44th (Home Counties) Signal Regiment

When the Volunteer Force was subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms in 1908, the former 1st Sussex Engineer Volunteer Corps provided the divisional engineers for the TF's Home Counties Division, including the Home Counties Divisional Telegraph Company with the following organisation: • Company Headquarters at 23 Gloucester Place, Brighton • No 1 Section at Brighton • No 2 (Surrey) Section • No 3 (Kent) Section • No 4 (Middlesex) Section Nos 2–4 Sections were attached to and largely manned by the three infantry brigades of the division. The Telegraph Company was redesignated a Signal Company in 1911. ==First World War==

Mobilisation The Signal Company had been with the Home Counties Division on Salisbury Plain for its annual training when the order came to mobilise on 4 August 1914. The unit returned to Brighton and was embodied the following day. Shortly afterwards, TF units were invited to volunteer for overseas service. Early in September battalions of the Home Counties Division began to relieve Regular units at Gibraltar, then in October the infantry and artillery of the whole division embarked for garrison service in India. Although it did later receive a number (44th), the Home Counties Division never operated as a formation during the war: its units remained scattered in colonial garrisons or were attached to Indian divisions. The Divisional RE remained in England to support Regular formations: the Signal Company joined the 28th Division, which was forming at Winchester primarily from units returned from service in India. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Later 3rd Line units were formed to supply drafts to the 1st and 2nd Lines. 1st Home Counties Signal Company 1st Home Counties Signal Company joined 28th Division at Winchester on 5 January 1915 and provided its communications until beyond the end of the war. The division embarked at Southampton 15–18 January, disembarking at Le Havre 16–19 January, and concentrated between Bailleul and Hazebrouck by 22 January. While on the Western Front it participated in the following actions: 67th (2nd HC) Division had the dual role of home defence and supplying drafts to units serving overseas. It was twice warned for service in Ireland and in April 1917 for service on the Western Front, but these deployments never materialised and the division spent the whole war in England. During the winter of 1917–18 the division moved to Essex, where it joined XXIII Corps. DHQ and Signals were at Colchester. The units maintained these dispositions until after the Armistice with Germany, when demobilisation began. In March 1919 the remaining RE units began to disband, and the process was soon completed. ==Royal Signals==

When the TF was reconstituted as the Territorial Army (TA) in 1920–1, a new 44th (Home Counties) Divisional Signals was formed by the newly-formed Royal Corps of Signals (RCS). It combined the former 44th (HC) Signal Company, RE, with 10th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Headquarters was at Stamford Brook Lodge, Ravenscourt Park, West London (the former HQ of the 10th Middlesex), with 2 Company at Brighton and sections at New Southgate, Chatham and Hurstpierpoint. By the 1930s, 44th (HC) Signals also administered: • 226th Field Artillery Signal Section, Drill Hall, Gloucester Road, Brighton • 227th Field Artillery Signal Section, Drill Hall, Hurstpierpoint, later at Drill Hall, Bognor Regis • 203rd Medium Artillery Signal Section, Fort Pitt, Chatham The 4th Cadet Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment was also attached to the unit. ==Second World War==

