47 (London) Signal Regiment was a Territorial Army (TA) unit of the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals. It had its origins in an engineer company and a cyclist battalion of the former Territorial Force that were amalgamated in 1920. It provided corps signal units during and after World War II. Following a series of postwar mergers Its successors continue in the Army Reserve today.

Origin When the Royal Corps of Signals (RCS) was created in 1920, the 47th (2nd London) Divisional Signals was formed in the Territorial Army (TA). It combined the former 47th (2nd London) Signal Company of the Royal Engineers (RE) with the 25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion of the London Regiment.Edwards, pp. 94–8, 102.Lord & Watson, pp. 156–9.Nalder, p. 610–1.25th (Cyclist) Bn London Regiment at Regiments.org.

Signal Company

When the old Volunteer Force was subsumed into the Territorial Force (TF) after the Haldane reforms in 1908, the 1st Middlesex Royal Engineers (Volunteers) provided the RE components of the TF's 2nd London Division, including the 2nd London Divisional Telegraph Company, RE, with the following organisation:Monthly Army List, various dates.Edwards, pp. 30–5.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 69–75.Lord & Watson, pp. 156–8, 247. Company HQ at Duke of York's Headquarters, Chelsea No 1 Section, Duke of York's Headquarters No 2 (4th London) Section No 3 (5th London) Section No 4 (6th London) Section Nos 2–4 Sections were attached to and largely manned by the 4th–6th infantry brigades of the division.

The company (termed a signal company from 1910) served with 47th (1/2nd London) Division on the Western Front during World War I and spun off a 2nd Line unit for 60th (2/2nd London) Division, which served in Salonika and Palestine.Becke, Pt 2 b, pp. 25–32.Edwards, pp. 38–92.47th Division at Long, Long Trail.60th Division at Long, Long Trail.

Cyclist Battalion

The first Bicycle infantry in the British Army were the 26th Middlesex (Cyclist) Volunteer Corps, formed on 1 April 1888 by a group of enthusiastic cyclists. On the formation of the TF, it became 25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion of the London Regiment. It served in coast defence during the early part of World War I, but in February 1916 it sailed for India, leaving its 2nd Line battalion to continue the coast defence duties. In 1917, the battalion joined the Waziristan Field Force as infantry and took part in the Waziristan Campaign of that year. In April 1919, it was on security duty at Amritsar at the time of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, then from May to August took part in the Third Afghan War, including the Relief of Thall, before finally being demobilised almost a year after the end of World War I.Anon, London Cyclists.London Regiment at Long, Long Trail.25th Cyclist Bn at Regfiments.org.25th Cyclist Bn at Stepping Forward.

Interwar In 1920, the RE Signal Service became the independent Royal Corps of Signals (RCS). 47th (2nd London) Signal Company merged with the 25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion, and the combined 47th (2nd London) Divisional Signals established its HQ at the Cyclists' drill hall at Fulham House in Fulham. It also administered a number of other TA and Supplementary Reserve (SR) signal units based at Fulham House:

204th Medium Artillery Signal Section (TA) No 22 (London) Cable Section (SR) No 25 (London) Construction Section (SR) No 1 (London) Air Wing Signal Section (SR) No 10 (London) Air Squadron Signal Section (SR)

The first Commanding Officer (CO) was Lieutenant-Colonel William Fox Bruce, DSO, MC, who had been captured during the German Spring Offensive of 1918 while commanding 47th Signal Company.Burke's, 'Baron Aberdare'.Maude, p. 161; Appendix D.

To meet the growing threat of air attack, a number of TA units began to be converted to the anti-aircraft (AA) role during the 1930s. On 16 December 1935, 47th (2nd London) Divisional HQ was redesignated 1st AA Division (for which London District Signals provided the communications), while 47th Divisional Signals became London Corps Signals.Edwards, p. 113. London Corps Signals also administered 204th Medium Regiment and 206th Field Regiment Signal Sections (TA) and 2 (London) Company Air Formation Signals (SR), and had A Company, 1st West London Cadet Corps affiliated to it.Lord & Watson, pp. 243–4.

World War II Mobilisation When the TA was doubled in size in early 1939 after the Munich Crisis, the unit split to form 1st and 2nd (London) Corps Signals. However, on the outbreak of war, these were redesignated, the 1st Line unit joining Lt-Gen Alan Brooke's II Corps with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) as 2nd (London) Corps Signals, while the 2nd Line unit was earmarked for IV Corps in 1940 but became 5th (London) Corps Signals.Lord & Watson, p. 243.Roberts, p. 5.

Organisation In 1939, the organisation of a corps signal unit was as follows:Lord & Watson, p. 262. HQ 1 Company - for construction 4 line-laying sections 1 line maintenance section 2 Company – operating 3 operating sections 3 wireless sections 2 messenger sections (each of 1 Sergeant and 24 despatch riders) 3 Company – corps artillery 1 section for each artillery regiment

In 1941, 1 Company supported the Main Corps HQ and 2 Company supported Rear HQ. By 1943 corps signal units had disbanded their third company and divided its duties between signal troops assigned to individual artillery regiments and the new Army Groups Royal Artillery (AGRAs). Finally, in 1944, 1 and 2 Companies supported Main HQ, a new 3 Company was formed for line construction and a new 4 Company supported Rear HQ.

