Commemorating Royal Signals War Dead – New Page, ‘P’

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The Royal Signals casualties whose surnames begin with ‘P’ have now been included on the War Dead page on this website (completed letters are hyperlinked; the documents open as pdfs). They amount to 309 all ranks who died on operations in the inter-war years, in the Second World War and in the campaigns of the post-Second World War period.

S.S. Ceramic served as a troopship during both World Wars. She was sunk by U-515 in the Atlantic Ocean on the night of 6/7 December 1942. The rough seas and generally poor weather prevent rescue and there was only one survivor, 2148743 Sapper Eric Alfred Munday, who was taken aboard U-515. Six Royal Signals soldiers of the St. Helena Signal Section were lost; they are commemorated on the Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial.

The casualties include:

  • Eighty-two men who were killed in action or died of wounds or were killed as a result of terrorist action, including:

Captain R. G. Barlow, Lieutenant N. S. Peers and Serjeant F. R. Paton of 45th Indian infantry Brigade Signal Section who were killed in action in Malaya on 19 January 1942 at Bakri in the Battle of Muar when the brigade headquarters was hit during an air attack. In addition, most of the headquarters’ staff were killed as were 17 Indian other ranks of the signal section. There were only two survivors of the attack—the brigade commander, Brigadier H. C. Duncan, and the acting brigade major. Brigadier Duncan was killed in action the next day.

Signalman J. Potter of 8th Army Group Royal Artillery Signal Section was killed in action on 15 July 1944 in Operation Greenline in the Battle of Normandy when the regimental signal office was hit by artillery fire. Seven other men of the section were killed: Corporal L. S. Beard, Lance Corporals B. W. Herlihy and B. E. Toothill, Signalmen D. W. Apps and D. Milligen and Drivers C. Green and A. McLachlan.

Lance Serjeant G. Powell, Lance Corporal F. Cully and Signalman R. B. E. Hoey of 3rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade Signal Section were killed in action on 27 May 1940 while manning a Bren gun position in the defence of Hazebrouck during the Battle of France.

Signalman A. L. Price of No. 17 Line of Communication Signals (Cheshire Yeomanry) was wounded in a V1 rocket attack on Antwerp on 1 February 1945. He died of wounds on 3 February 1945. Sixteen soldiers from the unit were killed or died of wounds, including two whose remains were never found.

  • In addition, eight men were killed in action at sea—two during the evacuation from Greece in April 1941, and one in the evacuation from Singapore in February 1942; one when the hospital ship Ramb IV was attacked approaching Alexandria, and four on troopships. The latter were:

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‘Class ‘B’ Mentions’—Rewards for Valuable Services Published in The Times during the First World War

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(This is an updated version of a previous post from 2019.) Some time ago as I was working through one of the registers in my Royal Signals honours and awards project, I came across an anomaly. The obituary in The Wire for Major General A. C. Fuller C.B.E.—the inventor of the Fullerphone—records that he was mentioned in despatches four times and that he did not receive the Victory Medal. These statements are at odds—if he did not serve in a theatre of war he could not have been mentioned in despatches. There are some exceptions to that statement, but Experimental Officers at the Signals Experimental Establishment were not amongst them. A little more digging revealed that these were ‘class ‘B’ mentions’ for ‘valuable services in connection with the war’. I was unable to track them down easily, however, and this post is the result of my research into where such awards may be found.

An extract from War Office List of 23 August 1919 showing Scottish officers. (The Courier, 23 August 1919.)

Meritorious service by military personnel and civilians at home was recognised largely only in the latter years of the war, primarily by the various grades of the Order of the British Empire, created in June 1917. In addition, a lower category of commendation, broadly the equivalent of a mention in despatches, was awarded to those who were brought to notice for ‘valuable services’. They are often referred to as ‘class ‘B’ mentions’. Most were for service in the United Kingdom, but some awards were made for service in the Dominions and Colonies. They were usually awarded in the name of the Secretary of State for War but several were attributed to the Home Secretary.[1]

