My father: Signalman J R Petherick 2326863

I’m new here and so I’m uncertain as to what help I might be able to get or perhaps where to best post this.

I have looked at some of the links to the Royal Corps of Signals on the site and also the Wartimes Memory Project - The Royal Signals during the Second World War, but don’t see my father’s unit listed. Hence my request for help or assistance, please.

From paperwork and items he left, it appears in 1941 he was a member of 18 Line Section, 13th Corp Signals.

My father, Signalman Jack Ronald Petherick (Army No. 2326863) joined the army in 1938, training at Catterick and served for 8 years, ending his time with the rank of Sergeant. He followed this up with a further period in the A.E.R.

Nearly a year ago I applied to obtain his service record, but like others I’ve seen I’ve been told that under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act my application has been refused. I’ve now entered the review process with no result likely any time soon, so it seems.

Although now very intrigued as to what it is preventing the release (the suggestion is it relates to something in his medical records) I’m only really wanting more information and insight about what action he saw, when and where.

A few years before he died, he wrote a brief history of his time with the Signals (attached) which provides a fair amount of information. However, I’m certain many experiences and details were glossed over or left out.

Would anyone know if there are any sources with more detailed information or accounts by his contemporaries or authorities on his branch of the Signals?

Thanks in advance.

 

The casualty lists support the entry in his diary:

2326863 L/Cpl J R Petherick 13 Corps Signals
List No 901 dated 13 Aug 42 = Reported 'missing' Western Desert 25.6.42,
List No 910 dated 24 Aug 42 = Reported 'not missing'

The lists give no further information.

 

Welcome aboard.

Your father's name and service number have not appeared here before your post.

His time as missing in North Africa were during a chaotic part of the campaign, some refer to the retreat in June 1942 as the "Gazala Gallop".

There are a mass of Royal Signals threads "tagged" here

Wiki provides a starting point for 13 Corps: XIII Corps (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia and more details on: https://www.britishmilitaryhistory....2020/09/XIII-Corps-History-Personnel-V2_1.pdf Note this lists what War Diaries refer to the Royal Signals and their Commanding Officers.

What did a Line Section do?

From: A bit of our history

Training Manuals are on: Signal Training Documents There some on lines!

This book might help:9 British Army Communications in North Africa and Italy from Operation TORCH to the Capture of Rome in: Allied Fighting Effectiveness in North Africa and Italy, 1942-1945

Remarkably there is only one mention of a line section on the site! See Post 137 in My service in Royal Signals, 1939 to 1946.

An online search found nothing specifically for the unit. I expect a Line Section was not the same size of an infantry section (eight men and a Sgt from memory). I know brigade level formations had a small team to lay wires and keep them working in the North African desert.

Hopefully we have members here immersed in the Royal Signals!

 

A very interesting story not too different from my uncle in Air Formation Signals.

Catterick was home to 1 School of Signals.
Here's a taste of what they did.
An Artillery Officer on a Signals course.
"Despite the number of hours we spend on our backsides listening to the
expositions on the behaviour of electrons and magnetic fields, we still get
out quite a bit (for we work long hours 8.30 – 6-0) on the moors on Sunday
“Schemes.” I know the country like the back of my hand which all tends to
make things easier and often we bump into gangs of cadets from 123 doing
“dull orders”. I remember when we used to go out as cadets we used to rail
at the supercilious “school of sigs crowd” who so blithely laid cables across
our gun positions and set up signalling lamps at our O.P’s Now the position
is reversed and I join the supercilious ones in looking with amusement on
these poor scared looking boys with white bands on their hats. So quickly
does one lose the power of sympathy.
When we go out on these schemes the officers have to lump it with the rest
(we are outnumbered 6-1 by NCO’s) and grovel around in the mud digging
ditches for cables or climbing trees to make “overhead crossings”. On such
a day this week I was “maintenance B” a poor stooge who runs behind the
cable laying truck making the line safe and secure. The route was diabolical
ly planned to run across main roads, bogs and tank runs with dozens of
Churchill’s pounding remorselessly over the cable. I haven’t sweated so
much in a long while as I did making these crossings, digging up sods to
protect the line, mending breaks and “reeling in” to test the line- and all this
with a telephone, mattock, coil of wire and a pair of pliers hung all over me
like a Christmas tree."

My uncle was in 3 AFS
The main difference being that AFS worked in conjunction with the RAF airfields.
The RAF were mostly concerned with wireless radio communications.

Air Formation Signals list of units

Help with Svs Papers: Royal Signals 2 Sqn 15 Air Formation Sig Rgt

 

Getting late and I have now read your father's account. You should be able to marry up the escape period to dates, Tobruk and its garrison surrendered (not all South Africans) and the opening of the bombardment @ El Alamein (the Third Battle there in 1942). Curious to note the Rhodesian officer and forty Basuto soldiers doing line work - an indication of the manpower situation in Italy. There are threads here for Basutos doing other roles, notably in artillery units.

 

Gazala Gallop – The Observation Post

Battle of Gazala - Wikipedia

 

I think that we are getting a bit confused with the name of your fathers unit.

It is, I believe, 13 Regiment Royal Corps of Signals.

The history of the Corps whilst quite short is very complicated to follow, with little about unit histories in WW2.



Corps history | Royal Signals Museum

13th Signal Regiment (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia.
This rambles on about Wireless communications with little about Signals Cables (Telephone Communication's)

 

Thanks to you and others who've supplied lots of information and links related to areas of research I can follow up on. I've been amazed at how much and so quickly! It's going to take time to work through it all.

One of the items my father kept was the telegram home telling his parents he was missing. However, I've not found any other telegrams or letters giving them the better news.

Thanks again. More, perhaps, when I've digested everyone's items and links.

David

 

Thanks for your contributions. I had read your 'Uncle Target' post prior to submitting my own and had noted the similarities.

 

David,
Your father's write-up is excellent and there's not much to add. The unit he joined for the Italy jaunt was one of several line sections made up of men of the African Pioneer Corps from the High Commission Territories (Royal Signals formed various line units from men recruited in various countries - Palestine, Mauritius, HCT etc). I know of two from the HCT: No. 521 (Basuto) Line Section and No. 523 (Basuto) Line Section. When you get his records it would be interesting to know which one he joined.
Nick