Anti-Tank Battery Abbreviation

Hi Everyone

Does anyone know what an "R.O." is?

There are three officers holding these appointments on the Field Return of Officers of 14th A-Tk Regiment in December 1944. One "R.O." for each battery.

Thanks in advance

Gus

 

Reconnaissance officer?

 

Range officer

 

I've also come across R.O. as reinforcement officer.

 

Its in the Appointment held column.

 

Been through my lists.

Glossary of Royal Artillery
Terms and Abbreviations
(Historical and Modern) by Philip Jobson.

RO = (i) Retired Officer

(ii) Reference Object – used in Survey

(iii) Regimental Order.

From other lists.
RO Reference Object
RO Replenishment Objective.
RO Research Objective.
RO Royal Ordnance.
RO Routine order or Recreation (or Range) Officer.
RO Recruitment Officer.

 

Thanks for all of the replies.

I too thought of Range Officer as it kind of best fits.

Can anyone explain what a Range Officer would do in an anti-tank battery and is it a role that was unique to anti-tank artillery?

Gus

 

Recce Officer sounds more likely to me as it makes sense for someone to choose gun positions and arcs before they turn up. Sort of their equivalent of a field regiment's survey and/or gun position officers?

On the other hand, there would be benefits to systematic measuring/estimation and marking of ranges across a battery's arc, so a Range Officer might work in that sense.

 

I see your point, but why wouldn't they just call them GPOs or SOs if they are doing more or less the same thing?

Gus

 

It's only similar in the sense that they are 'organising' their guns. I'm very vague on this sort of thing, but assume the survey officer was responsible for tying his guns into the rest of the regiment on the map while an A/Tk officer is siting direct fire weapons and trying to outthink the enemy - trigonometry v tactics.