Although the War Office, Air Ministry and Home Office lists, or communiqués, were described as supplements to the London Gazette, they did not appear in the Gazette but were instead provided to the press for publication. Extracts may be found in regional newspapers, often highlighting the work of local recipients with short citations, but The Times became seen as the ‘official’ avenue of publication because it featured the full lists. The first War Office communiqué appeared in February 1917 and the last in June 1920. Similar lists were announced by the Admiralty, although they do not appear to have been published by The Times in the same way.[2]

Several lists were not published in The Times. Inexplicably, the list of 23 August 1919—Army officers and other ranks rewarded for service in departments of the War Office—was published in full only in The Daily Telegraph, and the accompanying (very large) list of 28 August—for service in the commands and districts of Home Forces—was only published in part; again it was published in full in The Daily Telegraph. Of the five communiqués in 1920, only two were published in full. Three lists, amounting to around 2,200 names, were announced in The Times in a short paragraph but without any accompanying names. It appears that the press quickly lost interest in these rewards for service because those in the final list do not even appear in regional newspapers. Continue reading →

Commemorating Royal Signals War Dead – New Page, ‘D’

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The Royal Signals casualties whose surnames begin with ‘D’ have now been included on the War Dead page on this website (completed letters are hyperlinked; the documents open as pdfs). They amount to 255 all ranks who died on operations in the inter-war years, in the Second World War and in the campaigns of the post-Second World War period. Included on this list are three members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service who served with Royal Signals, and a Lady Teleprinter Operator of Malaya Command Signals who died in a Japanese internment camp.

The graves of Corporal E. C. Turner and Signalman N. Davies at Manzai Fort cemetery showing their original construction.

The very weathered concrete grave marker for Signalman Norman Davies as it is now at Manzai Fort Cemetery.

The casualties include:

  • Seventy-five men were killed in action or died of wounds or were killed as a result of terrorist action, including:

On the early morning of 9 April 1937, a convoy set out from Manzai Fort destined for the garrison at Wana carrying supplies and some officers and men returning to their units. At about 7.40a.m. it was ambushed at the western end of the Shahur Tangi, a narrow, steep-sided, three-mile long gorge, eight miles west of Jandola. Raiders hidden in the rocks close to the road attacked the convoy along its length causing very heavy casualties but the armoured cars, the infantry escort from 4/16th Punjab Regiment and the other troops with the convoy fought most gallantly and prevented the convoy from being overrun. In the convoy was a detachment from Waziristan District Signals commanded by Corporal E. C. Turner. Corporal Turner and Signalman N. Davies were killed in action, the Indian driver (Signalman Joseph) and Signalman T. Bowkett were wounded,[1] the latter severely, but three other men, Signalmen Bartlett and McKenna and an Indian soldier, escaped unscathed. In total, the attack claimed six British officers and two other ranks (Turner and Davies) killed, five British officers and one other rank (Bowkett) wounded, one Indian medical officer and 20 Indian other ranks killed, and 39 Indian all ranks wounded. You can read about the ambush in the Shahur Tangi here and about Manzai Fort Cemetery here (as casualties outwith the World Wars, their remains were not reinterred in a C.W.G.C. cemetery and Manzai Fort Cemetery is not maintained by the C.W.G.C.).

Signalman J. G. Dart, 2nd Air Formation Signals, was killed on 20 November 1942 during an air raid at Maison Blanche Airfield, Algiers just after the landings in North Africa during Operation Torch. The raid on the harbour and the airfield resulted in the death of 35 all ranks of the Army, Royal Air Force and Merchant Navy. Others from 2nd Air Formation Signals killed at Maison Blanche were Company Quartermaster Serjeant R. Turner and Lance Serjeant J. R. Humpries. Lance Corporal N. F. Alderman, 45th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery Signal Section and Signalman L. J. Wallington, 1st Parachute Brigade Signal Section were also killed in the attack.

