48 (South Midland) Signal Regiment was a Territorial Army (TA) unit 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 ...

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 ...

from 1920. It had its origins in a

Volunteer Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency ...

unit of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

formed in 1861 and provided the communications for several infantry divisions during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Postwar it went through a number of reorganisations. Its successor still serves as a squadron in today's

Army Reserve Army Reserve refers to a land-based military reserve force, including: *Army Reserve (Ireland) *Army Reserve (United Kingdom) *Australian Army Reserve *Canadian Army Reserve * New Zealand Army Reserve *United States Army Reserve *United States Navy ...

Royal Engineers

When the old

Volunteer Force The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a Social movement, popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increa ...

was subsumed into the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...

(TF) after the

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 ...

in 1908, the 2nd Gloucestershire (The Bristol Engineer Volunteer Corps) Royal Engineers (originally formed at

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 ...

on 10 April 1861 by employees of the

Bristol and Exeter Railway The Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) was an English railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter. It was built on the broad gauge and its engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It opened in stages between 1841 and 1844. It was allied wi ...

) provided the

(RE) components of the TF's South Midland Division, including the South Midland Divisional Telegraph Company, with the following organisation:Lord & Watson, p. 159.Nalder, pp. 616–7.''Monthly Army List'', various dates.''London Gazette'', 20 March 1908.
/ref>Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 77–83. * Company Headquarters (HQ) at 32 Park Row,

* No 1 Section at 32 Park Row * No 2 (Warwickshire) Section at

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

, attached to the Warwickshire Brigade * No 3 (Gloucester & Worcester) Section at

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

, attached to the Gloucester & Worcester Brigade * No 4 (South Midland) Section at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, attached to the South Midland Brigade Nos 2–4 Sections were largely manned by the three infantry brigades to which they were attached. The Telegraph Company was redesignated a Signal Company in 1911. The South Midland Division mobilised on the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in August 1914, and went to its war stations round

Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

. Shortly after mobilisation, the TF was invited to volunteer for overseas service and the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered. The titles of these 2nd Line units were distinguished by a '2/' prefix, including the 2/1st South Midland Divisional Signal Company in the

61st (2nd South Midland) Division The 61st (2nd South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised in 1915 during the Great War as a second-line reserve for the first-line battalions of the 48th (South Midland) Division. The division was sent to the W ...

.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 33–9.

48th (South Midland) Divisional Signals, RE

The 1st South Midland Division embarked for France at the end of March 1915 to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and took its place in the line of the Western Front. It was designated the 48th (South Midland) Division in May. For the 'Big Push' of 1916, (the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

) all signal companies spent three months in preparing new cable communications; the Division fought through the Somme until November. During periods of action signal lines were constantly cut by shellfire, and any advance required the rapid installation of additional lines. The German withdrawal to the

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (, Siegfried Position) was a German Defense line, defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in France during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to ...

(

Operation Alberich Operation Alberich () was the code name of a German military operation in France during the First World War. Two salients had been formed during the Battle of the Somme in 1916 between Arras and Saint-Quentin and from Saint-Quentin to Noyon. ...

) in Spring 1917 created a devastated area over which new communications had to be installed, and the divisional cable wagons came into their own. Later in the year 48th (SM) Division took part in several phases of the

Third Battle of Ypres The Third Battle of Ypres (; ; ), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele ( ), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies against the German Empire. The battle took place on the Western Front, from July to November 1917, f ...

. By now divisional signal companies had added a section for the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

, which previously handled its own communications, and the number of infantry signallers attached to brigade signal sections was increased. In November 1917, 48th (SM) Division was ordered to the Italian Front. At first the British forces in Italy were dependent on the local civil telephone system, which had been badly disrupted by the war. In June 1918 the division was closely engaged in the fighting on the Asiago Plateau, where cables were difficult to install and wireless was more widely used than on the Western Front. At the conclusion of the

Battle of Vittorio Veneto The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918 (with an armistice taking effect 24 hours later) near Vittorio Veneto on the Italian Front during World War I. After having thoroughly defeated Austro-Hungarian troops ...

