Recce or Recon?

[Doug ex-em4]

Is the abbreviation Recce still used by the British Army or has the American "Recon" now been adopted?

Doug

[Cubs]

Last I heard it was still recce.

[grant]

For what it’s worth, Canada is also recce. “Recon” is most certainly ‘murican.

[vodkafan]

Recce of course! 

[Elbows]

There's definitely a bit of difference in its usage.

We definitely shorten it to "recon", but we don't use it the way Brits do.  I've heard Brits say "go on a recce" = "go on a reconnaissance patrol", etc.  As Americans, we don't tend to say "go on a recon".  We'd say "go on a recon mission", etc.  We might use it as a verb though, "I'll go recon the area" in which case we're using it for reconnoiter.  Is that what you Brits use it for? We kinda use it for both.

We might say "a recon element", or "a recon patrol", or "a recon detachment", but we don't normally use it as an abbreviation for an actual reconnaissance mission/endeavor, if that makes sense.

[dadlamassu]

Definitely still "recce" as an abbreviation for both "reconnaissance" and "reconnoitre".  It is also use colloquially for "have a look" or "check it out" etc. 

We have "recce units", "recce troops", "recce patrols" and "going for a shovel recce" (going to have a sh*t under field conditions)

[Harry Faversham]

"BASH ON RECCE!"



 

[has.been]

We (Brits) also use 'Dekko' as in to have a look.

[Etranger]

We (Brits) also use 'Dekko' as in to have a look.

or even a shufti dekko...

[Doug ex-em4]

That’s good news, I don’t need to rewrite my background fluff.

Doug

[Sterling Moose]

A shovel recce was always my favourite - much less effort than the others, except after being on Compo for a week or two.

[carlos marighela]

Recon is a septic term. Australia used recce as well.

[Wyrmalla]

Here the argument's more if recce's pronounced "wreck" or "wreckie". Most of the time I heard it its the later, though in Scotland we had "ie" to the end of any slang term. "Midgie" rather than "midge".

[Jemima Fawr]

Here the argument's more if recce's pronounced "wreck" or "wreckie". Most of the time I heard it its the later, though in Scotland we had "ie" to the end of any slang term. "Midgie" rather than "midge".

Always pronounced 'Recky', never 'Reck' or even worse (which I've even heard British wargamers say): 'Rees'.

[vodkafan]

A shovel recce was always my favourite - much less effort than the others, except after being on Compo for a week or two.

The grub in military ration packs are designed to bung you up deliberately. I read that somewhere.