Editing Royal Corps of Signals (section)

==History==

===Origins===
In 1870, 'C' [[Telegraph Troop]], [[Royal Engineers]], was founded under Captain Montague Lambert. The [[Troop]] was the first formal professional body of signallers in the British Army and its duty was to provide communications for a field army by means of visual [[Flag semaphore|signalling]], mounted orderlies and [[telegraph]]. By 1871, 'C' Troop had expanded in size from 2 officers and 133 other ranks to 5 officers and 245 other ranks. In 1879, 'C' Troop first saw action during the [[Anglo-Zulu War]].<ref name=RSM1>The Royal Signals Museum: Telegraph TP & Boer War</ref> On 1 May 1884, 'C' Troop was amalgamated with the 22nd and 34th Companies, Royal Engineers, to form the '''Telegraph Battalion Royal Engineers''';<ref name=RSM1/> 'C' Troop formed the 1st Division (Field Force, based at [[Aldershot Command|Aldershot]]) while the two Royal Engineers companies formed the 2nd Division (Postal and Telegraph, based in [[London]]). Signalling was the responsibility of the Telegraph [[Battalion]] until 1908, when the '''Royal Engineers Signal Service''' was formed.<ref name=RSM2>The Royal Signals Museum: Corps History</ref> As such, it provided communications during the [[World War I|First World War]]. It was about this time that [[motorcycle]] [[despatch rider]]s and [[wireless]] sets were introduced into service.<ref name=RSM2/>

===Royal Warrant===
A [[Warrant (law)|Royal Warrant]] for the creation of a '''Corps of Signals''' was signed by the [[Secretary of State for War]], [[Winston Churchill]], on 28 June 1920. Six weeks later, King [[George V]] conferred the title '''Royal Corps of Signals'''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/royal-corps-signals|title=Royal Corps of Signals|publisher=National Army Museum|access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref>

===Subsequent history===
Before the [[World War II|Second World War]], Royal Signals recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 2&nbsp;inches tall. They initially enlisted for eight years with the colours and a further four years with the reserve. They trained at the Signal Training Centre at [[Catterick Camp]] and all personnel were taught to ride.<ref>[[War Office]], ''His Majesty's Army'', 1938</ref>

During the Second World War (1939–45), members of the Royal Corps of Signals served in every [[Theater (warfare)|theatre of war]]. In one notable action, [[Corporal]] Thomas Waters of the [[5th Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)|5th Parachute Brigade]] Signal Section was awarded the [[Military Medal]] for laying and maintaining the field telephone line under heavy enemy fire across the Caen Canal Bridge during the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] [[invasion of Normandy]] in June 1944.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/5363595.pegasus-bridge-hero-honoured-in-exhibition/|title=Pegasus Bridge hero honoured in exhibition|date=23 July 2004|publisher=Dorset Echo|access-date=15 October 2019}}</ref>

[[File:VSC 501 being shown to Princess Anne, Blandford Camp.jpg|thumb|A Land Rover based [[British Armed Forces communications and information systems#VSC 501|VSC 501]] being shown to [[Anne, Princess Royal|Princess Anne]] at [[Blandford Camp]] by 30th Signal Regiment]]
In the immediate post-war period, the Corps played a full and active part in numerous campaigns including [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]], the [[Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation]], [[Malayan Emergency|Malaya]] and the [[Korean War]]. Until the end of the [[Cold War]], the main body of the Corps was deployed with the [[British Army of the Rhine]] confronting [[Soviet Bloc]] forces, providing the British Forces' contribution to [[NATO]] with its communications [[infrastructure]]. Soldiers from the Royal Signals delivered communications in the [[Falklands War]] in 1982 and the [[Gulf War|first Gulf War]] in 1991.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=52589|page=45|supp=y|date=29 June 1991}}</ref>

In 1994, The Royal Corps of Signals moved its training regiments, 11th Signal Regiment (the Recruit Training Regiment) and 8th Signal Regiment (the Trade Training School), from Catterick Garrison to [[Blandford Camp]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.armygarrisons.uk/blandford-garrison/garrison/local-information-military-172824/|title=Blandford Garrison|work=Army Garrisons |access-date=15 October 2019}}</ref>