Driver J. H. Davies, 4th Army Group Royal Artillery Signal Section, was killed in action on 14 July 1944 when a line maintenance party was attacked by enemy aircraft. Lance Corporal G. G. Hoy, Signalman A. W. Clayton, Signalman S. Radley, and Signalman H. Salad were wounded; for his bravery in Normandy and the aftermath Lance Corporal Hoy was awarded a Military Medal.[2]

During the Aden Emergency in the Federation of South Arabia in operations against dissident tribesmen astride the Lahej-Dhala road in the Thumier area, following a report that four hand grenades had been found hidden under rocks which were placed to block the road, Corporal M. R. Davies, Federal Regular Army Signal Squadron attached to 4th Battalion, Federal Regular Army, volunteered to go out with a Land Rover to assist in road clearing operations. He was killed in action on 3 April 1964 when his vehicle hit a land mine. Continue reading →

Commemorating Royal Signals War Dead – New Page, ‘M’

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The Royal Signals casualties whose surnames begin with ‘M’ have now been included on the War Dead page on this website (completed letters are hyperlinked; the documents open as pdfs).

Of the first letter for surnames in England, ‘M’ accounts for about 7% but this rises to over 20% in Scotland. Notwithstanding the large number of Scottish soldiers who have served with Royal Signals, surnames beginning with ‘M’ tend to the former, making up a little over 8% of Royal Signals casualties (446 all ranks).

Malbork Commonwealth War Cemetery in the north of Poland. Buried here is Signalman Cecil McCormack of 2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade Signal Section who was captured in the latter stages of the Battle of France and held at Stalag XX-A in Thorn (Toruń) in Poland, where he died as a prisoner of war on 25 December 1940. (Photo: C.W.G.C.)

The casualties include:

  • One hundred and seventeen who were killed in action or died of wounds or were killed as a result of terrorist action, including:

In the early stages of the Malayan Campaign, in the Battle of Jitra fought by 11th Indian Division, Captain J. L. Mainprize, Officer Commanding 28th Indian Infantry Brigade Signal Section was killed in action on 12 December 1941 with Captain A. S. Hargreaves, 15th Indian Infantry Brigade Signal Section, when they were caught by crossfire while travelling in a vehicle near Gurun. On 15 December Captain K. Mole was posted from 9th Indian Divisional Signals to 15th Indian Infantry Brigade Signal Section with Second Lieutenant R. D. G. Meek to replace Captain Hargreaves and Second Lieutenant A. J. Aitken, the latter having been killed in action on 13 December. Both Captain Mole and Second Lieutenant Meek were killed in action on 11 February 1942 in an ambush in the Battle of Bukit Timah. Continue reading →

The Mechanised Transport Corps
Part 1: The Early Years

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As part of a project looking at honours and awards to some of the women’s services, I came across an article about the award of the Croix de Guerre to British women volunteers of the Mechanised Transport Corps who had served with the French Army during the Battle of France in 1940. Intrigued I did a bit of digging but with little result—most of the available sources online are scanty in their detail and many conflate the various components of the M.T.C. As is often the case, a search of the British Newspaper Archive provided many good leads and those led to a visit to the Library of Congress to read some long-out-of-print memoires. This is the first of four articles about this most interesting volunteer organisation. For details of the honours and awards to the M.T.C. see here.

Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry D.B.E.
Founder of the Women’s Legion.

The Mechanised Transport Corps had its origins in the motor transport section of the Women’s Legion that remained independent after the formation of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1917; it served with great distinction in the United Kingdom and then in France after the Armistice. The section continued on a much smaller scale after the war and in 1927 the Women’s Legion Motor Drivers was recognised by the Army Council as a voluntary reserve transport unit and took its place on the Army List, albeit unfunded by the War Office.[1] Throughout the inter-war years, the President of the Women’s Legion Motor Drivers was Lady Londonderry[2] (the founder of the Women’s Legion) and its secretary was Miss B. G. Ward O.B.E.,[3] both of whom had been recognised for their service during the First World War. In 1937 it was renamed Women’s Legion Mechanical Transport Section.

