I've already posted this question, but I fear I did so in the wrong forum - I apologise. Does anyone know when the Royal Signals rank of 'Signalman' was changed to 'Signaller'? This is entirely different from the use of the generic term 'signaller' for any serviceman trained to pass messages by flag, signal lamp, heliograph, line or wireless (or even pigeon), irrespective of his corps or regiment. Chris Ellis and Peter Chamberlain's 'Handbook of the British Army, 1943' (Mil Book Soc, 1975) definitely calls the rank 'Signalman', as does the Field Service Pocket Book dated Sep 1944, giving its abbreviation as 'sgmn'. The current MoD (Army) web page 'Rank Structure' calls the rank 'Signaller', and I know from my service in 1978-82 that it was 'Signaller' by then. That puts the change some time between Sep 1944 and early 1978 - a pretty wide target. Does anyone have any more idea of when the change was made?
I did have a look on the basis of the original post, though could only find a couple of threads on the ARRSE forum - https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/when-did-signalmen-become-signallers.134975/ No dates but does seem to be more modern era (if the 1990s still counts as 'modern'?!). Gary
The Royal Signals rank of Signalman was adopted soon after the corps' formation in 1920 and lasted until the absorption of the Women's Royal Army Corps. The announcement of the change was made by the SO-in-C at the re-badging parade at Catterick in January 1992 (there were similar parades elsewhere). The term 'signaller' was used on and off over the years, usually for all-arms signallers, but it was not a Royal Signals rank before 1992.