Mobilisation Following the Munich Crisis the TA was doubled in size. Once again, 44th (HC) Division formed a duplicate, 12th (Eastern) Infantry Division, with its own divisional signals. 44th (HC) Division was mobilised on 3 September 1939 and 12th (E) Division became active on 7 October 1939. 44th (Home Counties) Divisional Signals 44th (HC) Division embarked for France on 1 April 1940 to join the new British Expeditionary Force (BEF). However, the German Army broke through the Ardennes to the east, forcing the BEF to withdraw again, and by 19 May the whole force was back across the Escaut. 44th (HC) Division tried to hold the most dangerous point, but the Germans established bridgeheads across the Escaut at dawn on 20 May. The attack was renewed on 22 May and the division was badly chewed up, but there was no breakthrough: it was the deep penetration further east that forced the BEF to withdraw. Next day the BEF fell back to the 'Canal Line', and 44th (HC) Division was withdrawn into reserve. Cut off, the BEF fell back towards the coast, with 44th (HC) Division given the responsibility of defending the area round Hazebrouck. On 26 May the decision was made to evacuate the BEF through Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo). 44th (HC) Division was heavily attacked by German Panzer divisions on 27 May, but fought on doggedly until ordered to withdraw, by which time the enemy's advanced columns had penetrated between its widely-spread units. With its flanks 'in the air' after neighbouring French formations retreated during the night of 28/29 May, the divisional commander decided to withdraw some to Mont des Cats, a strong position held by the divisional artillery and some of the divisional RE acting as infantry, though only DHQ and scattered elements reached the Mont by dawn to join them. This rearguard was subjected to intense mortar fire next morning, then by dive-bombing, but held its position for 30 hours while the rest of the division withdrew. The remnants of the division reached the beaches for embarkation, reaching England on 1 June. Home Defence On return to England, 44th (HC) Division was briefly in Southern Command, then until October in North East England with I Corps before returning to invasion-threatened South East England with XII Corps. In April 1942 the division came under War Office control preparatory to going overseas, and on 29 May it embarked for Egypt. For Eighth Army's counter-offensive (the Second Battle of Alamein), 44th (HC) Division was to lead one of XIII Corps' thrusts through the enemy minefields on the first night, 23/24 October (Operation Lightfoot). A route was found through the first belt of minefields ('January') on the first night and 44th (HC) Division succeeded in passing the second minefield ('February') the next night, but the armour was unable to exploit beyond. The second phase of the offensive, Operation Supercharge, was launched on the night of 27/28 October. Eventually, the armour broke through, and next day came signs that the enemy was withdrawing. 44th (HC) Division took some part in the pursuit to El Agheila, collecting prisoners, but XIII Corps was short of transport and was left behind as Eighth Army drove westwards. Shortly afterwards 44th (HC) Division HQ was disbanded, and its units distributed. The personnel of 44th (HC) Divisional Signals were used to reinforce XXX Corps Signals, 7th Armoured Division Signals and No 4 Line of Communication (LoC) Signals. On 17 May, after the BEF was forced to withdraw from the Dyle Line, 12th (E) Division was ordered to concentrate in the neighbourhood of Amiens. The survivors of 12th (E) Division then made their way to the coast and got out of France through Dunkirk and other evacuation ports, the division finally reaching England on 8 June. Its casualties were so severe that it was broken up on 10 July, with the divisional signals sending reinforcements to 44th (HC) Signals and 1 Army Signal Training Regiment in the UK and to the Middle East, including No 3 LoC Signals and Sudan Signals. ==Postwar==

When the TA was reconstituted in 1947, the unit reformed at Gillingham, Kent, as 44 (Home Counties) Divisional Signal Regiment with the following organisation: The merged regiment also took on administrative responsibility for two brigade signal sqns in 44 (HC) Division: • 329 Sqn formed in 1959 at Bromley from 131 (Surrey) Infantry Bde Signals • 330 Sqn formed in 1959 at Tunbridge Wells from 133 (Kent & Sussex) Infantry Bde Signals When the TA was reduced into the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) in 1967 the regiment became a single squadron (44 (Cinque Ports) Sqn) at Gillingham in 36 (Eastern) Signal Regiment. In March 1969 it formed 858 (Corps) Trp at Eastbourne and 859 Trp at Ilford, which moved to Eastbourne in 1970. The role of these Trps was to reinforce the Regular 22 Signal Rgt in British Army of the Rhine. These two Trps combined on 30 November 1977 to reform the disbanded 56 Signal Sqn. In 1992 44 Sqn's HQ moved to Grays, Essex, and a sub-unit was formed at Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, from a troop from 70 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Sqn, a platoon of 10th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, and part of 215 Transport Sqn, Royal Corps of Transport, giving the following organisation: • SHQ at Grays • 747 and 748 Trps at Grays • 746 and 749 Trps at Prittlewell Under the Strategic Review of Reserves in 2009, 36 (Eastern) Signal Rgt was reduced to 36 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Sqn at Colchester, including 844 (Cinque Ports) Signal Troop. ==Commanding Officers==

Unit commanders included the following:) • Lt-Col R.E. Coleman, OBE, TD, 1927 • Lt-Col F. Reid, MC, TD, 1932 • Lt-Col A.H. Read, TD, 1936 • Lt-Col L.H. Harris, 1939–40 • Lt-Col F.K. Morton, 1940–42 • Lt-Col R.F. Gandy, 1947 • Lt-Col D.N. Deakin 1950 • Lt-Col K.B. Baldwin, MBE, TD, 1951 • Lt-Col A.A. Bradshaw, 1955 12th (Eastern) Divisional Signals: • Lt-Col F. Reid, MC, TD, 1939–40 ==Honorary Colonel==

The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit: • Maj Frederick Keogh, TD, appointed 5 July 1933 • Col John Sclater-Booth, 3rd Lord Basing, TD, appointed 29 October 1934 • Brig-Gen R.C.A. McCalmont, CVO, DSO, appointed 16 July 1937 • Brig Sir Lionel Harris, KBE, TD, former CO and Engineer-in-Chief, General Post Office, appointed 1950 ==Footnotes==

• The Long, Long Trail • Orders of Battle at Patriot Files • Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth – Regiments.org (archive site)