Distribution of 'Signallers' in an infantry battalion

[Nigel Marshall]

I have recently purchased the medals of a Leeds Rifleman whos actual rank was Private, or within his battalion, Rifleman. In the book The West Riding Territiorials by Laurie Magnus, he is described as a Signaller.

Would there be a prescribed establishment of signallers in a battalion, or would it be at the COs discretion?

What would the distribution be of signallers in a battalion?

The period that I am looking at if it is important is immediately prior to the Armistice. My man was killed in the Battle of the Sambre on 4th November 1918.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Nigel

The official allocation (at least in 1914) was a Signaller-Sergeant and sixteen Signallers (including one corporal), all shown in War Establishments as part of Battalion HQ.

For purely man-management purposes ALL other ranks in a battalion were assigned among the companies, and some of the diagrams in Infantry Training suggest that, for parade purposes, one signaller was assigned to each platoon.

Some signallers would be required to stay at Bn HQ for communication with Brigade HQ etc, but it was also laid down that, in attacks, each company would be followed up by signallers unrolling telephone cable, so as to set up rapid communication between the companies and Bn HQ as to the progress of an attack.

I deduce that whilst signallers remained under the CO's control, it was regular practice to detach at least some of them to companies as the need arose, especially during the last three months of the war when the fighting became more mobile.

Presumably the CO would also have arranged for other men to be trained in signalling duties to rplace casualties.

Ron

[Nigel Marshall]

Thank you, Ron. That's very informative.

Cheers,

Nigel

[squirrel]

Covered in Old Soldiers Never Die by Frank Richards. Most of his duties are with one of the companies but he is called on for work as a Signaller as and when required.

[Nigel Marshall]

Thanks very much. I have the book at the top of the stairs, and I had forgotten completely about Richards' role as a signaller.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Robert Dunlop]

By 1917, GHQ Pamphlet O.B./1919 prescribed 1 Signalling Officer, 13 Signallers (ORs) and 9 Runners (ORs) in the fighting portion of a battalion headquarters, with the 'balance [of 21 additional personnel] to be made up of stretcher bearers, runners, police or scouts, at the discretion of the Battalion Commanders'. Company headquarters were to have 4 Signallers and 4 Runners (including 1 Batman), with an option of up to 4 additional runners. Platoon headquarters were to have 1 Signaller and 1 Runner.

A lecturer at the Fifth Course for Senior Officers at Aldershot in 1917 noted:

'Lecturer last Course quoted minimum [number of Signallers as] 40. Here is a fair compromise:- As it is we [the lecturer was from the East Lancashire Regiment] have got, with runners, 56 - or in battle 69 - non-commissioned officers and men telling you what your Battalion is doing; 4 of the 16 Signallers with Company Headquarters should be Lance-Corporals, in charge of Company Stations.'

This lecturer listed a total of 2 NCOs and 25 privates as Signallers, distributed as the 2 NCOs and 9 privates in the Battalion HQ (fighting portion) and 16 privates for the Company HQs.

Robert

[Muerrisch]

worth adding that signaller training was arduous and needed the very brightest and most literate of men, and indeed among the bravest.

That said, the numbers quoted above [which I do not dispute] imply that the brightest and best were not in the fighting platoons with bayonet fixed very often, which must have had a detrimental effect. Neither were they in the ranks as JNCOs.

Also, considering what a large numerical effort was expended, the amount of useful information being passed seems to have been disproportianately limited. This is an unexplored facet of the war, and one wonders if the enemy had a similar manpower distribution.

[truthergw]

There seems always to have been an inherent distrust in the ability of private soldiers or junior NCOs to think for themselves in the British army. Or a wariness to encourage them to do so. We are all aware of the disparity in the responsibilities of NCOs and subalterns in the German and British armies. That might explain why so many men were thought necessary to relay the officers' instructions to the ORs.

[Muerrisch]

Agreed. The Rifles were an early exception to the generalisation, however.

[Nigel Marshall]

worth adding that signaller training was arduous and needed the very brightest and most literate of men, and indeed among the bravest.

Twenty years old when he was Killed in Action, my man was still at school in 1911 so I have, as yet, no idea what his occupation was in civil life, but his father was a clerk, so it is possible that his literacy and numeracy may have been passed down.

Was he brave?

I know some don't rate it because of the numbers awarded, but he was a recipient of the Military Medal.

Gents, thanks very much for the responses you have given. It has helped me to see much more clearly where my man might fit into his battalion.

Cheers,

Nigel

[squirrel]

Wife's grandfather was a signaller attached to Brigade HQ Signal section. Awarded DCM for repairing telephone lines under fire. His trade before enlisting was "itinerant market gardener".

[stiletto_33853]

Nigel,

Not sure if this helps but I have the work book and notes of an officer attending a course on "Duties of Adjutants" at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in Aug/Sept 1918 (right time frame). In these notes on establishment refer to pamphlet SS143, page 16 and the notes list

Bn HQ men:- 2 clerks, 1 MO orderly, 3 cooks, 1 officers mess cook, 10 batmen, 4 police, 23 signallers, 4 SB's, 4 runners, 2 sanitary, 2 storemen, 27 drivers, 4 water, 4 shoes, 2 tailors, 1 butcher,1 postman, 1 groom.