, 48th (SM) Division led the pursuit into Austrian territory until the

Armistice of Villa Giusti The Armistice of Villa Giusti or Padua Armistice was an armistice convention with Austria-Hungary which de facto ended warfare between Allies and Associated Powers and Austria-Hungary during World War I. Italy represented the Allies and Associat ...

came into effect on 3 November.

61st (2nd South Midland) Divisional Signals, RE

Training for 61st (2nd South Midland) Division was badly delayed by lack of equipment. The division embarked for France during May 1916. Unlike its 1st Line, which had a year's experience of trench warfare before its first major action, 61st (2nd SM) Division was thrown into the disastrous

Battle of Fromelles The Attack at Fromelles ( (Battle of Fromelles, Battle of Fleurbaix or ) 19–20 July 1916, was a military operation on the Western Front during the First World War. The attack was carried out by British and Australian troops and was subsidiary ...

just seven weeks after arrival. It later served during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and the Third Battle of Ypres. In December 1917 it helped to fight off the German counter-attacks after the Battle of Cambrai. The opening of the

German spring offensive The German spring offensive, also known as ''Kaiserschlacht'' ("Kaiser's Battle") or the Ludendorff offensive, was a series of German Empire, German attacks along the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First Wor ...

on 21 March found 61st (2nd SM) Division holding the line in front of St Quentin. The BEF had introduced a new system of defence in depth, but this was still incomplete, particularly the essential buried cable communications, and surface lines were quickly cut by the massive German bombardment. The forward positions were quickly cut off, and morning mist made visual communication impossible. However, though heavily attacked, 61st Division managed to keep its 'battle zone' intact for most of the day. But by the next day, 61st (2nd SM) Division was being pushed south-westwards away from its neighbouring division, the RE field companies were destroying bridges and the signals company was extemporising communications with whatever cable was left. The division fell back to the defences of the 'Green Line', which were barely started. By 23 March the badly mauled 61st (2nd SM) Division was in reserve during the actions at the Somme Crossings, though individual units were still engaged. The division was withdrawn and sent to the quiet area of the Lys front. This sector was where the second phase of the German offensive, the Battle of the Lys fell on 9 April, and 61st (2nd SM) Division came into action on 11 April (the

Battle of Estaires The Battle of the Lys, also known as the Fourth Battle of Ypres, was fought from 7 to 29 April 1918 and was part of the German spring offensive in Flanders during the First World War. It was originally planned by General Erich Ludendorff as Op ...

. It was committed piecemeal, and command had to be improvised. It fought on through the

Battle of Hazebrouck Hazebrouck (, , , ) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France. It was a small market town in Flanders until it became an important railway junction in the 1860s. West Flemish was the usual language until 1880, when French was taught a ...

(12–15 April) and the

Battle of Béthune A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

(18 April). The

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

launched their

Hundred Days Offensive The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Western Front, the Allies pushed the Imperial Germa ...

on 8 August, but 61st (2nd SM) Division did not return to the fighting until its final stages, joining the pursuit on 2 October and participating in the

Battle of the Selle The Battle of the Selle (17–25 October 1918) took place between Allied forces and the German Army, fought during the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I. Prelude After the Second Battle of Cambrai, the Allies advanced almost and liberat ...

on 24–25 October, and the Battle of Valenciennes on 1–2 November. In this phase of mobile warfare, divisional signals had to rely on vulnerable cables strung from by cable wagons (which had hardly been used during static trench warfare), or small cable barrows over the shell holes of the old battlefields, and infantry brigade communications were especially hampered. Much re-use of captured German cable and poles was employed, and corps cavalry and bicycle units had to be used to supplement the limited number of dispatch riders. Wireless sections had been increased in August, allowing signal companies to man stations as far forward as battalion HQs. Hostilities on the Western Front ended with the

Armistice with Germany {{Short description, none This is a list of armistices signed by the German Empire (1871–1918) or Nazi Germany (1933–1945). An armistice is a temporary agreement to cease hostilities. The period of an armistice may be used to negotiate a peace t ...

on 11 November.

