British WW2 Phonetic Alphabet As directed by: HMSO Manual: Signal Training Pamplet No. 5, Signal Procedure Part I. - Procedure for Radio Telephony War Office 5 June 43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phonetic Letter Able A Baker B Charlie C Dog D Easy E Fox F George G How H Item I Jig J King K Love L Mike M Nan N Oboe O Peter P Queen Q Roger R Sugar S Tare T Uncle U Victor V William W X-Ray X Yoke Y Zebra Z Most of us will be familiar with some of this alphabet. Some questions. When did this come into use as opposed to the old WW1 style alphabet (such as ack, emma, pip etc ) and has anyone the full WW1 alphabet? Did the US Forces use this too and when did the modern NATO style (alpha, bravo, charlie,deta etc) come in?
Aha I've answered some of my own questions. British forces 1904: Ack Beer C D E F G H I J K L Emma N O Pip Q R Esses Toc U Vic W X Y Z [The OED has a reference for Beer and Emma dated 1891] British 1914, perhaps Post Office approved: Apple Brother Charlie Dover Eastern Father George Harry India Jack King London Mother November October Peter Queen Robert Sugar Thomas Uncle Victoria Wednesday Xmas Yellow Zebra Royal Navy 1917: Apples Butter Charlie Duff Edward Freddy George Harry Ink Johnnie King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pudding Queenie Robert Sugar Tommy Uncle Vinegar Willie Xerxes Yellow Zebra British Army 1927: Ack Beer Charlie Don Edward Freddy George Harry Ink Johnnie King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pip Queen Robert Sugar Toc Uncle Vic William X-ray Yorker Zebra U.S. Army 1916: Able Buy Cast Dock Easy Fox George Have Item Jig King Love Mike Nap Opal Pup Quack Rush Sail Tape Unit Vice Watch X-ray Yoke Zed U.S. Navy 1940: Affirmative Baker Cast Dog Easy Fox George Hypo Interrogatory Jig King Love Mike Negative Option Preparatory Queen Roger Sail Tare Unit Victor William Xray Yoke Zed By 1952 the ICAO adopted a version which with minor changes was adopted by the Allied Forces then by NATO and by the ITU in 1956.
Have you been listening to radio 4? If you haven't this is a huge coincidence as a program on the Phonetic alphabet has just ended. 'Alpha Bravo Yankee Zulu' http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/pip/dho56/ doesn't seem to be on 'listen again' yet but I assume it will be soon, what I heard of it between requests for 'bikkits' and 'Nonuk' (yoghurt) sounded very good.
No I haven't had the radio on but that is odd isn't it? I asked because I had an email last night from my ASH Can Veteran who was a qualified Signaller and that got me thinking about how the Alphabets changed over the years.
Found the German one here. LANDSER Home Page - Anton Ä - Ärger B - Berta C - Cäsar Ch (arlotte) D - Dora E - Emil F - Friedrich G - Gustav H - Heinrich I - Ida J - Julius K - Konrad L - Ludwig M - Martha N - Nordpol O - Otto Ö - Ödipus P - Paula Q - Quelle R - Richard S - Siegfried T - Theodor U - Ulrich Ü - Übel V - Viktor W - Wilhelm X - Xanthippe Y - Ypsilon Z - Zeppelin Sch (ule)
1944 - NATO Today A Able -- Alpha B Baker -- Bravo C Charlie -- Charlie D Dog -- Delta E Easy -- Echo F Fox -- Foxtrot G George -- Golf H How -- Hotel I Item -- India J Jig -- Juliet K King -- Kilo L Love -- Lima M Mike -- Mike N Nan -- November O Oboe -- Oscar P Peter -- Papa Q Queen -- Quebec R Roger -- Romeo S Sugar -- Sierra T Tare -- Tango U Uncle -- Uniform V Victor -- Victor W William -- Whiskey X X-Ray -- X-Ray Y Yoke -- Yankee Z Zebra -- Zulu
Jed On an earlier thread Owen supplied the following: British Army from 1927 (and I certainly remember using this in December 1942 when I first became a wireless op) Ack Beer Charlie Don Edward Freddy George Harry Ink Johnnie King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pip Queen Robert Sugar Toc Uncle Vic William X-ray Yorker Zebra
1944 - NATO Today A Able -- Alpha B Baker -- Bravo C Charlie -- Charlie D Dog -- Delta E Easy -- Echo F Fox -- Foxtrot G George -- Golf H How -- Hotel I Item -- India J Jig -- Juliet K King -- Kilo L Love -- Lima M Mike -- Mike N Nan -- November O Oboe -- Oscar P Peter -- Papa Q Queen -- Quebec R Roger -- Romeo S Sugar -- Sierra T Tare -- Tango U Uncle -- Uniform V Victor -- Victor W William -- Whiskey X X-Ray -- X-Ray Z Zebra -- Zulu it was still the same phonetic alphabet in 1955 .. not sure when it changed ..
What about Y- Yankie? Prize for the gentleman who spotted the deliberate mistake. must admit I hadn't noticed it missing.
I had the same alphabet as Ron as a wireless op. initially then it was changed - probably in the middle of 1943 which caused us all to go even slightly more mad- relieved by a great deal of humour as we had to change a number of things in order to accomodate our new Allies- one change we thought uproarious at the time was the fact that any equipment needing repair - we would mark as U/S = unserviceable - this allegedy upset our new Allies and so we had to change our markings to DIS = Disabled ..... Cheers
Jed On an earlier thread Owen supplied the following: British Army from 1927 (and I certainly remember using this in December 1942 when I first became a wireless op) Ack Beer Charlie Don Edward Freddy George Harry Ink Johnnie King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pip Queen Robert Sugar Toc Uncle Vic William X-ray Yorker Zebra Thanks for reminding me about that one from 2006, I've merged the two threads.
I believe the current format was implemented in the early fifties, possibly 1951. However I recall being asked by a BOAC pilot in the 70's what the current 'Nan How' (QNH) was. So some changed sooner than others
Just a further thought on the 1942 phonetic code. When we were learning this by rote (at my W/T training depot in Whitby) we had to chant it out, just like 5 year olds learning their multiplication tables. My still vivid memories say the first para went: Ack, Beer, Charlie, Don Eddie, Freddy, George (Note Eddie & not Edward) Anyone else remember this ? Ron ps As an after-thought if the Morse Code is more your thing go have a look at this old thread: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/veteran-accounts/33496-morse-code-versus-text-messaging.html
Missed this thread earlier - there is a usefull page on the "Wireless Set No 19 Group" website Wireless-Set-No-19 Group Archive giving a brief history of and comparrison table of Phonetic Alphabets in British use. Noel