Origins In 1870, 'C'
Telegraph Troop,
Royal Engineers, was founded under Captain Montague Lambert. The
Troop was the first formal professional body of signallers in the British Army and its duty was to provide communications for a field army by means of visual
signalling, mounted orderlies and
telegraph. By 1871, 'C' Troop had expanded in size from 2 officers and 133 other ranks to 5 officers and 245 other ranks. In 1879, 'C' Troop first saw action during the
Anglo-Zulu War. On 1 May 1884, 'C' Troop was amalgamated with the 22nd and 34th Companies, Royal Engineers, to form the
Telegraph Battalion Royal Engineers; As such, it provided communications during the
First World War. It was about this time that
motorcycle despatch riders and
wireless sets were introduced into service.
Subsequent history Before the
Second World War, Royal Signals recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 2 inches tall. They initially enlisted for eight years with the colours and a further four years with the reserve. They trained at the Signal Training Centre at
Catterick Camp and all personnel were taught to ride. During the Second World War (1939–45), members of the Royal Corps of Signals served in every
theatre of war. In one notable action,
Corporal Thomas Waters of the
5th Parachute Brigade Signal Section was awarded the
Military Medal for laying and maintaining the field telephone line under heavy enemy fire across the Caen Canal Bridge during the
Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. being shown to
Princess Anne at
Blandford Camp by 30th Signal Regiment In the immediate post-war period, the Corps played a full and active part in numerous campaigns including
Palestine, the
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation,
Malaya and the
Korean War. Until the end of the
Cold War, the main body of the Corps was deployed with the
British Army of the Rhine confronting
Soviet Bloc forces, providing the British Forces' contribution to
NATO with its communications
infrastructure. Soldiers from the Royal Signals delivered communications in the
Falklands War in 1982 and the
first Gulf War in 1991. In 1994, The Royal Corps of Signals moved its training regiments, 11th Signal Regiment (the Recruit Training Regiment) and 8th Signal Regiment (the Trade Training School), from Catterick Garrison to
Blandford Camp. In late 2012,
2nd (National Communications) Signal Brigade was disbanded. Soldiers from the Royal Corps of Signals saw extensive service during the eight years of the
Iraq War before withdrawal of troops in 2011, and the 13 years of the
War in Afghanistan before it ended in 2014. Under
Army 2020 Refine a number of changes planned for the Corps were made public in 2013–14. A presentation by the Master of Signals indicated that 16 Signal Regiment would shift from 11 Signal Brigade to 1 Signal Brigade and focus on supporting communications for logistic headquarters. Similarly, 32 and 39 Signal Regiments were planned to shift to 1 Signal Brigade. 15 Signal Regiment would no longer be focused on Information Systems but would support 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade, while 21 and 2 Signal Regiments were planned to support the
1st and second Strike Brigades respectively. Furthermore, a new regiment,
13th Signal Regiment, was planned to form up under
1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade and work with
14th Signal Regiment on cyber and electromagnetic activity. In 2017 the
Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team, then in its 90th year, was disbanded; senior officers had complained that it "failed to reflect the modern-day cyber communication skills in which the Royal Signals are trained". On 28 June 2020, the Royal Corps of Signals marked the 100th anniversary of its foundation. Constrained by COVID-19 rules, many Royal Signals 100 celebrations were organised online, including the #100for100 challenge that involved hundreds of members of the Corps running 100 km for the Royal Signals Charity. The Princess Royal, the Colonel-In-Chief of the Corps, delivered a video message of congratulations, and the Foreman of Signals Course students successfully took a photograph of the Royal Signals 100 badge in space, completing a challenge that was set for them. ==Personnel==