Southern Command Signals

British Army Morse signalers Battle of the Somme July 1916 Q128

The other component of the future signal regiment was the RE Signal Companies raised in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

for Southern Command in 1908: * Southern Command Signal Companies at The Barracks, Great Brook Street, Birmingham * Southern Wireless Signal Company * Southern Cable Signal Company * Southern Airline Signal Company On the outbreak of

the Southern Signal Companies were formed into the RE Signals Depot at

Fenny Stratford Fenny Stratford is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, a city in Buckinghamshire, England. It is administered by Bletchley and Fenny Stratford, a civil parish under the Milton Keynes City Council. It is located around Watling Street, at the ...

. Although the companies did not see active service themselves, they raised a number of new signal units that served in various theatres of the war, beginning with a Southern Motor Airline Section that embarked for the Western Front on 10 November 1914.

Royal Corps of Signals

In 1920 the RE Signal Service became the independent

(RCS) and 48th (South Midland) Divisional Signals was formed in the new corps as part of the Territorial Army (TA), which replaced the TF in 1921. It was established at The Barracks, Great Brook Street, Birmingham, moving in the 1930s to Cateswell House, Stratford Road, in

Hall Green Hall Green is an area in southeast Birmingham, England, synonymous with the B28 postcode. It is also a council constituency of Birmingham City Council, managed by its own district committee. Historic counties of England, Historically it lay wit ...

, Birmingham. The Worcestershire Cadet Signal Company of the RCS was affiliated to the unit. 48th (SM) Divisional Signals comprised Nos 1–3 Companies with Nos 2 and 3 Wireless Sections attached. The RCS also carried out some signal functions for the

: by 1927 the unit had a number of these sections attached to it at Great Brook Street: * 228th Field Artillery Signal Section * 229th Field Artillery Signal Section * 209th Medium Artillery Signal Section By the 1930s it also had two attached Supplementary Reserve sections providing communications for the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

: * No 2 (South Midland) Air Wing Signal Section * No 1 (South Midland) Air Force Port Depot Signal Section The unit was mechanised by 1932.

World War II

Mobilisation

When the TA was doubled in size in early 1939 after the

Munich Crisis The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the German annexation of part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudete ...

, the division once again formed a duplicate, 61st Division, for which the signals split to form 61st Divisional Signals. The TA mobilised on 1 September 1939, just before the outbreak of war, with 48th (SM) Division and 61st Division both in Southern Command.Southern Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files.
/ref>Joslen, pp. 77–8.Joslen, pp. 95–6.

Organisation

The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H8164

In 1939, the organisation of an infantry divisional signal unit and the attachments of its subunits were as follows:Lord & Watson, pp. 262, 314. * HQ Company ** Q Section – quartermasters ** M Section – maintenance * No 1 Company – Divisional HQ ** A & C Sections – wireless ** B Section – cable ** D Section – despatch riders and cipher section ** O Section – operating * No 2 Company – divisional artillery ** E, F & G Sections – individual artillery regiments ** H Section – HQ divisional artillery * No 3 Company – infantry, reconnaissance and RE ** R Section – reconnaissance battalion ** J, K & L Sections – individual infantry brigades

48th (South Midland) Divisional Signals

Battle of France

48th (SM) Division moved to France in January 1940 to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). When the German offensive began with the invasion of the Low Countries on 10 May, the BEF advanced into Belgium under Plan D, and soon its leading divisions were in place on the River Dyle. However, the Germans had broken through in the

Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...

and the BEF was forced to retreat back to the line of the Escaut. The division was heavily engaged on 21 May, holding back German attempts o cross the river.Nalder, pp. 280–4. The British Army in France 1940 F3159

However, the German breakthrough from the Ardennes had reached the sea and the BEF was cut off. The division was among the forces pulled out of the east-facing Escaut line to form a west-facing line along a series of canals in the

Bergues Bergues (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. It is situated to the south of Dunkirk and from the Belgium, Belgian border. Locally it is referred to ...

