The 2nd Signal Brigade (later 2nd Signal Group), was a military formation of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

composed of

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...

units. The brigade was first formed following the reorganisation of the old Territorial Army in 1967, and was disbanded in 2012 under the Army 2020 programme. However, later the 2nd Signal Group was formed continuing the lineage of the old brigade, before it was disbanded in 2018.

Background

Before the

1966 Defence White Paper The 1966 Defence White Paper (Command Papers 2592 and 2901) was a major review of the United Kingdom's defence policy initiated by the Labour government under Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The review was led by the Secretary of State for Defence, ...

and subsequent wide-ranging reorganisation of the Army, signal formations larger than those controlled by a Lieutenant Colonel (ie: battalion (regiment in the RCS)) were rare, and usually only temporary regional formations. However, following that defence paper, eight new 'signal groups', commanded by a

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

were formed to oversee specialist units with specific duties, including those tasked with supporting the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR).

Formation

On 1 April 1968, Headquarters, 2nd Signal Group (Static Communications Network) was stood up at

Aldershot Garrison Aldershot Garrison is a major garrison in South East England, between Aldershot and Farnborough, Hampshire, Farnborough in Hampshire. The garrison was established when the War Department bought a large area of land near the village of Aldershot, ...

to command the squadrons which provided fixed communications assets within the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. It also oversaw the strategic reserve signal regiment, 10 Signal Regiment. The group, though having changed names and units several times, maintained this role till its disbandment as a group in 2018.Lord & Watson, pp. 128–130 Therefore, on formation the group oversaw the following units: * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Group, at

* 233 Signal Squadron (Northern Ireland), Royal Corps of Signals, at

Thiepval Barracks Thiepval Barracks is a British Army barracks and headquarters in Lisburn, County Antrim. It is also the site of the stone frigate HMS ''Hibernia'', Headquarters of the Royal Naval Reserve in Northern Ireland. History The barracks were built in 19 ...

Lisburn Lisburn ( ; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with t ...

* 240 Signal Squadron (Northern Command), Royal Corps of Signals, at Fishergate House,

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

Royal Corps of Signals Association,
Royal Corps of Signals Journal: The Wire 1970
', Retrieved 25 June 2021. - supporting Northern Command ** Signal Works Service Troop ** HQ Northern Command Communication Centre, at Fishergate House, York * 241 Signal Squadron (Western Command), Royal Corps of Signals, at Churchill House,

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

- supporting Western Command ** Signal Works Service Troop ** HQ Western Command Communication Centre, at Capital House, Chester * 242 Signal Squadron (Scottish Command), Royal Corps of Signals, at

Craigiehall Craigiehall is a late-17th-century country house, which until 2015 served as the Headquarters of the British Army in Scotland. It is located close to Cramond, around west of central Edinburgh, Scotland. Craigiehall was designed by Sir William ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

** Signal Works Service Troop ** HQ Scotland (Army) Communication Centre, at Craighall, Edinburgh) * 10th Signal Regiment (Southern Command), Royal Corps of Signals, at Cavalry Barracks,

Hounslow Hounslow ( ) is a large suburban district of West London, England, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 14 metropolitan cen ...

Royal Corps of Signals Association,
Royal Corps of Signals Journal: The Wire for 1969
'. Retrieved 25 June 2021 ** HQ London District Communication Centre, at Horse Guards,

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Royal Corps of Signals Association,
Royal Corps of Signals Journal: The Wire for 1970
'. Retrieved 25 June 2021.

Cold War

In 1972, 13th Signal Group (Volunteers) HQ was disbanded, and its three regiments transferred to 2nd Signal Group. The group now oversaw the TA units which had the same roles as their regular counterparts, that of providing fix communications within the United Kingdom. Following 13 Signal Group's integration into 2 Signal Group, the command held the rank of

Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

.Royal Corps of Signals Association,
Royal Corps of Signals Journal: The Wire 1972
', Retrieved 25 June 2021. In addition the group was given responsibility for the NATO ACE HIGH early warning system, and strategic communication links. The new group now included the above units plus the following: * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Brigade, at

Basil Hill Barracks Basil (, ; , ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' (, )), also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variet ...

