrations
The Deck and Boat Book of the United States Navy (1917)
Everything you need to know about boats, drills, exercises and signals.
The Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship
The Elements and Practice of Rigging And Seamanship, 1794, by David Steel, is a comprehensive English textbook of rigging, seamanship and naval tactics
Text-Book of Seamanship
Text-Book of Seamanship, 1891, is an updated age of sail textbook at the beginning of the true transition of warships from sail to steam power
The Friesian – Masts and Sails
Explains ship types and square rigging, includes masts, sails and rigging terms
Rigging Explained for Landlubbers
A modern explanation of old rigging
Weaponry
The Gunnery Pocket Book
Created near the end of WW II and therefore represents the peak of British WW II gunnery
Books
United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Books
A list of online United States Coast and Geodetic Survey books, compiled by the University of Pennsylvania
Old Weather Forum
Forum
The Old Weather Forum, regularly visited by many naval-history.net editors
Library
Old Weather's library of helpful links that may help you with everything from locations to historic context
Medical Department Articles
Navy Department, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Form B; to request articles in Medical Department (1890s)