Mobilisation When the TA was doubled in size in early 1939 after the
Munich Crisis, the unit split to form 1st and 2nd (London) Corps Signals. However, on the outbreak of war these were redesignated, the 1st Line unit joining Lt-Gen
Alan Brooke's
II Corps with the
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) as
2nd (London) Corps Signals, while the 2nd Line unit was earmarked for
IV Corps in 1940 but became
5th (London) Corps Signals.
Organisation In 1939, the organisation of a corps signal unit was as follows: • HQ • 1 Company - for construction • 4 line-laying sections • 1 line maintenance section • 2 Company – operating • 3 operating sections • 3 wireless sections • 2 messenger sections (each of 1
Sergeant and 24 despatch riders) • 3 Company – corps artillery • 1 section for each artillery regiment In 1941, 1 Company supported the Main Corps HQ and 2 Company supported Rear HQ. By 1943 corps signal units had disbanded their third company and divided its duties between signal troops assigned to individual artillery regiments and the new
Army Groups Royal Artillery (AGRAs). Finally, in 1944, 1 and 2 Companies supported Main HQ, a new 3 Company was formed for line construction and a new 4 Company supported Rear HQ.
Battle of France Once concentrated, II Corps moved on 12 October up to the French frontier. When the
German offensive in the west opened on 10 May 1940. the BEF advanced into Belgium in accordance with
'Plan D'. However, the
German Army broke through the
Ardennes to the east, forcing the BEF to withdraw again, by 19 May the whole force was back across the
Escaut and then went back to the so-called 'Canal Line'. By 26 May the BEF was cut off and the decision was made to evacuate it through
Dunkirk (
Operation Dynamo), with II Corps acting as flank guard against the German penetration where the Belgian Army had surrendered. The last of the BEF who could enter the Dunkirk bridgehead had done so by 29 May and the evacuation progressed:
III Corps went first, followed by II Corps after handing over responsibility for the eastern flank to the rearguards of
I Corps. Most of II Corps was evacuated on the night of 31 May/1 June. After evacuation the signal unit was due to return to France as part of the
Second BEF that was being organised, but on the surrender of France it was instead sent to
Northern Ireland as
6th (London) Corps Signals. • 1 HQ signal troop • 6 construction troops • 2 terminal equipment troops • 6 telegraph operating troops • 4 despatch rider troops • 2 technical maintenance troops • 4 medium wireless troops • 2 telephone switchboard • 2 cipher troops After a short spell in Italy, 18 LoC Signals served in Greece during the British occupation and
civil war that followed the German withdrawal. The unit was
demobilised there in 1946.
V Corps HQ under Lt-Gen
Claude Auchinleck was formed from the NWEF HQ on 17 June 1940 at
Tidworth Camp, Wiltshire, in
Southern Command. Here it was joined by 5th (L) Corps Signals, initially accommodated at
Bhurtpore Barracks and in a tented camp. Within a month Corps HQ was established at Melchett Court, near
Salisbury, and 5th (L) Corps Signals at
Cowesfield House, fully cabled, with the wireless sections at Deanhill Farm ('Radio City'), a pigeon loft at
Redlynch, and a Rear HQ signals office at
Romsey. V Corps HQ was responsible for operational control and coast defence in
Hampshire and
Dorset, and had to respond to numerous false invasion alarms during the summer of 1940. Lieutenant-General
Bernard Montgomery took over as
General Officer Commanding (GOC) V Corps on 21 July 1940, and emphasised mobility for all units and HQs in its training exercises. The new GOC was ruthless in replacing officers who did not match up to his standards for fitness and ability. V Corps HQ moved to
Longford Castle, still near Salisbury, in mid-September 1940, and 5th (L) Corps Signals was distributed in surrounding parts of Wiltshire and Hampshire as follows: • HQ at
Alderbury • 1 Company at
Whiteparish,
Odstock, and
West and
East Dean, the remainder at Cowesfield House with the Technical Maintenance Section • 2 Company at
Bodenham,
Nunton,
Farley and
West Grimstead, with an element at Alderbury • 3 Company at
Nomansland • Telephone exchange at
Downton with V Corps' Rear HQ The unit remained in this area until 1942, with frequent exercises of increasing complexity, 5th (L) Corps Signals deploying the new
AEC armoured command vehicle (EVC). In June 1942 V Corps was designated for
Operation Torch, the
Allied invasion of North Africa, and came under the command of
First Army. V Corps HQ (now under Lt-Gen
Charles Allfrey as GOC) and signals relocated to
Hamilton Park Racecourse in Scotland where a series of embarkation and communication exercises were held. The ACVs were deemed unsuitable for North West Africa, and the signal equipment was transferred to soft-skin lorry command vehicles (LCVs). Then between 4 and 10 November the unit moved to
Leith and
Gourock to embark for the Torch convoys, with the following organisation: • 5th (London) Corps Signals HQ • 1, 2, 3 Company HQs • 5 Technical Maintenance Section • 25, 28, 35 Line Maintenance Sections • 52 Line Maintenance Section (later 52 Terminal Equipment Section) • 13, 51 Operating Sections • 15 Operating Section (later 163 Tele-Operating Section) • 9, 10, 88 Wireless Telegraphy (W/T) Sections (including despatch riders and operating as Advanced and Rear Corps HQ operating sections) • 5 Corps Artillery Signal Section • 8 Cipher Section • 42 Signal Park (served all signal units in V Corps, closely associated with the unit though not formally part of it) • Light Aid Detachment,
