Formation and work of Phantom

Shortly after the demise of Poland a GHQ Liaison Regiment known as ‘Phantom’ was established. It had a difficult start but prospered under the dynamic personality of Lt Col GF Hopkinson.

Phantom consisted of Royal Signals personnel plus a mix from other regiments all of whom trained relentlessly in Signals techniques. They monitored transmissions from allied and enemy forces and importantly, rather than use intermediaries, they passed the information directly back to HQ. As a result the Commander-in-Chief was continuously updated about the battle and battle positions. He could plan accordingly, including telling air-forces where to bomb. This wasn’t without error, indeed there are many instances in WW2 of infantry capturing a position only to be bombed by their own Air Force under the impression it was assisting their own attack.

Phantom and J Service

Need for efficient signals

Phantom proved especially useful during the battle for France in 1940. The subsequent experiences of Phantom in the Middle East, in Italy and in North West Europe demonstrated the need for essential efficient signals at any and every stage of a campaign. Phantom eventually incorporated the J service created by Major Mainwaring in 1941.

J had the advantage of listening to chatter from enemy tank crews in forward areas and sending what it gleaned back to GHQ in clear, whereas Phantom encoded its messages to protect their source. J performed a vital service at the battle of El Alamein in October 1942, earning considerable praise from the higher command.

In January 1943 J received an official establishment of one Royal Signals Officer and 49 soldiers.

The work of J included:

• identifying bombing targets;
• giving the results of bombings;
• supplying information about the movement and numbers of enemy armour;
• indicating the moral of forward troops on both sides;
• providing general information to enable HQ to make deductions about changes in enemy tactics and tactical planning.

Assisting the USA

Helping form SIAM

J became so successful that it was adopted by the US Army. Two officers from the now significantly expanded J Service were sent to organise a similar service for the American forces known as SIAM (Signals Information and Monitoring).

Closing the Falaise gap

In 1944 Phantom and J merged. Phantom and J were in action on the D-Day beaches and throughout the European Campaign. They were especially valuable at the closing of the Falaise gap when converging Allied armies trapped half-a-million men from the German 7th Army and destroyed it.

In the confusion of battle it would have been easy to attack each other but their work ensured this wasn’t the case. Phantom anticipated the Radio Village and also supplied a squadron to the Special Air Service Brigade, working behind German lines, providing patrols for every British and Canadian Division and every American Corps.

Royal Signals soldiers attached to Phantom

Signaller Stan Hayward

Directly after the Normandy landings, Sig Stan Hayward was attached to the 3rd US Army for the advance through France to Paris. Then on 17 September 1944, Hayward flew as part of Op Market Garden with Maj Hills and 2 other ‘Phantoms’ in Glider 14 to Nijmegen. He saw 5 of the previous gliders wallowing in the Channel and later No. 13, which contained the rest of theL Squadron Phantoms, had to abort over enemy territory. On landing, Hayward’s glider crashed into a telegraph pole. Soon afterwards they had another escape when an officer tried to lead them into road mines. ‘Too bad to recall but never to be forgotten,’ Hayward’s 22 days of bitter fighting included the capture of the 1,960ft-long bridge at Nijmegen, the liberation of an internment camp and the capture of a Gestapo HQ.

Source: Roger So Far