In the late summer and autumn of 2017 I wrote about the Hong Kong Signal Company and the bravery of one of its number, Signalman Arnie 'Topper' Topliff BEM. Since then there has been much interest in the stories and I have examined the battle in more detail for the chapter in the book, 'The … Continue reading Hong Kong Signal Company – Update
Category: The Blog
‘Who are they? Where are they now?’
The photograph above appeared in The Wire in June 1959 under the heading: ‘Who are they? Where are they now?’ The accompanying caption was: Taken outside the W.O’s and Sergeants Mess S.T.C. (I), Jubblepore, India, 1931? Reading from left to right, (Standing): C.S.M. H Hartley, D.C.M., M.S.M., CQMS Andrews, M.S.M. (Seated): RQMS Nixon, RQMS Earwaker, M.S.M., RSM … Continue reading ‘Who are they? Where are they now?’
Non-Commissioned Officers and the Military Cross
After the 1993 review of decorations and medals for gallantry, the Military Cross replaced the Military Medal as the third level award for non-commissioned officers and other ranks. Prior to 1993 there were 97 Military Crosses, including two bars, awarded to officers of the Corps and one to a warrant officer. In addition, there were … Continue reading Non-Commissioned Officers and the Military Cross
Palestine 1920-1948: In Memoriam
Amongst the many anniversaries being commemorated or acknowledged—the start of the Advance to Victory that ended the First World War (100 years), the Munich Agreement (80 years) and the Italian Armistice (75 years)—it is somewhat surprising that there has been little mention of the end of the Palestine Mandate and Britain's withdrawal from that ancient … Continue reading Palestine 1920-1948: In Memoriam
Major Robert Norman Dodds MBE, MC, DCM, MM
Ninety-eight years ago, on 22 May 1920 the former Royal Navy hospital ship and troop transport SS Dongola arrived in England carrying some of the last British and French refugees to flee Bolshevik Russia. Amongst the passengers was also the final batch of British prisoners of war, who had been captured a year before during … Continue reading Major Robert Norman Dodds MBE, MC, DCM, MM
Royal Signals Gallantry Awards—Project Update, February 2018
A year into the project, I thought I should provide an update on progress and some information on what I have discovered thus far. The register of awards is, presently, organized by decoration or medal and in order of the level of award (as opposed to the order of wear). A summary of the number … Continue reading Royal Signals Gallantry Awards—Project Update, February 2018
‘Darkest Hour’, Calais—Capture and Escape
I suspect many of the readers here will have seen Darkest Hour and Gary Oldman’s superb performance as Churchill. One aspect of the final days of the fighting in France that gets a deserved mention in the film is the ill-fated defence of Calais by Brigadier Claude Nicholson’s 30th Motor Brigade. Ordered to hold out … Continue reading ‘Darkest Hour’, Calais—Capture and Escape
The Shahur Tangi Ambush, North-West Frontier, 1937
Operations in Waziristan and elsewhere on the North-West Frontier of India, earned for Royal Signals some of its very first awards for gallantry—the earliest in the 1920s are dealt with in the chapter of the book that deals with the Meritorious Service Medal for gallantry. By 1924 conflict in the region had largely abated but … Continue reading The Shahur Tangi Ambush, North-West Frontier, 1937
The Hong Kong Signal Company and the SS Lisbon Maru
In memory of the officers and men of the Corps who died during the sinking of the SS Lisbon Maru on 2 October 1942, and of those others who were killed in action during the Battle for Hong Kong or who later died as prisoners of war. Seventy-five years ago, Signalman Arnold Topliff earned the … Continue reading The Hong Kong Signal Company and the SS Lisbon Maru
Sergeant Henry James ‘Harry’ May, 2nd Divisional Signals, Burma
The ‘mention in despatches’ is arguably the United Kingdom’s oldest form of recognition for gallantry or meritorious service on operations—the inclusion of the names of those worthy of being brought to the attention of the Admiralty or War Office became well-established in the 19th Century. An excellent, early example is the ‘mention’ of Serjeant Moore … Continue reading Sergeant Henry James ‘Harry’ May, 2nd Divisional Signals, Burma