Co. HQ men:- 6 signallers, 4 drivers, 4 scout, 1 gas, 4 SB's, 2 runners, 2 batmen.

Andy

[Robert Dunlop]

Andy, very interesting. At battalion level, there is a slight increase in signallers and runners from 1917. Redistribution of numbers between signallers and runners at the company level.

Robert

[Nigel Marshall]

Thanks for that, Andy.

I've got some work to do on this man that's for sure, but the information provided by you and others is very welcome.

Much of the information I had prior to this thread being launched was to do with establishments on the formation or mobilisation of the units. In this case it was a 2nd line TF battalion so there was quite a time lapse between formation and the last week of the war.

Cheers,

Nigel

[stiletto_33853]

Robert,

Yes, had noticed the slight difference from 1917, I had intended to scan this officers work book and notes to put on the forum, and will get around to it when time permits, might be useful.

Nigel, glad this the information was of use.

Andy

[Terry_Reeves]

I found the following document in the war diary of the Guards Divisional Signal Company (WO 95 1205). It was written by a Lt Colonel (General Staff) of the Guards Division and is dated 18.1.1916. The OC of the Divisional Signals company almost certainly had some input.

" ORGANISATION OF BATTALION SIGNALLERS

“Battalions throughout the Division appear to differ somewhat in their signalling arrangements. This is probably due to the want of a Battalion Signalling Officer, or any other officer in the Battalion with a Signalling Certificate.

With the limited number of Officers now available it is very seldom possible for a battalion to spare an Officer to look after the Signallers. In the absence of such an Officer, they should be placed directly under the Adjutant, who will be responsible that the signalling arrangements are run on proper lines. As very few Adjutants have any knowledge of signalling, the G.O.C. proposes to hold signalling courses for Adjutants under the Divisional Signalling Officer. It is not proposed to teach Adjutants actual signalling at these classes. All that will be taught will be the organisation of a Battalion Signal Office, and how lines should be maintained and laid.

Pending the formation of these classes, the following notes are forwarded for information and such action as may be required:

Battalion Signallers should be considered as a Signal Section. They should be employed on Signal duties only and should receive orders from the Adjutant, or Signal Sergeant, and from no-one else. They should move independently from the Battalion, just as a Brigade Section or Divisional Signal Company works independently from the Brigade or Division.

The Battalion Signallers should all be trained as Operators and Linesmen. The training is carried out as follows:

Linesmen’s duties and elementary operating by Instruction Class at Brigade Headquarters.

Advanced Operating and technical work (phone) and cable at Divisional classes.

The Signallers should be organised roughly as follows at Battalion Headquarters:

1 N.C.O., 3 men as Headquarter Operators

2 men per Company as Operators

1 N.C.O. (the Signal Sergeant) and 4 men as Linesmen.

Total 2 N.C.O.’s, 15 men.

This is the absolute minimum and does not allow for detached posts, each requiring two Operators. Additional Linesmen should be trained as soon as possible, so that all lines can be patrolled by two men at a time.

The spare operator at a Company Office should be prepared to go out as a linesman directly a line is out of commission,without any instructions. He is entirely responsible for the repair of the lateral lines between Companies, but will be assisted in the maintenance by the Headquarters linesmen

Maintenance of Lines

It is absolutely essential that all lines fromBattalion to Companies, and inter-company lines, are patrolled very carefully at least once a day.

As regards lateral lines, a good rule is that a unit maintains the line to its left.

The Adjutant (or Battalion Signal Sergeant) should satisfy himself that the Battalion linesmen parade punctual;ly to go out on their lines, fully equipped with all stores require ie :

Entrenching tool

Staples

100 yds cable in a coil

Hammer or mallet

Pliers

Jack knife

D III phone, rubber tape and solution.

The linesmen should ascertain the state of the lines to be patrolled, before leaving the office. Stores to replace those used on the lines should be demanded immediately from Signals of the Brigade (sic).

Labelling

The tying of labels at odd points without system is misleading and practically useless. Lines should be labelled at points laid down by the Brigade Signalling Officers. RA and Infantry’s lines should be labelled at these points. Thus any line not labelled may be assumed as out of commission, and reeled up forthwith. The writing on the labels should show the place and not the unit, to which the line goes, so that that the label may be intelligible to anyone taking over the lines. As a general rule, RA lines should be laid on the North or east sides of trenches. Infantry lines on the South or West sides.

Offices

Good communications depend very largely on a tidy offices. Many faults occur in an Office owing to carelessness and untidiness. The Adjutant (or Signal sergeant) should satisfy himself that all offices are perfectly tidy; that all instruments are carefully connected up and that the earths are not only good , but well separated. No earths should be be put within 500 yards of the front line. Lines and earths should be labelled in the office where they come onto the instrument or commutator, and also out side the office where the linesman taps in on the line. “

TR

[squirrel]

I found the following document in the war diary of the Guards Divisional Signal Company (WO 95 1205)......

"Thus any line not labelled may be assumed as out of commission, and reeled up forthwith."

TR

This must have caused a bit of a " to do" for any units which had not labelled their lines.

Some excellent comments, quotes and information on this thread - thanks to all contributors.