Women’s Legion Motor Drivers, 1918

Prior to the Second World War, in July 1937 Lady Londonderry proposed a ‘new’ Women’s Legion.[4] Beginning as an extension of the Women’s Legion Mechanical Transport Section, it began training in anti-gas drills, first aid, map reading and signalling at Regent’s Park Barracks in November that year. Aged between 18 and 40, its members were required to have a clean driving licence, paid a subscription upon enrolment and purchased their own uniforms. The unit established at Regents Park became No. 1 Company and was led by Mrs. G. M. Cook O.B.E., a driving force behind the transport section in the earlier war.[5] Early success led to a plan in January 1938 to expand the organisation to provide many more women capable of driving commercial transport in the event of a national emergency and recruitment soon began in earnest. Miss Ward commented, ‘There is no difficulty in finding women who can drive lorries… they are quite capable of driving large ambulances and lighter lorries. During the war they did it and they would be able to do it again.’[6]

Mrs. G. M. Cook O.B.E
Corps Commandant, Mechanised Transport Corps

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Honours, Decorations, and Medals to The Royal Corps of Signals

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Following the announcement of the New Year Honours list, I have updated the Addendum to Honours, Decorations, and Medals to The Royal Corps of Signals. It includes the awards announced at the end of last year and also some new information. Most of the new information comprises the identification of units of men mentioned in despatches that has been gleaned from war diaries found in the Indian National Archives – Abhilekh Patal. This is an extraordinary treasure trove of information but the website is clunky and needs patience,

The pdf is available to download midway down this page.

Operation Varsity, The Rhine Crossing—
Royal Signals & United States 17th Airborne Division

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(Update March 2025: This article has been updated to include more information about the fate of the various crew members and passengers and to add more photographs, including that of Signalman Teddy Beddington, which was provided by his nephew.)

1st Lieutenant Arnold L. Holt

Material provided to me by the grandson of Lieutenant Arnold L. Holt, 61st Troop Carrier Squadron, United States Army Air Forces created a route to a treasure trove of information from various sources that allows a more complete story to be told of the fate of some of the Royal Signals participants on Operation Varsity in March 1945.

Operation Varsity was the airborne component of the Rhine crossing (Operation Plunder) and was concentrated on the capture of the Diersfordter Wald between Hamminkeln and Wessel and the seizure of crossings over the River Issel. It was conducted by United States XVIII Corps (Airborne). The British 6th Airborne Division landed by parachute and by glider at drop zones and landing zones in the north of the area at Hamminkeln and the United States 17th Airborne Division landed in the south, north of Wessel.

Detachments of Royal Signals soldiers from 1st Airborne Corps Signals attached to No. 2 Air Support Signal Unit were landed by glider to support both divisions.[1] The use of British signallers by 17th Airborne Division was necessitated by the use of the British Second Tactical Air Force[2] for close air support. The No. 2 A.S.S.U. ‘tentacles’ (radio detachments) provided links from both divisions to Headquarters Second Army and to the Group Control Centres of Second Tactical Air Force for tasking. Separately, No. 2 A.S.S.U. provided a radio detachment at Headquarters XVIII Corps at Xanten. Continue reading →

Commemorating Royal Signals War Dead – New Page, ‘B’

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The Royal Signals casualties whose surnames begin with ‘B’ have now been included on the War Dead page on this website (the document opens as a pdf).

‘B’ is the most common initial letter for surnames in England, accounting for about 11% of the population, and slightly less common in Wales and Scotland. Not surprisingly, therefore, surnames beginning with ‘B’ account for the same proportion of Royal Signals casualties (568 all ranks).

The grave of Signalman H. Brown of Eastern Command Signals, who was crushed by a falling building at about 11.00pm on 23 October 1943 during a powerful earthquake in northern Assam, India. He died of his injuries on 24 October 1943, aged 30.

The casualties include:

  • One hundred and eighty-five who were killed in action or died of wounds, including:

Sapper W. H. Bunning of ‘F’ Divisional Signals, who was killed in action in Waziristan on 19 January 1921, the first Indian Signal Corps casualty of that campaign. Also killed in this action were Signalman Hanuman Singh of ‘F’ Divisional Signals and Signalman Suwaru Ram of 23rd Infantry Brigade Signal Section.
Signalman P. Bannerman, ‘F’ Squadron, General Headquarters Liaison Regiment (Phantom) attached to 2nd Special Air Service Regiment, who was killed in action on or shortly after 20 October 1944 while exfiltrating to Allied lines after Operation Loyton during the North-West Europe Campaign. In the same incident, Signalman G. G. Johnston was murdered after being captured.
Corporal R. Barnes of No. 70 Construction Section, No. 5 Railway Telegraph Company, who was  wounded on 16 December 1944 (the first day of the Ardennes offensive) when a V2 rocket destroyed the Cinema Rex in Antwerp during the North-West Europe Campaign. He died of wounds on 17 December 1944. The audience were watching the 1936 Western film The Plainsman when the rocket hit—a little under 600 civilians and military personnel killed or died as a result of their injuries including eight Royal Signals soldiers from various units; a significant number of Royal Signals soldiers were wounded.
Staff Sergeant J. I. Baker and Lieutenant J. A. Barry who were killed in action during the Falklands War and Signaller W. N. E. Bland of 16th Signal Regiment who died of wounds on 11 August 2008 during the Afghanistan War.

