What does this mean?

[Maudie]

Iam researching the army career of my gt uncle in India and in one instance
where he is mentioned on the Military accounts Dept in India his name indicates the following letters
his name is Lt.G.N.Grant I.A.R.O. and the office is given as
Field C.M.A. Poona

Can anyone tell me what the letters stand for?

I assume MA could mean military accounts but what does IARO mean

 

[patrickw]

Hello
I.A.R.O. stands for Indian Army Records Office. Hope that helps
best wishes
Pat

 

[Maudie]

Thank you Patrickfor the nfo
Sorry for delay in thanking you, I often have to wait a few days to use comp
I have a lot of pain and cannot do very much (due to Osteoporosis)

 

[patrickw]

Hi,
Just had a further though on your question but dont know the full information, however, there is a British in India museum in Colne, Lancashire. I have tried a couple of times to get info from there but it is a part time, privatly run venture and can never get anyone 'at home' as it were. I dont even know if they hold any military info there but would assume they do. I will try again on your behalf and let you know if I get more info, but if you want to write to them yourself, the address is
Brisish in India. Hill Street. Colne. Lancs.
best wishes
Pat

 

[Minden]

The C in CMA probably stands for 'Central' see here:

http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Poona

I don't know the context from which you got the info, but I would guess that it's an address, for

Lieutenant G. N. Grant,
Indian Army Records Office,
In the field, (i.e. not at his desk, but thats a guess. He may have worked for staff working in the field rather than a 'city' branch)
Central Millitary Accounts,
Poona

HOWEVER, I just found this:

"Keeping the Company Imprest and Regimental Accounts was a personal nightmare. Balancing and submitting the Imprest Account to the Field Cashier Military Accounts (“FCMA” for short) at Poona was an end of month ordeal. Book keeping has always been a tedious and disagreeable job for which I am temperamentally unsuited. Yet throughout most of my army career one seemed to be saddled with it in one form or another either as administrative officer or Mess Secretary. "

here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/15/a3222415.shtml

which might also give you some background into what life was like for your great-uncle.