The Royal Corps of Signals

Lieutenant Herbert Campbell Ackroyd MC, 30 Corps HQ Signals, Royal Corps of Signals.

Periodical Military Cross.

In the advance of this Corps from the Rhine Crossing this officer commanded the Line Section whose task it was to lay one of Corps main artery cables. Throughout the whole 120 miles advance he pressed on with his cable head with such zeal that his line was often used for communication between Brigade HQ and Battalion HQ while much of his work was done in the area of forward companies. In making reconnaissances for his line he had no hesitation in going over ground in which there was every likelihood of encountering enemy.

On 10th April the HQ of Guards Armoured Division took a diversion from the pre-arranged axis behind the cable head, which necessitated diverting the cable down a lateral road to rejoin the axis. While carrying out his reconnaissance, fire was opened upon him from the woods lining the road, but he managed to complete his task. Regardless of personal safety he returned along the same route to bring his section forward. Upon their arrival the enemy withdrew through the woods and he was able to complete his line.

During the whole of the ensuing fortnight Lieut. Ackroyd was constantly confronted with situations which called for courage and determination to a very high degree.

To meet these situations he never spared himself, and when danger threatened he always went ahead alone. He set his men the very highest example of unselfishness and devotion to duty.


LG 11.10.45

 

Signalman Harold Wheelwright DCM, 46 Divisional Signals, Royal Signals, TA.

On May 22, 1940, during the afternoon, having delivered despatches to 25th Infantry Brigade at Don. Returning he found an enemy unexploded bomb lying on the road near Rly junctiontowards Wavrin. With great coolness and disregard for personal danger he carried the bomb some distance off the road and placed it in a waterlogged ditch. He then proceeded to Armentieres to deliver further despatches to 3 Co[...] at the Rly Bridge entering Armentieres he was subject to very heavy bombing but with his ears and nose bleeding from concussion of the explosions he delivered his despatches.

The Signalman was at all times very cool and quite untiring in his efforts to deliver despatches to formations which were continually moving and a fine example to other signalmen in his detachment. He was frequently under MG fire from enemy aircraft when on the roads delivering despatches.

Gazetted 22.10.40

 

46th Division was one of those Territorial units sent for labour duties. It was combined with 25th Inf. Bde in Polforce. 25th had been an independent Brigade attached to GHQ followed by a short spell with 50th Division.

I imagine that as a labour / training battalion, the DR was probably one of those issued with a 'Civilian Impressed' motorcycle. Perhaps he was lucky because some of those taken from dealer's showrooms were a sight more sporty than the War office preferred plodders.

 

Just playing a hunch in connection with my Burma research, was hoping for more info on this guy Signalman George Kenneth Chadwick, Royal Corps Signals/Singapore Fortress Signals, 2360898, Died 8.9.45. Age 26, remembered on the Singapore memorial.

 

Ernest Gerrard born in Warrington 7/11/1916.

Royal Corp of signals, servied in India and possibly Burma, not sure.
He is the handsome one with the tash, goalie for team and looked after the dog pictured. He returned home 1945. He was missing presumed dead for one year, but he never talked about his experiences, other than he was wounded , bayonnet wound to the thigh. He died 1980, My mother doesn`t have any information about him, his ration books, army hat and records passed to his brothers. No one in the family has any records now.

Be interested to know where he served, what campaign too.

hopefully
Heather Hooper

 

Search for any information on my father Ernest Gerrard (Gerry) who served in India and possibly Burma. Missing for 1 year. Demobbed 1945. Never spoke of experiences.

He is the handsome one with the moustache!

cheers
Heather

 

Signalman G E Dean MM, 50th Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals.

Awarded Military Medal.

Sgnm Dean continually showed great coolness in carrying messages under air bombardment and shell fire and on one occassion near Adinkerke in carrying a Line Man on the pillion of his M.C. to repair a line. This occurred on 31 May 1940.

 

Lieutenant, Acting Captain Norman Percival Gates MBE, 5th Indian Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals.

Awarded MBE.

Throughout the campaign in Sudan, Eritrea and Abbysinia.

This officer showed technical skill and devotion to duty well above average. In spite of great difficulties he was responsible for restoring Line Communication in Asmara and on the Lines of Communication to Amba Alagi.

He organized and led parties laying cables to the Brigades, and repaired airline routes under fire near Enda Medani. As a result of his untiring efforts Divisional Line Communications during the battle of Amba Alagi never failed.


LG 16.4.42

 

Just checked the on my list of RCS awards and no mention unfortunately.

I have a look in my unit formation book but I don't think I've come across the unit. I suspect ADM199 (Brian) maybe your man as it looks like he was a PoW?
Andy, cheers for that are you thinking he was captured when Singapore fell.Because the date of death fits with the guy I am looking for as does the surname but he would not of been a P.O.W, but I am none the wiser as to everything else.

 

Thank Andy. Delay joining due to registration problems. Ok will follow your link in an attempt to trace his service records.

byeeeeeeee
Heather

 

Lance Corporal Jack Wilkinson DCM, 46 Divisional Signals, Royal Signals.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on 9th March 1943 at Tamara.

At aprrox. 0900hrs Lieutenant V. J. Sanger, Royal Signals ordered Lance Corporal Wilkinson to execute the following tasks.

(a) Report to 457 Light Battery, Royal Artillery with instructions about A.F. Gear of a W/T Set No.21.

(b) To repair the line from 457 Light Battery, RA position to this headquarters.