– Cassel–

Hazebrouck Hazebrouck (, , , ) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France. It was a small market town in Flanders until it became an important railway junction in the 1860s. West Flemish was the usual language until 1880, when French was taught ...

area covering the approaches to

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

, where the division arrived on 25 May. Next day the decision was made to evacuate the BEF from

(

Operation Dynamo Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

), and forces in the 'pocket' in which the BEF was now confined were progressively pulled into the Dunkirk perimeter. 48th (SM) Division held a series of delaying positions before moving into the bridgehead. Although most vehicles had to be destroyed, signal units were permitted to move their wireless vehicles and despatch riders into the perimeter to maintain communications, and a skeleton wireless service was maintained to the end. 48th (SM) Division was embarked on 30 May.

Home Defence

On return to the UK 48th (SM) Division reformed in

South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of the nine official regions of England, regions of England in the United Kingdom. Additionally, it is one of four regions that altogether make up Southern England. South West England con ...

and was slowly re-equipped. It remained training in

VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to: * VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VIII Army Corps (German Confederation) * VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Arm ...

in South West England until late 1941 when it transferred to

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

in I Corps District.Collier, Maps 17, 20, 27. From November 1941 48th (SM) Division was placed on a lower establishment, indicating that it was no longer intended for overseas service. It did, however, supply trained units to other formations. 48th (SM) Divisional Signals provided the HQ, commanding officer (CO), and No 1 Company for a new 78th Divisional Signals.Joslen, pp. 101–2. 48th (SM) Division, including the remainder of its divisional signals, remained in Home Forces for the rest of the war.

Commanders

The following officers commanded 48th (SM) Divisional Signals: * Lt-Col J.W. Danielson, DSO, TD, 1920 * Lt-Col P.H. Keeling, MC, TD, 1924 * Lt-Col W. Martineau, MC, TD, 1929 * Lt-Col M.E. Holdsworth, 1933 * Lt-Col P.H. Jones, MC, TD, 1937 * Lt-Col R.W. Morgan, 1941 * Lt-Col J.C. Rau, 1941 * Lt-Col R, Maguire, 1942 * Lt-Col J.L. Lilley, TD, 1944 * Lt-Col G.B. McKean, 1945

61st Divisional Signals

After the outbreak of war 61st Division trained in Southern Command. Suddenly, on 15 April 1940 the divisional commander and his staff were detached to form HQ ' Mauriceforce' for service in the Norwegian Campaign. However, communications for Mauriceforce were handled by a detachment of

49th (West Riding) Divisional Signals 49 (forty-nine) is the natural number following 48 and preceding 50. In mathematics Forty-nine is the square of the prime number seven and hence the fourth non-unitary square prime of the form ''p''2. Both of its digits are square numbers, 4 b ...

, which had already been sent to Norway. The rest of 61st Division never served outside the United Kingdom. It was sent to

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

in June 1940 during the post-Dunkirk invasion crisis, remaining there until February 1943. 61st Division did appear in

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...

's proposed order of battle in the summer of 1943, but it was later replaced by veteran formations brought back from the Mediterranean theatre before

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...

was launched. It remained in reserve in the UK at full establishment.

Commanders

The following officers commanded 61st Divisional Signals: * Lt-Col W.A. James, TD, 1939 * Lt-Col F.R. Booth, 1942 * Lt-Col J.E.S. Walford, 1944 * Lt-Col J.M.S. Tulloch,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, 1945 * Lt-Col J.E.S. Walford, 1945

78th Divisional Signals

78th 'Battleaxe' Division was a new formation created for the Allied invasion of North Africa (

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa whil ...