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME)
Operation Torch The Allied landings began on 8 November 1942 and the first section of 5th (L) Corps Signals landed at
Algiers from
SS Reina del Pacifico in Convoy KMS3 on 22 November. The rest of the unit followed on convoys KMS4 and KMS5, with the transport arriving on 27 November. Temporary Corps HQ and signals were established north of the city, and an advanced HQ at Ferme Fabre between
Souk el Arba and
Souk El Khemis in
Tunisia. The first 5th (L) Corps Signals road convoy left Algiers at 07.40 on 1 December with some 250 personnel and drove hundreds of miles eastwards, reaching Ferme Fabre on 4 December, where the signal centre was established. V Corps HQ took over the front on 6 December. Wireless links were quickly established to First Army and
78th Division. Next day the civilian telephone network was utilised for links to First Army Command Post, and shortly afterwards wireless links were established to
6th Armoured Division and 'Blade Force'. By now the
Axis forces had reacted strongly to the invasion and First Army's drive towards
Tunis had been halted in the mountains, with V Corps engaged in hard fighting round
Longstop Hill. For the next four months a series of actions was fought along this static line, and an extensive network of signal cables to formation HQs was repaired and laid, despite frequent breaks caused by air raids. 25 Line Section working in the forward areas had to be withdrawn following probes by enemy patrols. Corps Signal Office was established in a storm water culvert under a road, known as 'The Drain'. By May 1943 V Corps was poised for a final advance on Tunis, with the line sections working forwards along the two main axes of advance for 78th Division and
4th Division. Signals personnel helping the
Royal Engineers clear
minefields along these axes suffered several casualties. Rapid progress was made after
Operation Strike was launched on 6 May, and 78th Division entered Tunis on 8 May; V Corps HQ moved up to
Massicault the same day. The
Tunisian campaign ended on 13 May and on 14 May Corps HQ and Signals moved into
Carthage. Work continued to restore cable links and remove mines, but on 15 June the unit handed over its communication network to 1st Army Signals and moved west to rejoin V Corps HQ at
Constantine.
Italian Campaign V Corps was not involved in the subsequent
Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) but was responsible for administering a number of units in North Africa. 5th (L) Corps Signals collected new equipment and undertook training, as well as lending sections to
15th Army Group HQ. At the end of August it received its orders for the Allied invasion of mainland Italy. On 11 September V Corps' Tactical HQ and Tactical Signals moved to
Bizerta and embarked to join
Eighth Army at
Taranto; the rest of the unit moved to
Philipeville on 16 September for embarkation. The main signal elements arrived on 20 September without their transport and set up in a grove some north of Taranto. The first ship carrying half the vehicles and equipment reached
Brindisi on 27 September, but of the second ship,
Ocean Stranger there was no sign. It had arrived at
Salerno on the other side of Italy, where fighting was still going on and was at first unable to unload. 5th (L) Corps Signals was finally united at
Canosa on 3 October. On 10 October the unit moved up to
Serracapriola and began establishing communications for the formations under corps command. Away from the coastal railway civil telephone lines were sparse, and the unit soon used up all the telephone poles in 42 Signal Park. Although power control circuits along the electricity supply pylons up the valleys could also be used, V Corps was faced with the necessity of greater use of wireless. By the end of October the unit's rear elements had joined from North Africa, on 2 November, following the crossing of the
Trigno, it moved up to
Termoli and on 8 November to
Vasto. V Corps' next task was to cross the
Sangro and tackle the Germans'
Gustav Line. During the preparations the line sections had to instal cable down to the river under artillery fire, but the attack on 28–29 November succeeded, and cables were laid across the bridges laid by the Royal Engineers. Bad weather hampered further advances, but after
1st Canadian Division took
Ortona, V Corps HQ moved forward to
San Vito Chietino on 27 December, and then to
Rocca San Giovanni on 3 January, remaining there until the end of the month. The
Adriatic front in Italy was virtually shut down for winter, and at the end of January V Corps HQ and Signals was withdrawn to a rest area near
Naples, though the signal unit lent a detachment to reinforce
2nd New Zealand Division's signallers in the
Battle of Monte Cassino, which suffered some casualties. The Corps HQ returned to take over the Adriatic Front once more at the end of February, located at
Paglieta. Directly under the command of
Allied Armies in Italy (AAI), V Corps' task was to hold the front with the minimum number of troops and harass the enemy, while Eighth Army moved westwards. 5th (L) Signals maintained dummy signals traffic to conceal Eighth Army's move. While the front was static, the unit received new equipment, including teleprinters, and