Corsham Corsham is a historic market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in west Wiltshire, England. It is at the southwestern edge of the Cotswolds, just off the A4 road (England), A4 national route. It is southwest of Swindon, east of ...

32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment The 32nd Signal Regiment is a British Territorial Army (United Kingdom), Army Reserve regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals. The regiment forms part of 1st (United Kingdom) Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operation ...

(V), in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

* 37th (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

* 38th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

* 71st Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...

– formed in 1972 and placed under command of the group, not originally part of 13 Signal Group, joined after merger In 1982, as part of the

1981 Defence White Paper The 1981 Defence White Paper (titled "The UK Defence Programme: The Way Forward") was a major review of the United Kingdom's defence policy brought about by the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative government under the Prime Minister Margaret Tha ...

and 'Notts Review', the group was redesignated as 2nd Signal Brigade. In 1987, 1st Signal Group was disbanded and most of its responsibilities transferred to 2nd Signal Brigade. The brigade's area of responsibility subsequently expanded that year, including direct communications support for HQ UKLF and oversaw much of the Salisbury Plain and Wiltshire District areas. That year, brigade HQ moved from

. In 1989, just before the end of the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

, the brigade formed part of

United Kingdom Land Forces United Kingdom Land Forces was a command of the British Army responsible for generating and preparing forces for current and contingency operations. The commander of the forces was known as Commander-in-Chief, United Kingdom Land Forces, who in ...

and was organised as follows: * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Brigade, at

*244 Signal Squadron (Air Support),

, at

RAF Brize Norton Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton is the largest List of Royal Air Force stations, station of the Royal Air Force. Situated in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, it is close to the village of Brize Norton and the tow ...

– provides static communications for UK-based RAF basesLord & Watson, p. 128. *''55 (West Lancashire) Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals'' (V), in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

*32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment,

(V), in Glasgow * 37th (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Bristol * 38th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Sheffield * 71st (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Bromley **348 (Inns of Court & City Yeomanry) Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals (Home Service Force) – formed in 1987 * National Defence Communications * Communications and Security Group (United Kingdom), at

Imjin Barracks Imjin Barracks is a British Army installation situated near Innsworth in Gloucestershire, that is home to the headquarters of NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC). History Imjin Barracks is located at the site of the former RAF Innsworth, ...

Innsworth Innsworth is a village near Gloucester, and a civil parish in the borough of Tewkesbury, in the county of Gloucestershire, England. The parish population taken at the 2011 census was 2,468. It contains Imjin Barracks, the home of Allied R ...

** No. 4 Communications Company (Royal Corps of Signals), at

Post Cold War

Following the

Dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...

and subsequent end to the

, the British Army was reorganised, seeing a 1/3 of its strength being lost. However, luckily for the 2nd Signal Brigade, now known as 2nd (National Communications) Signal Brigade, very few changes occurred, and those changes mostly being expansions. As part of the reductions, the 12th Signal Groups (Volunteers) was disbanded and its units moved under the 2nd or 11th Signal Brigades. By now, the brigade was organised as follows y 1996 * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Brigade, at

2 (City of Dundee) Signal Squadron The 9th Special Communications Unit, later redesignated as the 92nd Signal Regiment, and from 1967 as 2 (City of Dundee) Signal Squadron is a communications unit of the British Army, belonging to the Royal Corps of Signals. Background Followi ...

(V), in

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

* 31st (City of London) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Southfields Southfields is a district of inner London located within the London Borough of Wandsworth, England, 5.6 miles (9 km) south-west of Charing Cross, with a small portion of the area extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Merton. So ...