). Divisional HQ began to form on 25 May 1942, and 78th Divisional Signals joined on 15 June 1942. The division consisted of three independent infantry brigades that had already been assigned to Force 110 (which became First Army in July 1942); the supporting arms were transferred from training divisions such as 48th (SM) Division.

Tunisia

The division sailed on 16 October and 11th Infantry Brigade (including its HQ and signals) carried out the first 'Torch' landing near

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

at 01.00 on 8 November. The rest of the division followed on 12 November, and it took part in the drive eastwards towards Tunisia. Communications were maintained by radio and by requisitioning the local civilian telephone system. By 24 November the division was fighting

Axis An axis (: axes) may refer to: Mathematics *A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular: ** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system *** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...

troops around

Medjez el Bab Majaz al Bab (), also known as Medjez el Bab, or as Membressa under the Roman Empire, is a town in northern Tunisia. It is located at the intersection of roads GP5 and GP6, in the ''Plaine de la Medjerda''. It has been a titular see of the Cathol ...

and

Tebourba Tebourba ( ') is a town in Tunisia, located about 20 miles (30 km) from the capital Tunis, former ancient city ( Thuburbo Minus) and bishopric, now a Latin Catholic titular see. Thuburbo Minus Historically Thuburbo Minus ("Little Thuburbo ...

. The enemy counter-attacked strongly at Tebourba Gap, and First Army was unable to take Tunis in 1942. After building up their forces during the winter, the Allies launched their offensive against Tunis in April with preparatory operations by 78th Division at Oued Zarga (7–15 April) including the assaults on Longstop Hill, followed by fighting in the Medjez Plain (23–30 April). The final attack (

Operation Vulcan Operation Vulcan (22 April – 6 May 1943) and Operation Strike (6–12 May 1943) were the final ground attacks by the Allied forces against the Italian and German forces in Tunis, Cape Bon, and Bizerte, the last Axis bridgeheads in North Af ...

) was launched on 5 May and the Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered on 12 May.

Sicily

78th Division was in reserve for the

Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as the Battle of Sicily and Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allies of World War II, Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis p ...

(Operation Husky), which began on 9/10 July; the division itself did not land until 26 July. It then went into action in the

Battle of Centuripe A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

(31 July–3 August) and then fought its way past the west end of

Mount Etna Mount Etna, or simply Etna ( or ; , or ; ; or ), is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina, Italy, Messina and Catania. It is located above the Conve ...

. The Axis forces evacuated Sicily on 7 August.

Italy

The Allies followed up with landings on mainland Italy, and had made good progress by the time 78th Division began disembarking at the captured port of

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

on 22 September. It took part in the fighting at the crossings of the

Trigno The Trigno (Latin ''Trinius'') is an Italian river. It originates in the Apennine Mountains The Apennines or Apennine Mountains ( ; or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; or – a singular with plural meaning; )Latin ''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) ...

in October and the

Sangro The Sangro is a river in eastern central Italy, known in ancient times as Sagrus from the Greek ''Sagros'' or ''Isagros'', ''Ισαγρος''. It rises in the middle of Abruzzo National Park near Pescasseroli in the Apennine Mountains. It fl ...

in November. After rest, the division was switched to the western side of Italy to join the fighting round

Monte Cassino The Abbey of Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a Catholic Church, Catholic, Benedictines, Benedictine monastery on a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Valle Latina, Latin Valley. Located on the site of the ancient ...

. It took part on the final Battle of Monte Cassino (

Operation Diadem Operation Diadem, also referred to as the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino or, in Canada, the Battle of the Liri Valley, was an offensive operation undertaken by the Allies of World War II ( U.S. Fifth Army and British Eighth Army) in May 1944, as ...