Jeeps to replace 15 cwt trucks, cars and motorcycles that were frequently stuck in mud. It also established line communications with Hermon Force, a mixed force operating high in the mountains with
Pack transport. On 17 June V Corps HQ was relieved by
II Polish Corps and withdrew to
Campobasso in Army Group Reserve. The succeeding weeks were spent in training, though 5th (L) Corps Signals lent a wireless detachment to II Polish Corps for the
Battle of Ancona in July. Under its new GOC, Lt-Gen
Charles Keightley, V Corps' next task was to act as a pursuit force after Eighth Army's expected breakthrough of the
Gothic Line in
Operation Olive. By the time the attack began, the corps' role had changed to an attempt to rush the Gothic Line by surprise, even though neither the HQ nor its divisions had carried out an offensive operation for many months. The first phase (25 August–3 September) went well and the German positions were overrun, Corps HQ and Signals moving up to
Montegridolfo. But V Corps was checked at the
Battle of Gemmano (4–15 September). The signallers following behind the advance had to deal with extensive demolitions and minefields, the three line sections as far forward as possible (reinforced by 21 Line Section to carry out maintenance in the rear) and the Tactical HQ signal office located on the edge of the gun line. By 5 September the main cable was through to
Morciano di Romagna, but HQ did not follow until 15 September. The cable artery was across the river Conca by 19 September, at the cost of several casualties. By 20 September the enemy began to disengage, but the weather slowed the pursuit. On 6 October signal deception measures were instituted to give the false impression that further advance was impossible, but on the advance continued, with Corps HQ reaching Andrea di Bagnolo on 15 October with Signals HQ in nearby
Borghi. Casualties among the signallers had already been heavy, but after the crossing of the
Savio the campaign ground on, Corps HQ and Signals moving to
Cesena (27 October) and then
Bertinoro (11 November). The Marzino was crossed on 24 November and the Lanone the following day, but the rain caused the rivers to rise by several feet and threaten cable links. Finally
Faenza was taken on 27 December and the front stabilised along the river
Senio. Snow brought down all the main signal circuits on 6 January 1945 and V Corps had to rely on wireless for several hours while the line sections worked to restore connections. During the winter pause, as corps boundaries were adjusted, V Corps HQ and Signals moved to
Terra del Sole by 19 January and then in early February to Villa Pasatoni with signals in the former
I Canadian Corps' Signal Centre in
Ravenna. To run the extensive signal network, 5th (L) Corps Signals was reinforced by 523
Basuto Signal Section.
Operation Grapeshot began on 9 April, with Eighth Army pushing through the '
Argenta Gap' into the
Po Valley, and V Corps HQ following in a series of short bounds. By 23 April the corps had closed up to the
River Po, with HQ in Montesanto. The corps began crossing the Po the next day. 5th (L) Corps Signals had practised 'long span construction' for stringing signal cable across a wide obstacle, but its first cable across the river utilised a damaged railway bridge. A second, long span, crossing was swept away within 48 hours. By 29 April Corps HQ and Signals had reached
Bosaro. On 2 May the
German forces in Italy surrendered. The German surrender did not end the rapid advance, as elements of Eighth Army continued on into Austria. V Corps HQ and Signals reached
Noventa Padovana on 1 May,
Udine on 4 May, and
Tricesimo on 7 May. It had outrun its line communications and its wireless was overworked: additional sets were borrowed from Army, Division and Brigade signal units to control traffic at river crossings and along the roads crammed with formations moving north. V Corps entered Austria on 10 May and established its HQ at Pritschitz am Worthersee to begin occupation duties. The Austrian public telephone system could now be utilised and the wireless links closed down. By 16 June the HQ settled at Portschach am Worthersee, with signals in the Hotel Europa. Its role now was to provide communications for the units coping with the complexities of postwar Austria, with its roving bands of partisans,
Prisoners of War to secure, and
Displaced persons to deal with. At different points 5th (L) Corps Signals had a German signal company and a Hungarian unit under command. A rearrangement of occupation duties saw V Corps take over the
Styria zone from Soviet forces, and a line section was despatched to establish communications with
46th Division at
Graz. On 6 September 5 (L) Corps Signals began a move back to Salerno in Italy, to prepare for disbandment. During October the unit was reduced to 30 per cent of its war establishment and it was officially disbanded on 27 November 1945. On disbandment, the cadre of 5th (L) Corps Signals consisting of men awaiting demobilisation took in reinforcements and formed 3 Company, 7 Headquarters Signals. This consisted of a despatch rider section, an operating section, two medium wireless sections, a terminal equipment section and a signals park, and began training for service in the Middle East. In February 1946 the remaining 5th (L) Corps men left for demobilisation and the company left Italy for Egypt. ==Postwar==