Lance Corporal Wilkinson on reaching the road and railway bridge near Tamara Station decided to leave his motorcycle in the woods and travel forward on foot. He set off under cover of the bushes and on approaching 457 Light Battery, RA position saw a man with his back facing in the direction in which he was travelling, firing on members of the 1st Parachute Battalion in that area, this man a German Paratrooper, he shot. A few minutes later he came within firing distance of another enemy-this one he shot through the lungs. These events happened whilst intense shell fire was being brought down on the whole area. Continuing on his way, still under shellfire, he delivered the message and A F gear to the battery in question. Lance Corporal Wilkinson stayed on the position until wireless communications had been satisfactorily established to this HQ and then returned down the telephone wire which he endeavoured to repair, but this was found impossible owing to the continuous shelling.

On his return journey to this HQ he saw a further enemy soldier firing in a kneeling position. This soldier he fired at and wounded in the thigh and then closed with the enemy who attempted to slash at him with a bayonet. Lance Corporal Wilkinson fired a second time and killed this Boshe, receiving himself only slight scratches on the left wrist. A few hundred yards further on he came across 3 German soldiers dressed in field-grey uniform, whom he captured and handed over to members of the 1st Parachute Battalion as Prisoners of War. On reaching Tamara railway bridge again he jooined up with some more Paratroops who were fighting on the surrounding hills, during which time he shot another German soldier and returned to this HQ.


Gazetted 15.6.43

 

Just reading some of the quotes on the Royal corps of signals.
I attach a couple of pics of my father who joined signals as a territorial before WW2. He then trained signalmen at Catterick and Harrogate I believe.
He later joined 6 airborne and as you previously mentioned wore the red beret.
He is the Sergeant on the left in pic 3

 

Drew,
I am looking for any info on an Operation in France/NW Europe (20 June 1940/2 July 1940.
This was noted in my fathers diary. I do not believe it to be Op Collar (Commandos), but as it was too early for Airborne I guess it was in his original Royal Corps Of signals unit. Do you have any idea of any such Operation?
Thanks again

 

Major, Temporary Lieutenant Colonel Vernon Willougnby Hawkins (TA) OBE, Comd. N. Som. Royal Corps of Signals.

Periodical OBE.

Also MiD 24.6.43 (ME)

Colonel Hawkins has served with the Desert Air Force for a very long time and has commanded the Air Formation Signals Unit attached to this Force since the fall of Tripoli last January. He is very qiuet and unassuming but at the same time he is very efficient and exceedingly hard working. He has always given his utmost and has been most co-operative and the results of his work have been first class. I very strongly recommend him for the award of OBE.

LG 23.3.44

 

Sergeant Elms of 16/5 Lancers and his tank crew at El Aroussa; Trooper Bates, Royal Armoured Corps, Signalman Bower, Royal Corps of Signals, and Trooper Goddard, Royal Armoured Corps, clean the 6-pounder gun of their Crusader tank while preparing for the drive on Tunis.

 

Signalman David Robertson MM, 5th Indian Divisonal Signals, The Royal Corps of Signals.

Awarded Military Medal.

 

Second Lieutenant David Clifford Johnston Bell MC, 23rd (N) Division, Royal Corps of Signals

Awarded MC

This officer was in command of a detachment of Dispatch Riders, and worked day and night for 2 weeks to keep communications open, often carrying important messages himself owing to the scarcity of DR's.

On 20th May he made several reconnaissances into the area where one of the Brigades had been overrun by tanks in order to establish communication with the scattered remnants of its Battalions and was largely responsible for collecting a large portion of the Brigade.

His energy and resource, and total disregard of personal danger set a fine example to all ranks.


LG 20.12.40

Additional Information provided by DBF:

2nd Lt. Bell

 

Signalman James Bruce O'Neill MM, attached GHQ Signals BEF, The Royal Corps of Signals.

Awarded Military Medal



Harkin and O'Neill were captured on 26th May 40 at Calais and McCallum three days previously at La Chapelle near Boulogne. All three were imprisoned at Lamsdorf (Stalag VIII B - now Stalag 344) and working camps attached. During the winter of 1943/44 they began their preparations for escape, and whilst at Karlsbrunn stole a wireless set. Unfortuantely they were moved back to the main camp before everything was ready and, realising they would not be able to smuggle the wireless set into Lamsdorf, they gave it to a P/W in a working camp at Freudenthal.

In Apr 44 they were transferred to Romerstadt, but soon after their arrival they heard of an anticipated increase in the number of guards. Although they had not then obtained civilian clothes nor completed the forging of their papers, they decided to make an attempt.

On 24 Apr 44 they got through a window, the bar of which was removed and then replaced it after their exit by other P/W. They then cut the barbed wire fence and replaced it after they had emerged. Before morning they reached a deer-stalkers hut near Karlsbrunn, where they obtained civilian clothes from acquaintances they had made whilst working in that district.

On 13 May they begun a series of well planned train journeys which, after five days, brought them to Stettin. With the assistance of French workers, they remained hidden until 23 May, when they boarded a Swedish vessel. One of the crew hid them in a coal bunker and as the German Port Control party failed to discover them they were landed at Malmo, Sweden, on 26 May 44.

I recommend these three men for the award of the MM.



LG 6.7.44

 

WO2 (CQMS) Cecil Frederick White DCM, 42nd Divisional Signals, Royal Signals.

18th May 1940.

F. of S. (Foreman of Signals) CQMS White C F displayed great coolness and resource when an enemy bomb fell close to the workshop section. He put out the fire caused by the bomb and saved the workshop vehicles by evacuating them, showing no regard for his personal safety. One man was killed and two wounded on this occassion.

LG 11.7.40