, 11–18 May 1944) and the subsequent fighting in the

Liri The Liri (Latin Liris or Lyris, previously, Clanis; Greek: ) is one of the principal rivers of central Italy, flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea a little below Minturno under the name Garigliano. Source and route The Liri's source is in the ...

Valley as far as

Alatri Alatri () is an Italian town and ''comune'' of the province of Frosinone in the region of Lazio, with c. 30,000 inhabitants. An ancient city of the Hernici,Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hernici". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). it is kno ...

. It then participated in the pursuit to

Lake Trasimene Lake Trasimeno ( , also ; ; ; ), also referred to as Trasimene ( ), Trasimeno Lake, or Thrasimene in English, is a lake in the province of Perugia, in the Umbria region of Italy on the border with Tuscany. The lake has a surface area of , m ...

Allied Armies in Italy The Allied Armies in Italy (AAI) was the title of the highest Allied field headquarters in Italy, during the middle part of the Italian campaign of World War II. In the early and later stages of the campaign the headquarters was known as the ...

(AAI) had a policy of rotating British divisions from Italy to

Middle East Command Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...

for extended rest and reorganisation. 78th Division embarked on 18 July 1944 and landed in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

on 23 July. It returned to Italy on 15 September. The roads were in bad shape and it took a long time to travel up to the line for the winter fighting, in which it took the hills above

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

and pushed towards the

Santerno The Santerno is a river in Romagna in northern Italy. It is a major tributary of the river Reno. In Roman times, it was known as the ''Vatrenus'' (small ''Renus''), although, in the Tabula Peutingeriana, it was already identified as the ''Santernus ...

. When the

Spring 1945 offensive in Italy The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the final Allies of World War II, Allied attack during the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. The attack in the Lom ...

(Operation Grapeshot) was launched on 9 April, 78th Division took part in the fighting on the Santerno and

Senio The Senio () is a river of Romagna in Italy, the final right-sided tributary of the river Reno. The source of the river is in the province of Florence in the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano mountains. The river flows northeast into the province of Rave ...

rivers, and then carried out the breakout on 13 April that seized the Argenta Gap. In the subsequent pursuit it crossed the Po. Hostilities on the Italian front ended on 2 May with the

Surrender of Caserta The Surrender at Caserta (, ) of 29 April 1945 was the written agreement that formalized the surrender of German and Italian Fascist forces in Italy, ending the Italian Campaign of World War II. Background Since March 1945, SS ''Obergruppen ...

, and 78th Division entered Austria on 8 May to begin occupation duties.

Commanders

The following officers commanded 78th Divisional Signals: * Lt-Col J.C. Rau, 1942 * Lt-Col W.A. Purser, 1944 * Lt-Col J.F. Shearer, 1945

Postwar

I/20th (South Midland) Army Signal Regiment

When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, the 48th and 61st Divisional Signals were recombined and reorganised as 'X' Army Signal Regiment, designated from 1948 as I/20th (South Midland) Army Signal Regiment.

Commanders

The following officers commanded 1/20th (South Midland) Army Signal Rgt: * Lt-Col D.G. Collins, MBE, TD * Lt-Col E.R. Price, TD, 1950 * Lt-Col R.N. Houston, MBE, TD, 1954

48 (South Midland) Signal Regiment

In 1959 the regiment was redesignated 48 (South Midland) Signal Regiment, and from 1961 it assumed district responsibilities under 48th (SM) Divisional/District HQ. When the TA was reduced into the

Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve The Army Reserve is the active-duty volunteer reserve force of the British Army. It is separate from the Regular Reserve whose members are ex-Regular personnel who retain a statutory liability for service. Descended from the Territorial Force ( ...

(TAVR) in 1967, the regiment was combined with 63 Signal Regiment to form a HQ and a single squadron.