(from 11 Sig Gp) *32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Glasgow *37th (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Bristol * 38th (City of Sheffield )Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Sheffield *

39th (Skinners) Signal Regiment 39th (Skinners) Signal Regiment is an Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 1st Signal Brigade (United Kingdom), 1 Signal Brigade, providing military com ...

, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

* 71st (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Bexleyheath Bexleyheath is a town in southeast London, England, in the London Borough of Bexley. It had a population of approximately 15,600 in 2021 and is southeast of Charing Cross. It is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in London ...

Modern Day

The brigade was once again relieved from any major cuts after the

Strategic Defence Review Strategic Defence Review may refer to several different British policy documents: * Strategic Defence Review (1998) *Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 *Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 The National Security Strategy and Strategic ...

and the Future Army Structure (FAS) programme shortly afterwards. In August 2001, the Brigade Mission was changed to reflect the Brigade's continuous execution of a wide range of tasks, its unique capability and its wider utility. Changes brought upon the brigade were dramatic, with the regional affiliations being completely dropped, the brigade now forming part of HQ Theatre Troops, and all TA regional units brought under its command. This included the soon to be reformed 10th Signal Regiment. The group's priority also switch to that of national defence, with each regiment providing at-least one (though most had 2) signal squadrons to support the regional brigades. Therefore, by 2009 the brigade was organised as follows: * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Brigade, at

* 1 (Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron (Special Communications),

(V), in

Bletchley Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England, in the south-west of the city, split between the civil parishes in England, civil parishes of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford and West Bletchley, which In 2011 had a com ...

*2 (City of Dundee) Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

* 43 (Wessex) Signal Squadron (Air Support), Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

– administrative command only, under operational control of regular 21 Signal Regiment (Air Support) * 10th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals, at Basil Hill Barracks, Corsham – overseeing the regional signal squadrons, each supporting the regenerative divisions *31st (City of London) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

*32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

* 36th (Eastern) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Ilford Ilford is a large List of areas of London, town in East London, England, northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Redbridge, Ilford is within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. It had a po ...

*37th (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

* 38th (City of Sheffield) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

*39th (Skinners) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

* 40th (Ulster) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

* 71st (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

First Aid Nursing Yeomanry The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps) (FANY (PRVC)) is a British independent all-female registered charity structured like a military reserve unit. which primarily provides surge relief to civil and military authoriti ...

(V), at Horseferry Road drill hall,

* Central Volunteer Headquarters, Royal Corps of Signals (V), at Basil Hill Barracks, Corsham Following the effects of the

Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009.

, a further 'chapter' was added to the FAS, which saw (at-least for the Royal Corps of Signals) a large reduction in those units still using the old ''PTARMIGAN'' communications system. Thereby freeing up funds which would have converted these units to the system. Then, in 2009, as part of the reorganisation of the entire Territorial Army, wholesale mergers and disbandments took place. Under this re-structuring, the brigade was significantly reduced in size, with 1 Sqn disbanding and being absorbed as 801 Signal Troop in 299 Signal Squadron (1 Signal Brigade), 43 Signal Sqn joining 21 Signal Regiment full-time, and the largest changes: 31 (City of London), 36 (Eastern), 38 (City of Sheffield), and 40 (Ulster) Signal Regiments all disbanding by 2009/2010 shortly thereafter.Royal Corps of Signals, ''The Wire for October 2009: The Journal of the Royal Corps of Signals''. Retrieved 28 June 2021

Army 2020

In 2013, following the

Army 2020 Army 2020 is the restructuring of the British Army in the early and mid-2010s, in light of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010. The plan, as its name suggested, was intended to be completed by 2020, though most of its reorganisations ...

re-organisation, the brigade was disbanded and subsequently reorganised as the 2nd Signal Group. Now forming part of the

11th Signal Brigade and Headquarters West Midlands The 11th Signal and West Midlands Brigade was a signal formation of the British Army's 3rd UK Division. By November 2024, it had been disbanded, with its sub-units resubordinated. History The brigade was formed as 11th Signal Group in Liverpool ...

