44 (Home Counties) Signal Regiment was a Territorial Army (TA) unit of the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals. It had its origins in a Volunteer unit of the Royal Engineers (RE) formed in the 1890s. It provided the divisional signals for the 44th (Home Counties) Division and its duplicates in both World Wars, also seeing active service with 28th Division in the First World War. Its successor continued in the postwar TA and Army Reserve.
Origin
When the Volunteer Force was subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms in 1908, the former 1st Sussex Engineer Volunteer Corps provided the divisional engineers for the TF's Home Counties Division, including the Home Counties Divisional Telegraph Company with the following organisation:Westlake, p. 13.Lord & Watson, pp. 152–4.Morling, pp. 19 & 249.Nalder, p. 598.Monthly Army List, various dates.London Gazette, 20 March 1908. Company Headquarters at 23 Gloucester Place, Brighton No 1 Section at Brighton No 2 (Surrey) Section No 3 (Kent) Section No 4 (Middlesex) Section Nos 2–4 Sections were attached to and largely manned by the three infantry brigades of the division. The Telegraph Company was redesignated a Signal Company in 1911.
First World War Mobilisation The Signal Company had been with the Home Counties Division on Salisbury Plain for its annual training when the order came to mobilise on 4 August 1914. The unit returned to Brighton and was embodied the following day. Shortly afterwards, TF units were invited to volunteer for overseas service. Early in September battalions of the Home Counties Division began to relieve Regular units at Gibraltar, then in October the infantry and artillery of the whole division embarked for garrison service in India. Although it did later receive a number (44th), the Home Counties Division never operated as a formation during the war: its units remained scattered in colonial garrisons or were attached to Indian divisions. The Divisional RE remained in England to support Regular formations: the Signal Company joined the 28th Division, which was forming at Winchester primarily from units returned from service in India.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 49–54.44 Division at Long, Long Trail.Morling, p. 35.
On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Later 3rd Line units were formed to supply drafts to the 1st and 2nd Lines.Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.
1st Home Counties Signal Company 1st Home Counties Signal Company joined 28th Division at Winchester on 5 January 1915 and provided its communications until beyond the end of the war.Becke, Pt 1, pp. 106–16.Lord & Watson, p. 222. The division embarked at Southampton 15–18 January, disembarking at Le Havre 16–19 January, and concentrated between Bailleul and Hazebrouck by 22 January. While on the Western Front it participated in the following actions: Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge (22–23 April) Battle of St Julien (24 April–4 May) Battle of Frezenberg Ridge (8–13 May) Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge (24–25 May) Battle of Loos (27 September–5 October)
At noon on 19 October 1915 the division was ordered to leave for an unknown destination within 48 hours. The Signals Company entrained on 20 October, embarked at Marseille on 24 October and arrived at Alexandria in Egypt on 29 October. The division then embarked again for the Macedonian front, the Signal Company arriving at Salonika on 16 December 1915, joining the division on the River Struma.
28th Division spent the rest of the war on this front, where there were few major actions, but the troops suffered steady attrition through trench warfare casualties and sickness. A year after its arrival it took part in the occupation of Mazirko and the capture of Bairakli Jum'a. In May 1917 it captured Ferdie and Essex Trenches near Bairakli Jum'a, and in October it captured Nairakli and Kumli. Finally, on 18 and 19 September 1918, 28th Division took part in the Battle of Doiran and the subsequent pursuit of the defeated Bulgarian Army up the Strumica Valley. On 29 September Bulgaria concluded the Armistice of Salonica with the Allies. This was followed a month later by the Armistice of Mudros with the Turks. Early in November the 28th Division was sent to occupy Constantinople and the Dardanelles Forts, with Divisional HQ at Chanak (Çanakkale).
28th Division remained in these positions, though its units (including 28th Divisional Signal Company of the new Royal Corps of Signals) were progressively manned by Regulars after the remaining TF men were demobilised. In July 1922, 28th Division was moved to interpose between the Greek and Turkish armies (the Chanak Crisis). After a ceasefire was arranged, the British troops were progressively reduced. On 2 October 1923 the final evacuation took place, and 28th Division was disbanded.
2nd Home Counties Signal Company 2nd Home Counties Signal Co was formed at Brighton and the 2nd Home Counties Division began to assemble around Windsor in November 1914. There was a shortage of equipment with which to train – only a few old .256-in Japanese Ariska rifles were available. In July 1915 the units had to be reorganised as TF men who had only signed up for Home Service were transferred to Home Defence brigades (termed Provisional Brigades). A few Home Counties men probably joined 9th Provisional Signal Section in 9th Provisional Brigade, formed in Kent predominantly from East Lancashire units. The 2nd HC Division was redesignated 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division in August 1915 and the signal company became 67th (2nd HC) Signal Co. In November the division became part of Second Army, Central Force, and was quartered in Kent, the Signal Co HQ located with divisional HQ (DHQ) at Canterbury. On 19 January 1916 the sections left to join their respective brigades.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 75–82.Morling, pp. 36–7.
