The Royal Corps of Signals

A Brief History of The Royal Corps Of Signals 1870 -1945

It was in 1870, that ‘C’ Telegraph Troop Royal Engineers was formed by Captain Montague Lambert to provide the first formal professional unit of trained signallers in the British Army. Its role was to provide the complete range of communication duties, including visual signalling, telegraphic signalling and mounted orderlies. As the need for accurate and fast communications increased, so did the size of the Troop, amalgamating with the 22nd and 34th Companies, Royal Engineers, to form the Telegraph Battalion Royal Engineers. Two Divisions, the 1st Division (Field Force, based at Aldershot) and the 2nd Division (Postal and Telegraph, based in London) were responsible for all signalling duties until 1908 following the Haldene reforms where they were reorganised to form the Royal Engineers Signal Service.

The Royal Engineers Signal Service provided the communications throughout the First World War, including the provision of motor cycle dispatch riders and the more recent innovation of wireless communications.

In 1920, a Royal Warrant for the formation of a Corps of signals was presented and on the 28^th June 1920 the Royal Corps of Signals was formally recognised.

During the Second World War the Royal Corps of Signals served in every theatre of war and by the end of the war the Corps had a strength of 150,990 officers and men supporting all arms of the forces from infantry, airborne, artillery and armoured divisions, as well as specialist intelligence units.

The 56^th (1^st London) Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals was responsible for all signals relating to the 56 (London) Infantry Division of whom D Company 1^st Batt. London Irish Rifles were a part. The divisional signals were involved in the Italy campaign with the 56 (London) Infantry Division from 1943-45.

The Infantry Divisional Signals supported divisional HQ, artillery, Infantry brigades, the reconnaissance battalion, Royal Engineers and the tank brigades.

MP