, the group held the same role as the former brigade, as a national communications and regional support formation. The group's structure was very similar to that of the former brigade: * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Group, at

Venning Barracks Venning is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Annabel Venning (born 1973), British author and journalist * Dorothy Venning (1885–1942), British artist * Howard Venning (1915–1995), Australian politician * Ivan Venning I ...

, Donnington * 10th Signal Regiment,

, at

– providing regional specialist technical supportBrooke-Holland & Rutherford, p. 10 * 15th Signal Regiment (Information Support), Royal Corps of Signals, at

Blandford Camp Blandford Camp is a military base comprising some 390 hectares of downland lying 2 miles (3 km) north-east of Blandford Forum in the county of Dorset in southern England. Significant areas of the camp are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (S ...

– providing specialist technical support *

32nd Signal Regiment The 32nd Signal Regiment is a British Territorial Army (United Kingdom), Army Reserve regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals. The regiment forms part of 1st (United Kingdom) Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operation ...

, Royal Corps of Signals, in

– Army Reserve, paired with 2nd Signal Regiment in

7th Signal Group 7th Signal Group (7 Sig Gp) is a military communications formation of the British Army, British Army's Royal Corps of Signals, currently subordinated to 3 (UK) Division, 3rd (UK) Division. The group oversees the close-support signal units of the c ...

* 37th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals, in

Redditch Redditch is a town and non-metropolitan district with borough status in Worcestershire, England. It is located south of Birmingham, east of Bromsgrove, north-west of Alcester and north-east of Worcester. In 2021, the town had a population of ...

– Army Reserve, paired with 1st and 16th Signal Regiments in 7th Signal Group * 39th Signal Regiment (Skinners), Royal Corps of Signals, in

– Army Reserve, paired with 21st Signal Regiment in 7th Signal Group *

71st (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment 71st (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment is an Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 7th Signals Group (British Army), 7th Signal Group, providing ...

, Royal Corps of Signals, in

– Army Reserve, paired with 3rd (United Kingdom) Divisional Signal Regiment in 7th Signal Group The Brigade Flag of 2nd (National Communications) Signal Brigade was formally handed over and laid up in a ceremonial service in St Bartholomew's Church, Corsham on 16 April 2024.

Commanding officers

Commanding officers of the group/brigade included: * –15 October 1969,

G. Peat, OBE (died at home while in command) * 1970, Colonel F. M. S. Winter *

John C. Clinch, 1 January 1972–March 1974 *Brigadier Peter A. C. Baldwin, March 1974–January 1976 *Brigadier Patrick H. F. Webb, January 1976–March 1978 *Brigadier Arthur L. Dowell, March 1978–April 1980 *Brigadier J. P. Hart, April 1980–May 1983 *Brigadier Keith H. Olds, May 1983–June 1986 *Brigadier J. A. P. Russell, June 1986 – 1987 *'' etween 1987 and 1992, Commander, Communications, United Kingdom Land Forces held the position commanding officer of the brigade' *Brigadier Colin A. Brown, 1992–May 1993 *Brigadier John E. Neeve, May 1993–June 1996 *Brigadier S. Mervyn A. Lee, June 1996–June 1997 *Brigadier S. Gordon Hughes, June 1997–February 2000 *Brigadier Nigel C. Jackson, February 2000–August 2002 *Brigadier John E. Thomas, August 2002–September 2004 *Brigadier Michael Lithgow, September 2004–October 2006 *Brigadier David A. Hargreaves, November 2006–March 2010 *Brigadier Stephen J. Vickery, March 2010 – 2012

Footnotes

References

* * Wienand Drenth, ''The Territorial Army 1967–2000'', 2000, Einhoven, Kingdom of the Netherlands. * {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Signal brigades of the British Army