War Diaries Talk

Signals.

  • GO130 by GO130

    In classifying a Signals Regiment I noted that in Feb 1917 they processed over 4000 telegrams. It would be interesting to learn more about this process and the role they played in the prosecution of the war

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  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    Information re Signals Regiment in ww1

    At the outbreak of WW1 there were fewer than 6,000 in the Corps forerunner – the Royal Engineer Signals Service – providing mainly a telegraph service. By the end of WW1 there were some 70,000 signallers and telephone had largely replaced the telegraph as the preferred means of communication, with the wireless and dispatch riders playing ever important roles.

    In 1918, at the Battle of Amiens, trench warfare was largely replaced by the birth of modern warfare. This new warfare required increasingly sophisticated communications and ever increasing numbers of soldiers specially trained in communications – thus, in 1920, the Royal Corps of Signals was formed.

    PS I note that the page which is coming up with this comment is for the 1st Div. 52 Btn Welsh Regiment dated 26/7/1919 to 30/7/1919. It does not appear on our present Diaries to process page.

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  • cyngast by cyngast moderator in response to GO130's comment.

    I did a bit of looking on Google and found this article http://www.engagingwithcommunications.com/publications/THG_Papers/World_War_One_Comms/worldwaronecommunications.html that includes information and photos of communications equipment from the period.

    I also noted that in the fourth paragraph it states that in 1914 a Corps HQ might receive 100 messages a day but by 1918 the average daily number was 4,500.

    There are also a couple of references for further reading if you want to pursue that.

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  • David_Underdown by David_Underdown moderator

    You can find digitised versions of "With the Signal Service in France" on archive.org and/or Google books, The National Archives has this (in conjunction with BT Archives) http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/first-world-war/telecommunications-in-war/

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  • cyngast by cyngast moderator in response to David_Underdown's comment.

    Thank you, David, for posting this.

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