63 Signal Regiment

This regiment was formed at Wilton on 2 January 1947 to supervise a number of signal units in Southern Command:Lord & Watson, pp. 197–200. * 90 (Field)

Army Group Royal Artillery An Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) was a British Commonwealth military formation during the Second World War and shortly thereafter. Generally assigned to Army corps, an AGRA provided the medium and heavy artillery to higher formations within t ...

(AGRA) Signal Squadron,

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, England, and the county town of Berkshire. It is the United Kingdom's largest town, with a combined population of 355,596. Most of Reading built-up area, its built-up area lies within the Borough ...

– ''disbanded October 1956'' * 91 (Field) AGRA Signal Squadron,

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...

– ''disbanded August 1950'' * 100 (Anti-Aircraft) AGRA Signals,

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

– ''transferred to

Anti-Aircraft Command Anti-Aircraft Command (AA Command, or "Ack-Ack Command") was a British Army command of the Second World War that controlled the Territorial Army anti-aircraft artillery and searchlight formations and units defending the United Kingdom. Origin ...

September 1948'' * 4 Armoured Replacement Group Signals, Bristol – ''transferred to Army Emergency Reserve 1950'' * 26 Engineer Brigade Signal Troop,

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

– ''disbanded in 1961'' * 15 Wireless Squadron,

Devonport, Plymouth Devonport ( ), formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889. Devonport was originally one o ...

– ''became 325 Signal Squadron'' * (possibly) 17 Wireless Squadron,

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

– ''became 327 Signal Squadron'' * 10 Air Support Signal Unit (ASSU),

Eastleigh Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the United Kingdom 2011 census, 2011 census. The town ...

– ''joined later in 1947; became 310 Signal Squadron'' The regiment was designated 63 HQ Line of Communication Signal Regiment in 1948. As its subordinate units disappeared, the regiment took on a more conventional organisation from 1950: * Regimental Headquarters (RHQ), Wilton – ''moved to Salisbury 11 October 1958'' * 1 Squadron,

Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...

– ''redesignated 4

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 ...

Reserve Signal Squadron 1954; moved to Reading by 1958'' * 2 Squadron, Southampton * 3 Squadron,

Windsor, Berkshire Windsor is a historic town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarch. The town is situated we ...

and

Basingstoke Basingstoke ( ) is a town in Hampshire, situated in south-central England across a valley at the source of the River Loddon on the western edge of the North Downs. It is the largest settlement in Hampshire without city status in the United King ...

The regiment took over responsibility for the eastern part of Southern Command's area and was redesignated 63 Command (Mixed) Signal Regiment on 6 March 1957 ('Mixed' indicating that members of the

Women's Royal Army Corps The Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC; sometimes pronounced acronymically as , a term unpopular with its members) was the corps to which all women in the British Army belonged from 1949 to 1992 except medical, dental and veterinary officers and chap ...

(WRAC) were integrated into the unit), 63 (Mixed) Signal Regiment in 1959, and simply 63 Signal Regiment in 1961. By this time its organisation was: * RHQ * 1 Sqn, Reading, Basingstoke and Windsor * 2 Sqn, Southampton * 3 Sqn with WRAC Band, Southampton and Portsmouth * 310 (ASSU) Signal Squadron * 314 (UKLFR) Signal Squadron, Bournemouth – ''formed from 4 UKLF Reserve Signals''

48 (City of Birmingham) Signal Squadron

On 1 April 1967 TAVR was formed: 48 and 63 Signal Regiments were amalgamated to form HQ Squadron at

Sparkbrook Sparkbrook is an inner-city area in south-east Birmingham, England. It is one of the four wards forming the Hall Green formal district within Birmingham City Council. Etymology The area receives its name from Spark Brook, a small stream that ...

, Birmingham, and 48 (City of Birmingham) Signal Squadron at

Small Heath Small Heath is an inner-city area in south-east Birmingham, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England situated on and around the Coventry Road about from the city centre. History Small Heath, which has been settled and used since Roman t ...

