Abbreviation Translation

[Steve B.]

I am helping a friend ttranscribe the logbooks his father, a WWII infantry First Sergeant. kept of all the KIAs and WIAs in his company.

 

He has used the abbreviations "LWA", "SIA", "LIA", and "SWA" when referring to some of the wounded.

 

We do not know for sure what the abbreviations mean, and hopefully somewone here knows. I have some ideas of what the abbreviations mean, but would like to hear any other thoughts.

 

Some scans of the logbooks can be seen here: http://36thair3ad.homestead.com/HQ3dBn36thAIR.html

 

Thanks for any help!

 

Steve

[tredhed2]

LWA = lightly wounded in action

 

SWA = seriously wounded in action

 

SIA = slightly wounded in action?

 

LIA = ?

[gwb123]

I am not sure these are standard acronyms... perhaps notes he made for himself?

 

LIA.... Lost in Action?

 

SIA... Separated in Action?

[Jeeper704]

SIA could be Slightly Injured in Action.

 

Erwin

[Steve B.]

Thanks for the input, guys!

 

I agree these are probably his own abbreviations, and my guesses are pretty similar to what you have suggested.

 

We may never know for sure what the abbreviations mean, but we do know that the soldiers in question were all injured in the line of duty.

 

Thanks again for the help!

 

Steve

[Bob Hudson]

These are or were official abbreviations used in After Action Reports:

 

KIA = KILLED IN ACTION

MIA = MISSING IN ACTION

SWA = SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN ACTION

LWA = LIGHT WOUND IN ACTION

SIA = SERIOUSLY INJURED IN ACTION

LIA = LIGHTLY WOUNDED IN ACTION

DOW = DIED OF WOUNDS

[gwb123]

These are or were official abbreviations used in After Action Reports:

 

KIA = KILLED IN ACTION

MIA = MISSING IN ACTION

SWA = SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN ACTION

LWA = LIGHT WOUND IN ACTION

SIA = SERIOUSLY INJURED IN ACTION

LIA = LIGHTLY WOUNDED IN ACTION

DOW = DIED OF WOUNDS

 

Looks good and makes sense... do you have a source that lists this? I went all over the internet but could not nail these down.

[Bob Hudson]

Looks good and makes sense... do you have a source that lists this? I went all over the internet but could not nail these down.

 

 

Do a Google search for http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=K...amp;btnG=Search

 

You will find a few sources, including one headlined:

 

TAINTED DECISION: THE ATOM BOMB AND AMERICA's

RUSH TO END WORLD WAR II

by

Major Lee T. Wyatt, III

United States Army

Command and Staff College

Education Center

Marine Corps Development and Education Command

Quantico, Virginia 22134

25 March 1986

 

He writes:

 

In 1944, the U.S.

sustained an average of 3,200 casualties per month. This

figure represented all categories: killed-in-action

(KIA), missing-in-action (MIA), wounded-in-action (WIA),

died-of-wounds (DOW), seriously wounded-in-action (SWA),

seriously injured-in-action (SIA), lightly wounded-in-

action (LWA), and lightly injured-in-action (LIA).

 

 

There are also some after action reports under that google search.

[gwb123]

Excellent work! I tried putting these terms in one by one, and of course got about 22,000 unrelated searches!

 

I think I actually saw the Atomic Bomb reference and skipped by it not thinking it relevant. So much for doing research at the midnight hour!

[Steve B.]

Fantastic!

 

Thanks for all the help!

[Steve B.]

Thanks for all the previous help. Perhaps you can help with one more:

 

NBC

 

I'm thinking it means Non Battle Casualty. The soldiers in question were transferred to a hospital and dropped from the rolls after being "NBC."

 

Any further help or opinions?

 

Thanks!

 

Steve

[Squad leader]

You're right. NBC means Non Battle Casualty.

 

Dan.

[Steve B.]

Thank you, Dan!