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
Category: The Blog
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
Dunkirk
As Christopher Nolan’s epic visualization of the evacuation from Dunkirk hits the big screen, it is timely to look briefly at the gallantry of the Corps’ soldiers during the operation. The chapter of the book that deals with the nation’s second highest award for gallantry in action—the Distinguished Conduct Medal[1]—devotes a large part to the … Continue reading Dunkirk
Foreign Awards for Gallantry
In the lead-up to the centennial, the Corps is publishing a series of short articles in the Wire magazine and on social medal titled ‘History of Signalling in 100 Objects’. Object No. 7 is the Medaglia al Valore Civile—the Medal of Civilian Valour—awarded posthumously to Brigadier Russell Maynard MBE. The medal is awarded in three … Continue reading Foreign Awards for Gallantry
Gallantry During The Blitz
Signalman Robert Hamilton Tinto GM Seventy-six years ago, on the evening of 29 December 1940, a German bombing raid on London caused what became known as the ‘Second Great Fire of London’. Most frequently illustrated by the iconic photograph of St Paul’s Cathedral that came to symbolise London in the blitz, the attack targeted the … Continue reading Gallantry During The Blitz