2nd (London) Corps Signals The unit was warned for mobilisation on 4 August 1939 and was embodied at Fulham House on 25 August. It moved to Ludgershall, Wiltshire, on 1 September, from where all soldiers under the age of 19 were returned to Fulham House to join the 2nd Line unit still being formed. 2nd (L) Corps Signals returned to Sutton, London, on 14 September and completed its war establishment. It embarked for France to join the BEF on 29 September. In December 1939 and January 1940 it was joined by Nos 10 and 11 Line Sections provided by the 2nd Line unit.Lord & Watson, p. 259.

Battle of France

Once concentrated, II Corps moved on 12 October up to the French frontier.Ellis, France and Flanders, Chapter II.Pakenham-Walsh, Vol VIII, pp. 10–3. When the German offensive in the west opened on 10 May 1940. The BEF advanced into Belgium in accordance with 'Plan D'.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter III. However, the German Army broke through the Ardennes to the east, forcing the BEF to withdraw again, by 19 May the whole force was back across the Escaut and then went back to the so-called 'Canal Line'.Bryant, pp. 91–128.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter IV.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter VIII.

By 26 May, the BEF was cut off and the decision was made to evacuate it through Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo), with II Corps acting as flank guard against the German penetration where the Belgian Army had surrendered.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter XI.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter XIII. The last of the BEF who could enter the Dunkirk bridgehead had done so by 29 May and the evacuation progressed: III Corps went first, followed by II Corps after handing over responsibility for the eastern flank to the rearguards of I Corps. Most of II Corps was evacuated on the night of 31 May/1 June.Bryant, pp. 128–53.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter XIV.Ellis, France & Flanders, Chapter XV.

After evacuation, the signal unit was due to return to France as part of the Second BEF that was being organised, but on the surrender of France it was instead sent to Northern Ireland as 6th (London) Corps Signals.

Middle East and Mediterranean In 1941, the unit was redesignated again as 3rd (London) Corps Signals and sent to join Middle East Forces. At this time, III Corps was a deception HQ in Persia and Iraq Command (Paiforce). In 1942, 3rd (L) Corps Signals spun off a separate 21st Corps Signals for Paiforce. This unit later became Eastern Command Signals in India and was disbanded on Indian independence in 1947. 3rd (L) Corps Signals also spun off 3 Army Signals, which served in the Middle East for the rest of the war.

In 1944, 3rd (L) Corps Signals was reorganised as No 18 Line of Communication Signals and sent to the Italian Front. After 1943, a Line of Communication signal unit was intended to be organised as follows:Lord & Watson, p. 265. 1 HQ signal troop 6 construction troops 2 terminal equipment troops 6 telegraph operating troops 4 despatch rider troops 2 technical maintenance troops 4 medium wireless troops 2 telephone switchboard 2 cipher troops

After a short spell in Italy, 18 LoC Signals served in Greece during the British occupation and civil war that followed the German withdrawal. The unit was demobilised there in 1946.

5th (London) Corps Signals

While the 1st Line unit went to France, the 2nd Line continued to absorb recruits and train at Fulham House and various locations round Putney and Wandsworth. During the winter, it sent 10 and 11 Line Sections to join 2nd Corps, and in April 1940 it provided a cadre of 150 men to form 7th Corps Signals. Also, in April, five of its sections (5 Line Maintenance, 9 Wireless, 13 Operating and 25 and 28 Line Sections) were mobilised for overseas service, though this did not happen. In early May, some subunits were detached for training to South Shields and Portsmouth, and on their return the whole unit (six officers and 250 other ranks) moved to Old Dean Common Camp in Aldershot Command and then to Minley Manor, which it shared with 4th (North Midland) Corps Signals. The intention was that the London unit would take over as 4th Corps Signals while the North Midland unit would join the North Western Expeditionary Force (NWEF) in the Norwegian campaign. However, the evacuations from Norway and France disrupted all arrangements: both units provided personnel to reform 2nd (L) Corps Signals after its evacuation from Dunkirk (see above) and 5th (L) Corps Signals resumed its title.Roberts, pp. 5–6.

V Corps HQ under Lt-Gen Claude Auchinleck was formed from the NWEF HQ on 17 June 1940 at Tidworth Camp, Wiltshire, in Southern Command. Here, it was joined by 5th (L) Corps Signals, initially accommodated at Bhurtpore Barracks and in a tented camp. Within a month, Corps HQ was established at Melchett Court, near Salisbury, and 5th (L) Corps Signals at Cowesfield House, fully cabled, with the wireless sections at Deanhill Farm ('Radio City'), a pigeon loft at Redlynch, and a Rear HQ signals office at Romsey. V Corps HQ was responsible for operational control and coast defence in Hampshire and Dorset, and had to respond to numerous false invasion alarms during the summer of 1940. Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery took over as General Officer Commanding (GOC) V Corps on 21 July 1940, and emphasised mobility for all units and HQs in its training exercises. The new GOC was ruthless in replacing officers who did not match up to his standards for fitness and ability.Roberts, pp. 6–7.Montgomery, pp. 70–4.

V Corps HQ moved to Longford Castle, still near Salisbury, in mid-September 1940, and 5th (L) Corps Signals was distributed in surrounding parts of Wiltshire and Hampshire as follows:Roberts, p. 7. HQ at Alderbury 1 Company at Whiteparish, Odstock, and West and East Dean, the remainder at Cowesfield House with the Technical Maintenance Section 2 Company at Bodenham, Nunton, Farley and West Grimstead, with an element at Alderbury 3 Company at Nomansland Telephone exchange at Downton with V Corps' Rear HQ