In late 2012, [[2nd Signal Brigade (United Kingdom)|2nd (National Communications) Signal Brigade]] was disbanded.<ref name="SIGNAL OFFICER IN CHIEF p 11">THE SIGNAL OFFICER IN CHIEF'S MESSAGE ON CHANGE FOR THE CORPS, dated 19 Sep 11</ref> Soldiers from the Royal Corps of Signals saw extensive service during the eight years of the [[Iraq War]] before withdrawal of troops in 2011,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/chilcot-report-iraq-war-inquiry-british-soldiers-how-many-died-who-were-they-cause-of-deaths-a7118676.html|title=Chilcot report: Who were the 179 British soldiers who died during the Iraq War?|work=The Independent|date=5 July 2016|access-date=15 October 2019}}</ref> and the 13 years of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]] before it ended in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-ends-its-war-in-afghanistan-these-are-the-453-british-men-and-women-who-died-fighting-the-taliban-9820014.html|title=UK ends its war in Afghanistan: These are the 453 British men and women who died fighting the Taliban|work=The Independent|date=27 October 2014|access-date=15 October 2019}}</ref>

Under [[Army 2020 Refine]] a number of changes planned for the Corps were made public in 2013-14.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/Aug_12.pdf |title=Army 2020, p. 56-57 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903062312/http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/Aug_12.pdf |archive-date=3 September 2013}} and {{cite web |url=http://www.royalsignals.org/files/RSI/Journal/PDF/RSI%20Journal%20March%202014.pdf |title=Royal Signals Journal |pages=42–45|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419012446/http://www.royalsignals.org/files/RSI/Journal/PDF/RSI%20Journal%20March%202014.pdf |archive-date=19 April 2014}}</ref> A presentation by the Master of Signals indicated that 16 Signal Regiment would shift from 11 Signal Brigade to 1 Signal Brigade and focus on supporting communications for logistic headquarters. Similarly, 32 and 39 Signal Regiments were planned to shift to 1 Signal Brigade. 15 Signal Regiment would no longer be focused on Information Systems but would support 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade, while 21 and 2 Signal Regiments were planned to support the [[1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|1st]] and second Strike Brigades respectively. Furthermore, a new regiment, [[13th Signal Regiment (United Kingdom)|13th Signal Regiment]], was planned to form up under [[1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade]] and work with [[14th Signal Regiment (United Kingdom)|14th Signal Regiment]] on cyber and electromagnetic activity.<ref name="cad">{{cite web|url=https://royalsignals.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/20170921-Master-of-Signals-Presentation.pdf|title=The Caduceus Programme: A Corps for the 21st Century|publisher=Royal Signals|date=October 2018|access-date=29 November 2018|archive-date=19 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519111435/https://royalsignals.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/20170921-Master-of-Signals-Presentation.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2017 the [[Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team]], then in its 90th year, was disbanded; senior officers had complained that it "failed to reflect the modern-day cyber communication skills in which the Royal Signals are trained".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/01/old-fashioned-white-helmets-display-team-wound-army-looks-promote/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/01/old-fashioned-white-helmets-display-team-wound-army-looks-promote/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title='Old fashioned' White Helmets display team wound up as Army looks to promote more high tech role|last=Sawer|first=Patrick|date=1 September 2017|website=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=8 December 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

On 28 June 2020, the Royal Corps of Signals marked the 100th anniversary of its foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://royalsignals.org/corps-100th-birthday/|title=CORPS 100TH BIRTHDAY &#124; Royal Corps of Signals}}</ref> Constrained by COVID-19 rules, many Royal Signals 100 celebrations were organised online, including the #100for100 challenge<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://royalsignals.org/100for100-challenge/|title=#100for100 Challenge &#124; Royal Corps of Signals}}</ref> that involved hundreds of members of the Corps running 100&nbsp;km for the Royal Signals Charity. The Princess Royal, the Colonel-In-Chief of the Corps, delivered a video message of congratulations,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://royalsignals.org/royal-birthday-message/|title=Royal Birthday Message &#124; Royal Corps of Signals}}</ref> and the Foreman of Signals Course students successfully took a photograph of the Royal Signals 100 badge in space, completing a challenge that was set for them.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://royalsignals.org/jimmys-in-space/|title=Jimmy in Space &#124; Royal Corps of Signals}}</ref>