Cinem Rex, Antwerp

  • In addition, eight men were killed in action at sea, including:

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The Queen’s Gallantry Medal & The King’s Gallantry Medal

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Since writing For Exemplary Bravery, the story of the Queen’s Gallantry Medal and its recipients, I have regularly produced an online ‘addendum’ to share information received since publication in 2014 and to record new awards.

The final awards of the Queen’s Gallantry Medal were announced in the Civilian Gallantry List of 18 March 2023.

There have been 57 awards of the QGM since January 2014, bringing the total to 1,101—559 to civilians and 542 to military personnel; this includes 19 Bars. Two posthumous awards announced in 2018, one in 2019, and one in 2023 bring the total number of posthumous recipients to 42. The awards to Leading Seaman (Seaman Specialist) S. L. Hughes QGM, Mrs. L. Way QGM and Mrs. A. Bounouri QGM brings the number of female recipients to 27.

Following the announcement of these final awards and having received new information about several other awards of the medal, I have updated the ‘addendum’, which is free to view and download here.

Following the accession of King Charles III, the medal was renamed and the first six awards of the King’s Gallantry Medal were announced in the Civilian Gallantry List of 14 May 2024. You can read about the changes to the design of the medal and about the first recipients here.

The King’s Gallantry Medal (Photo: By Permission © Worcestershire Medal Service)

A Combined British-United States Grave at Digboi War Cemetery, Assam

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This is one of several posts following my recent trip to India. See the posts about the CWGC cemeteries at Kolkata, Kohima and Digboi.

Digboi War Cemetery, Assam

In Digboi War Cemetery in north-east Assam lies the remains of a sergeant of the United States Army Air Forces. He is interred in a single grave with three British soldiers. Why they lie together is a most interesting tale; the remains of all four men made journeys of many thousands of miles before their final burial at Digboi.[1]

Douglas C-47 Skytrain in the India-Burma Theatre

On the morning of 7 August 1944, United States Army Air Forces Douglas C-47 Skytrain, serial 42-93341, from 9th Combat Cargo Squadron, 3rd Combat Cargo Group departed Moran airfield in Assam on an airdrop sortie to Burma. After completing its drop, in very low cloud the aircraft crashed into a hill four miles west of Warazup (Waura Zup, Myanmar) just before 11.00am. The aircraft had on board four United States and three British crew; the latter were men of the Royal Artillery serving as air despatchers. All three had been members of 122nd (The Royal Warwickshire Regiment) Light Anti-Tank/Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery in 36th Division prior to being posted to an air despatch company when that regiment was reorganised.[2]

All of the crew of 42-93341 were killed:

Pilot: T/2733 Flight Officer Wyant Vanden Mecham, United States Army Air Forces.
Co-Pilot: O-715155 Second Lieutenant Walter Eugene Davis, United States Army Air Forces.
Radio Operator: 16021900 Sergeant Robert Stanley Mercier, United States Army Air Forces.
Aerial Engineer: 31115894 Sergeant Arnold Sulo Oja, United States Army Air Forces.
Air Despatcher: 5104546 Sergeant John Pitt, Royal Regiment of Artillery.
Air Despatcher: 11425253 Gunner Frank Baines, Royal Regiment of Artillery.
Air Despatcher: 1538730 Gunner Wilfred Downton, Royal Regiment of Artillery.

A cursory examination of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records would indicate that the remains of Sergeant Oja and the three British air despatchers were reinterred at Digboi from Panitola Military Cemetery in 1946, but that is far from the complete story. Continue reading →