London District Signals
| London District Signals | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1908–present |
| Country |  |
London District Signals was a headquarters signal unit of the
Origin
When the Territorial Force was created in 1908 as a result of the Haldane Reforms, the London Division, Electrical Engineers of the Royal Engineers (Volunteers) spun off three telegraph companies, later termed signal companies:[1][2][3]
- London Wireless Signal Company
- London Cable Signal Company
- London Air-Line Signal Company
Together, these companies formed London District Signals, defined as 'Army Troops RE' in the TF organisation, serving HQ London District based at Horse Guards. The unit headquarters was at 12 Palmer Street, Westminster.[4][5][6]
World War I
On the outbreak of war in August 1914 the London Wireless Signal Company was temporarily attached to
Interwar
When the renamed
- Regimental Headquarters at Regency Street, MBE, TD
- No.1, 2, and 3 Signal Companies at Regency Street, London
- Cadet Affiliation — 'D' Company, 1st West London Cadet Corps
World War II
Together, 1st and 6th AA Divisions defended London and the Thames Estuary during The Blitz. As the war developed, increasing numbers of women from the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) became integrated into AA and signals units, which were termed 'Mixed'. By June 1942, the composition of the two units was as follows:[6][14]
1st AA Divisional Signals
- Commanding Officer: Lieutenant-Colonel A. Hemsley, MBE, TD (1939–45)
- 1st AA Divisional Mixed Signal Unit HQ
- HQ No 1 Company:
- 1 AA Command Mixed Signal Office Section
- 1 AA Division Mixed Signal Office Section
- 26 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section
- 38 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section
- 48 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section
- 49 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section
- HQ No 2 Company:
- 601 AA Gun Operations Room (Class 'D') Mixed Signal Section
- 315 AA Gun Operations Room (Class 'B') Mixed Signal Section
- 112 RAF Fighter Sector Sub-Section
- 5 AA Line Maintenance Section
- HQ No 1 Company:
1st AA Divisional Signals had provided Anti-Aircraft Command's Signals section since the latter's establishment in 1938. Between 1940 and 1942, both 1st and 6th AA Divisions came under 1st Aa Corps, but from June 1942, 1st AA Division was directly under AA Command HQ.
6th AA Divisional Signals
- Commanding Officer: Lieutenant-Colonel G.J. Morley-Peel, MBE, TD (1939–44)
- 6th AA Divisional Mixed Signal Unit HQ
- HQ No 1 Company:
- 6 AA Division Mixed Signal Office Section
- 6 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section
- 102 RAF Fighter Sector Sub-Section
- 103 RAF Fighter Sector Sub-Section
- 329 AA Gun Operations Room (Class 'B') Mixed Signal Section
- 37 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section
- 309 AA Gun Operations Room (Class 'B') Mixed Signal Section
- 15 AA Line Maintenance Section
- HQ No 2 Company:
- 328 AA Gun Operations Room (Class 'B') Mixed Signal Section
- 28 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section
- 56 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section
- 101 RAF Fighter Sector Sub-Section
- 310 AA Gun Operations Room (Class 'B') Mixed Signal Section
- 71 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section
- 16 AA Line Maintenance Section
- HQ No 1 Company:
When AA Command was reorganised in October 1942 the two divisions became 1 AA Group and 2 AA Group, with the signals units renamed 1st and 2nd AA Group (Mixed) Signals. The two groups operated alongside No. 11 Group RAF and took a leading role in defence against V-1 flying bombs (Operation Diver) in 1944–45.[3][6][15]
Postwar
On the re-establishment of the TA in 1947, 1 and 2 AA Group Signals re-merged and were numbered 11 AA (Mixed) Signal Regiment, 'Mixed' now indicating that members of the Women's Royal Army Corps (successors to the ATS) were integrated into the unit. The new unit was based at Kensington.[3][6][16] The unit was retained when AA Command was disbanded in 1955, becoming Eastern Command Mixed Signal Regiment, the East Anglian District Signal Regiment of the Army Emergency Reserve (AER). Eastern Command Signal Regiment was numbered 83 Signal Regiment in 1959.[3][6]
Meanwhile, elements of 11 AA Signal Rgt joined the disbanding
The size of the TA was reduced in 1967, when 83 Signal Regiment (AER) became 83 Signal Squadron (Volunteers) and later 83 Support Squadron in
In 2010, 83 Support Sqn was renamed 47 Signal Troop, (recognising the former
Honorary Colonel
The first Honorary Colonel of London District Signals was Col A. Bain,
Footnotes
- ^ A new London District Signals was formed in 1939 by 56th (London) Divisional Signals. In 1952 it was reformed as London District Signal Regiment in the Army Emergency Reserve.
Notes
- ^ London Gazette, 20 March 1908.
- ^ London Gazette, 14 October 1910.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Lord & Watson, p. 184.
- ^ a b Army List, August 1914.
- ^ London Cable Signal Company at Great War Forum
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Nalder pp. 618–9.
- ^ Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 1–7.
- ^ 'Embarkation Dates', The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 162/7.
- ^ Becke, Pt 4, pp. 185–91.
- ^ Titles and Designations.
- ^ 1 AA Division 1936–38 at British Military History.
- ^ "6 AA Division 1939 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ The Monthly Army List, September 1939.
- ^ Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 14 May 1942, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 212/81.
- ^ "AA Command 1940 at British Military History". Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ Watson, TA 1947
- ^ Lord & Watson, pp. 152-4.
- ^ Nalder, p. 598.
- ^ 83 (London) Signal Sqn at Air Formation Signals
- ^ 31 Signal Rgt at British Army website Archived January 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 83 Support Sqn at British Army website
- ^ 71 Yeomanry Signal Rgt at British Army website
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 4: The Army Council, GHQs, Armies, and Corps 1914–1918, London: HM Stationery Office, 1944/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-84734-743-6.
- 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.
- 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.
- Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army, London: War Office, 7 November 1927.