67th (2nd HC) Division had the dual role of home defence and supplying drafts to units serving overseas. It was twice warned for service in Ireland and in April 1917 for service on the Western Front, but these deployments never materialised and the division spent the whole war in England. During the winter of 1917–18 the division moved to Essex, where it joined XXIII Corps. DHQ and Signals were at Colchester. The units maintained these dispositions until after the Armistice with Germany, when demobilisation began. In March 1919 the remaining RE units began to disband, and the process was soon completed.
Royal Signals When the TF was reconstituted as the Territorial Army (TA) in 1920–1, a new 44th (Home Counties) Divisional Signals was formed by the newly-formed Royal Corps of Signals (RCS). It combined the former 44th (HC) Signal Company, RE, with 10th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Headquarters was at Stamford Brook Lodge, Ravenscourt Park, West London (the former HQ of the 10th Middlesex), with 2 Company at Brighton and sections at New Southgate, Chatham and Hurstpierpoint.
By the 1930s, 44th (HC) Signals also administered: 226th Field Artillery Signal Section, Drill Hall, Gloucester Road, Brighton 227th Field Artillery Signal Section, Drill Hall, Hurstpierpoint, later at Drill Hall, Bognor Regis 203rd Medium Artillery Signal Section, Fort Pitt, Chatham
The 4th Cadet Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment was also attached to the unit.
Second World War Mobilisation Following the Munich Crisis the TA was doubled in size. Once again, 44th (HC) Division formed a duplicate, 12th (Eastern) Infantry Division, with its own divisional signals. 44th (HC) Division was mobilised on 3 September 1939 and 12th (E) Division became active on 7 October 1939.Eastern Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files.Joslen, pp. 71–2.Joslen, p. 56.
44th (Home Counties) Divisional Signals 44th (HC) Division embarked for France on 1 April 1940 to join the new British Expeditionary Force (BEF).
Dunkirk When the German offensive in the west opened on 10 May, the BEF advanced into Belgium in accordance with 'Plan D'. 44th (HC) Division moved up to the Escaut, where it was in reserve.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter III. However, the German Army broke through the Ardennes to the east, forcing the BEF to withdraw again, and by 19 May the whole force was back across the Escaut.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter IV. 44th (HC) Division tried to hold the most dangerous point, but the Germans established bridgeheads across the Escaut at dawn on 20 May. The attack was renewed on 22 May and the division was badly chewed up, but there was no breakthrough: it was the deep penetration further east that forced the BEF to withdraw. Next day the BEF fell back to the 'Canal Line', and 44th (HC) Division was withdrawn into reserve.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter V.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter VI.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter VII.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter VIII.
Cut off, the BEF fell back towards the coast, with 44th (HC) Division given the responsibility of defending the area round Hazebrouck. On 26 May the decision was made to evacuate the BEF through Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo). 44th (HC) Division was heavily attacked by German Panzer divisions on 27 May, but fought on doggedly until ordered to withdraw, by which time the enemy's advanced columns had penetrated between its widely-spread units. With its flanks 'in the air' after neighbouring French formations retreated during the night of 28/29 May, the divisional commander decided to withdraw some to Mont des Cats, a strong position held by the divisional artillery and some of the divisional RE acting as infantry, though only DHQ and scattered elements reached the Mont by dawn to join them. This rearguard was subjected to intense mortar fire next morning, then by dive-bombing, but held its position for 30 hours while the rest of the division withdrew. The remnants of the division reached the beaches for embarkation, reaching England on 1 June.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter IX.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter XI.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter XII.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter XIII.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter XIV.
Home Defence On return to England, 44th (HC) Division was briefly in Southern Command, then until October in North East England with I Corps before returning to invasion-threatened South East England with XII Corps. In April 1942 the division came under War Office control preparatory to going overseas, and on 29 May it embarked for Egypt.
North Africa 44th (HC) Division arrived in Egypt on 24 July, shortly after Eighth Army had retreated to the El Alamein position. On 15 August it was assigned to XIII Corps before General Rommel attacked the El Alamein line (the Battle of Alam el Halfa). The division held the Alam Halfa ridge when the attack came in on 30 August. Over the next two days the Panzers made repeated attacks but 44th (HC) Division held its position and by 3 September the division was counter-attacking.Playfair, Vol III, pp. 384–90.
For Eighth Army's counter-offensive (the Second Battle of Alamein), 44th (HC) Division was to lead one of XIII Corps' thrusts through the enemy minefields on the first night, 23/24 October (Operation Lightfoot). A route was found through the first belt of minefields ('January') on the first night and 44th (HC) Division succeeded in passing the second minefield ('February') the next night, but the armour was unable to exploit beyond.Joslen, p. 570.Playfair & Molony, Vol IV, pp. 42–3, 46–7.