, Birmingham, in the new

35th (South Midlands) Signal Regiment The 35th (South Midlands) Signal Regiment was a British Territorial Army regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals. History The Regiment was formed at Sparkbrook in 1967. It consisted of five squadrons: *Support Squadron * 48 (City of Birmingham) ...

. (The number 63 was reassigned to the former 322 SAS Signal Squadron.) 35 (South Midland) Signal Regiment was disbanded in 2009 but 48 (City of Birmingham) Signal Squadron continues in the

as part of

37 Signal Regiment 37th Signal Regiment (37 Sig Regt) is a military communications regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals, part of the British Army. History The regiment was formed as the 37th (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment, Royal Signals (Volunteers) in 1 ...

Honorary Colonels

The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit: * G.H. Verity, MIEE * Col J.W. Danielson, DSO, TD, former CO, appointed 16 July 1927 * Maj B.J.T. Ford, TD, appointed 16 July 1932 * Brig-Gen Sir Robert McCalmont, CVO, DSO, appointed 16 July 1937 * Brig Edward Antrobus, OBE, TD, served with 48th (SM) Divisional Signals) 1920–39 and 61st Divisional Signals 1939-44, Hon Col 1950–57Nalder, p. 537.

Footnotes

Notes

References

* Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8. * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions,'' London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8. * Basil Collier
''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1957/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004.
* Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918'', Vol I, ''The German March Offensive and its Preliminaries'', London: Macmillan, 1935/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1995, ISBN 0-89839-219-5/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-84574-725-1. * Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918'', Vol II, ''March–April: Continuation of the German Offensives'', London: Macmillan, 1937/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1995, ISBN 1-87042394-1/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-84574-726-8. * Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds & Lt-Col R. Maxwell-Hyslop, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918'', Vol V, ''26th September–11th November, The Advance to Victory'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1947/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1993, ISBN 1-870423-06-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2021, ISBN 978-1-78331-624-3. * Maj L.F. Ellis
''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1954/Uckfield: Naval &
* Gen Sir William Jackson, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol VI: ''Victory in the Mediterranean, Part I, : June to October 1944'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1987/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-71-8. * Gen Sir William Jackson, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol VI: ''Victory in the Mediterranean, Part I, I: November 1944 to May 1945'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1988/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-72-6. * Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, ''Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/London: London Stamp Exchange, 1990, ISBN 0-948130-03-2/ Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6. * Cliff Lord & Graham Watson, ''Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the Corps (1920–2001) and its Antecedents'', Solihull: Helion, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-92-2. * Brig C.J.C. Molony, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol V: ''The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and the Campaign in Italy 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1973/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-69-6. * Brig C.J.C. Molony, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol VI: ''Victory in the Mediterranean, Part I: 1st April to 4th June 1944'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1987/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-70-X. * Maj-Gen R.F.H. Nalder, ''The Royal Corps of Signals: A History of its Antecedents and Developments (Circa 1800–1955)'', London: Royal Signals Institution, 1958. * Maj-Gen

I.S.O. Playfair Major general (United Kingdom), Major General Ian Stanley Ord Playfair, (10 April 1894 – 21 March 1972) was a British Army officer. Military career Born the son of Colonel F.H.G. Playfair of the Hampshire Regiment and educated at Cheltenham ...

& Brig C.J.C. Molony, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol IV: ''The Destruction of the Axis forces in Africa'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1966/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-68-8. * Maj Raymond E. Priestley, ''Work of the Royal Engineers in the European War 1914–1918: The Signal Service in the European War of 1914 to 1918 (France)'', Chatham: Institution of Royal Engineers, 1921/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2006, . * War Office, ''Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army'', London: War Office, 7 November 1927.

External sources

Orders of Battle at Patriot Files

MoD site
{{refend Regiments of the Royal Corps of Signals Military units and formations established in 1959 Military units and formations disestablished in 1967 Military units and formations in Warwickshire Military units and formations in Birmingham