History of the Royal Signals

The Work of The Corps 

First in, last out

Formed in 1920 the Royal Corps of Signals is frequently among the first in to conflict. The modern signaller is an intelligent soldier with the technical and tactical skills to provide and operate Field Headquarters, and to ensure commanders have battle-winning information.

The Corps’ professionally trained specialist soldiers, from the most junior signallers (‘Siggies’) to the most senior officers, are responsible for installing, operating, maintaining and running telecommunications equipment and information systems as well as support that is essential to all military operations – on and off the battlefield.

Supporting humanitarian missions

Problem solving, team-work, tactics and technical skills

Royal Signals are among the first to support humanitarian missions – restoring and maintaining lines of communication and setting-up essential, secure Headquarters – to ensure help and support is efficiently dispatched to where it is most needed.

Combat Support Arm

Protecting the British Army’s weaponry from attacks

As a combat support arm The Royal Corps of Signals largely controls the means by which intelligence is passed to the decision makers and the mechanisms by which decisions and orders are communicated. They fight alongside front-line troops, control and resource operations and understand, assimilate and respond to the pressures and urgent needs of commanders and staff.

Within the modern-day electronic battlefield, with its increasingly complex, sophisticated and often hidden enemy, Royal Signals soldiers and officers are responsible for ensuring the British Army’s sophisticated weaponry and command and control systems are protected from cyber, nuclear/ non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and other attacks.

When required Signals’ specialists will conduct electronic warfare – intercepting and jamming enemy communications.

We will remember them

 World War Two saw 4,362 members of Royal Signals give their lives.

Throughout World War Two (WW2) members of the Corps served in every theatre of war. By 1945 The Corps had expanded to a serving strength of 8,518 officers and 142,472 soldiers; more than today’s entire British Army.

Hitler attacks Poland

On 1st September 1939 Hitler launched a ferocious, unannounced attack on Poland. He destroyed the Polish Airforce in two days and enveloped and destroyed the Polish Forces in just 18 days.

Britain declares war on Germany

Days earlier the Anglo-Polish Treaty of mutual assistance had been signed and so on 3rd September 1939 Britain declared war on Germany. At this point, It seemed, despite earlier assurances, no-one was coming to Poland’s aid. In fact a party of 12 Royal Signals had been despatched to Poland prior to the outbreak of WW2 to see what could be done in the event of an attack.

Signals soldiers arrive on day war is declared

False passports and improbable occupations

The Royal Signals’ soldiers arrived in Poland on the day war broke out and so became the first British unit to see action in the Second World War. They had been given false passports and improbable occupations – including a Captain described as a ‘musician’ who could not play a note!

With Poland divided the German-Soviet Pact of August 1939 stated Poland was to be partitioned between the two powers thus enabling Germany to attack Poland without the fear of Soviet intervention. The Signallers – caught-up in this – destroyed their equipment, split into groups of two and three soldiers and escaped travelling through Europe and Africa in a bid to return home. In Romania one hotel they stayed in was being used as a Gestapo HQ. Rather than stay to uncover German plans they fled to Egypt.

Lessons learned

Throughout the process the Signallers learned much about the patterns of modern war – pinpointing that mobility was crucial to success. All their wireless messages were transmitted during darkness, using hand-operated morse keys to send encoded intelligence reports. They always moved before first-light to ensure the Luftwaffe could not determine their position. They also learned not put too much trust in supplies. Even to Special Operations teams such as themselves equipment was heavy, complicated and often wrongly packed with key components missing..

With the arrival of peace in Europe it was reasonable to expect that bloodshed would end, but since 1945 Royal Signals personnel have participated in all conflicts involving the nation. The Corps has provided Communications and Information Systems (CIS) for all three British Forces, United Nations, Allied Troops and NATO forces. Sadly a number of personnel have been killed or seriously injured in post war conflicts.

The post war period was characterised by the gradual withdrawal from the British Empire and a number of small-scale conflicts and the onset of The Cold War, with the latter determining a significant proportion of Corps roles and deployments. A major consequence of the post-war decolonisation was a reduction in the number and variety of local employed personnel (LEP). One exception to this was the growth of the Queen’s Gurkha Signals, the units of which are treated as a component of The Royal Signals.

Until a substantial armoured force was established in Germany in 1951-1952 post war units allocated to tasks such as headquarters, line of communication or air formation outnumbered field force units. The most significant organisational change in the immediate post-war period was the establishment of signal regiments (consisting of squadrons and troops) in recognition of the increased size of field force signal units.

In the immediate post-war period, the Corps played a full and active part in numerous campaigns: Palestine (1945 – 1948); the long campaign in Malaya which lasted from 1949 until 1960; the Korean War; the various operations in Cyprus, Borneo, Aden, Arabian Peninsula, Kenya and Belize. Throughout this time until the end of the Cold War, the main body of the Corps was deployed confronting the Communist Bloc forces and manning some of the worlds most sophisticated communications systems from satellites to extensive area systems.

Since 1980, members of the Corps have spearheaded operations including the Falkland Islands campaign, the peace – keeping force in Lebanon and supervising the peaceful transition of Namibia to independence. 

Corps history – post world war two deployments

Members of the Royal Signals have recently been active in every theatre of British military involvement. These include Kurdistan, Bosnia, Croatia, the Western Sahara, Cambodia supporting the United Nations, Rwanda, Angola, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2003 more than 3000 Royal Signals personnel were involved in, and made a major contribution to, Operation TELIC in the Persian Gulf.

Integrity, intelligence, innovation, information – all in the name of sophisticated communication

Continually at the forefront of modern military communications and information systems technology the Corps strives to ensure it lives up to its motto: ‘Certa Cito’, which freely translated means ‘Swift and Sure’.