The 32nd Signal Regiment is a British
Army Reserve
A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...
Regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
of the
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield commun ...
. The regiment forms part of
1st (United Kingdom) Signal Brigade
The 1st Signal Brigade, formerly known as the 1st Signal Group, is a brigade of the British Army. The group was first formed in 1968 as a result of the 1966 Defence White Paper which expanded support for NATO and the British Army of the Rhine. I ...
, providing military communications for national operations.
History
Early history
1st Lanarkshire Voluntary Military Engineers was raised in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
on 5 December 1859 as part of the
Volunteer Force.
[Lord and Watson, p. 163] In 1894, the Telegraph Company, 2nd Lanarkshire Volunteer Military Engineers was assigned to the unit.
[
]
First World War
As part of the 1908 Haldane Reforms
The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the "Childers Reforms" of the e ...
, the unit became the Lowland Divisional Telegraph Company.[ A Wireless, Cable and Airline unit was assigned to the unit and the regiment was established as a Field Company to support ]51st (Highland) Division
The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...
. After the outbreak of World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
in 1914, the regiment was sent as part of IV Corps and the British Expeditionary Force to France.[
]
Second World War
During World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the regiment again saw active service, providing support to both 51st (Highland) Division
The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...
and 52nd Lowland Divisions. In 1947, the regiment returned once again to Maryhill and was re-titled as the 51st/52nd (Scottish) Infantry Division Signal Regiment.[
]
Post War
As a result of the 1966 Defence White Paper, the 32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment was formed on 1 April 1967. The new regiment composed of five squadrons, amalgamating the four signals regiments in Scotland. They were as follows:North Irish Horse
The North Irish Horse was a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War. Raised and patronised by the nobility from its inception to the present day, it was o ...
became 69 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron.[ From 2009 to 2014, 33 (Lancashire & Cheshire) Signal Squadron formed part of the regiment before it was transferred to 37th Signal Regiment under the ]Army 2020
Army 2020, was the name given to the restructuring of the British Army, in light of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Background
The British Government gave an indication of its proposals for the future structure of the Army in ea ...
reforms.
In October 2010, 69 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron returned to the regiment as 40 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron. Then under the Army 2020
Army 2020, was the name given to the restructuring of the British Army, in light of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Background
The British Government gave an indication of its proposals for the future structure of the Army in ea ...
re-organisation, 2 (City of Dundee and Highland) 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
Follow ...
was transferred from 38th (City of Sheffield) Signal Regiment.
Current structure
The regiment's current structure is as follows:
* Regimental Headquarters, in Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
2 (City of Dundee and Highland) 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
Follow ...
, in Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
** 851 (Highland) Signal Troop, at Gordon Barracks
Gordon Barracks is a military installation situated in Bridge of Don, Aberdeen.
History
The barrack buildings, which were built by J and W Wittet between 1933 and 1935, are located around the barrack square.
Constructed of dressed granite blo ...
, Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...
* 40 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron, in Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
** 852 (Lowland) Signal Troop, in East Kilbride
East Kilbride (; gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear ) is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. It was also designated Scotland's first new town on 6 May 1947. The area lies on a rais ...
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Official Regiment Website
32nd Signal Regiment
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Regiments of the Royal Corps of Signals
Scottish regiments
Military units and formations established in 1967
Army Reserve (United Kingdom)
1967 establishments in the United Kingdom