1. The Royal Corps of Signals
Kapil Subramanian
University of Leeds

2. Overview British Army signalling, 1910s-1930s. Impact of Great War:
-Growth of Army Telephony
-Formation of Royal Corps of Signals
Interwar Army Wireless- Technology and Policy.
Slow adoption of wireless?
Importance of understanding both innovation and use.

3. The Great War Royal Engineers Signals Service.
“Signal” rather than previous “telegraph”- telegraphy, telephony and despatch.
Hastily trained temporary General Staff officers- more frequent orders, increased need for communication- Rise of telephony.
Static warfare- further catalyst for telephony.
New devices, organisation and techniques of line laying, evolution of discipline in telephony.

4. WW1 army wireless
Europe- Limited use, mostly during final, mobile phase.
More use in “subsidiary theatres”- Gallipoli, Mesopotamia and East Africa.
Reliability and efficiency highly co-related to extent of use- practice.
WW1 largely a “telephone war” rather than wireless war- Over four decades after invention, telephone finally became central to army operations.

5. Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Engineers Signals Service expanded from 6,000 to 70,000 during the War.
Recognition of Signals as a specialized discipline requiring organized, dedicated manpower.
Corps of Signals (1920), renamed Royal Corps of Signals.

6. Interwar Wireless- Imperial Policing
Punjab disturbances, Lines cut, emergency proclaimed thus by wireless.
Iraqi revolt
Arab Revolt
Northwestern Frontier, India 1920s-1930s.
Third of officers of Royal Corps of Signals seconded to India during period.
Provided sporadic experiences of “battlefield” use during European peace.

7. Interwar wireless- Technology and Policy
Immediate postwar enthusiasm- “abolish cable”!
But technical issues were hard to resolve.
Fast paced development - hard to draw up specifications.
Conflicting design objectives- long range, multi-channel and reliable but also portable and low power.
“A” set (1923)- 6 mile range. Generator powered (Battery, 1926).

8. 1924 Experiment
Use of lines prohibited entirely for infantry brigade communication during training season.
Objectives:
-To induce proficiency and acceptance.
-Test feasibility of permanently abolishing lines.
Failure-blamed on inadequate training and deficiencies of “A” sets.

9. 1929 policy Recognition that wireless progress had been slow.
But fast mechanization was making wireless more important!
Policy of greater support to wireless.
Radio telephony emphasized- Specifications for 6 sets set out.

10. : Blow to wireless?
1935 training manoeuvres re-kindled disappointment with wireless.
Influential Jackson Committee on Signals:
-Tanks to rely on wireless.
-But all others to rely on line telephony and line telegraphy.
-Wireless only for emergencies.

11. Thus as late as early WW2
The whole conception in fact had to be changed. Wireless could no longer be regarded as a temporary stand-by when the lines were out of service; it must be a genuine alternative for use at all levels over considerable periods.
-Major General RFH Nalder

12. Conclusion