"Signals"; The WW2 story of the Australian Corps of Signals.

FOREWORD

"SIGNALS" is an outline of the achievements of the Australian Corps of Signals over the years from the campaigns in the Middle East to the present day of the victories in New Guinea. It pays tribute to the arm of the service which is on duty every hour of the day providing and maintaining vital communication channels for the passing of Signals traffic the far-flung headquarters and units of the Australian Military Forces.

Little has been written previously of this indispensable group of technical men and women. To those of us who know the almost insurmountable difficulties which the Corps has faced and overcome in the conditions which are encountered both in desert and jungle warfare, it may be said that not once has the course of the operations in any theatre been delayed or diverted by lack of adequate Signals services. Rather may it be recorded that, without their constant and never-ending services, the task of the forces in bringing to a close this "fight for freedom" would be greatly handicapped.

Each individual member of the Signals staffs and units of which the Australian Corps of Signals is composed has a double responsibility - firstly in the necessity to be always at his or her highest efficiency in the particular duty which is carried out, and secondly in the necessity for a high degree of integrity of character. This integrity in each individual is an essential factor in the security of information which must be observed in the transmission and reception of the secret messages which are passed over the Army Signals communication channels. In them at all times rests the security and success of the operations in progress and those being envisaged.

It might well be said that the Signals Corps is the nerve system of the Army; its communication channels run from the largest headquarters to the smallest unit. The men and women of the Corps know just how important it is for information to be carried back and forth with the utmost speed and clarity. This linking up of the various headquarters and units by one group of men and women has created amongst themselves camaraderie and understanding of the highest order and has earned them the respect and trust of all other arms of the forces.

As the course of the war forges ahead to ultimate victory, the Australian Corps of Signals is still being called upon to continue to carry out its essential role of establishing and maintaining vital communications, without which the Australian Military Forces could not be successfully manoeuvred and administered.


	General, Commander-in-Chief, Australian Military Forces.

INTRODUCTION

I DESIRE to convey to all members of the Australian Corps of Signals my appreciation of the efficient and cheerful manner in which all ranks have performed their varied and arduous Signals duties. You have been responsible for establishing communications wherever Australian troops have been stationed, either on the mainland of Australia or in countries overseas. You have never yet failed in your duty.

Signals have functioned under all conditions of terrain and climate, and it has only been the determination, initiative and the will to succeed that has enabled efficient communications to be established and maintained. All Signals personnel can be very proud of this achievement.

When war was declared in 1939, Australia had only a few thousand enthusiastic volunteer members of the Australian Corps of Signals and this small body of personnel had to form the nucleus for the great expansion which was necessary to meet urgent operational requirements. Personnel becoming available were untrained and unskilled because the majority of skilled tradesmen were retained in civil occupations to meet ever increasing demands of industry. It was necessary to accept these unskilled personnel, pass them through all phases of basic training and mould them into the various trades required. This task was accomplished and the stage was reached when the Australian Corps of Signals totalled in the vicinity of 25,000 all ranks.

The Australian Corps of Signals is very proud to have as members of the Corps the A.W.A.S. Signals personnel, who at a critical stage in operations came forward to free male Signals reinforcements so urgently required at that stage of the war. The A.W.A.S. Signals have reached a very high standard of efficiency. They are stationed at very important centres and all ranks can be very proud of the great work they are doing and can realise how essential they are to the maintenance of the present Army communications in Australia.

Signals are a vital component of an Army. It is essential that efficiency be maintain at its maximum standard always. All present members of Signals are essential to bring the war to a final and victorious termination, so I ask you to continue to put forth your best efforts during the trying times to come. Continue to serve cheerfully with your units and always endeavour to "Be Through".

I am very proud to be Signal Officer-in-Chief of the Australian Military Forces. I offer my congratulations to all members of the Australian Corps of Signals for their past achievements, their loyalty and the cheerful and excellent performance of their duties.

Best wishes to you all for a happy and cheerful tour of duty and may a complete victory be ours in the not so distant future.


	Major-General, Signal Officer-in-Chief, Australian Military Forces.

EDITORIAL

WITHIN these pages you will find an outline of the deeds of the Australian Corps of Signals since the outbreak of war five years ago. This story is presented merely as an inset in the vast canvas of the Australian Army at war. Signals are proud in the knowledge that they are members of the first individual branch of the Australian Army to have the opportunity to chronicle their activities within the covers of a single book.

"Signals" has set out to tell in non-technical terms a plain, unvarnished story. The saga of Signals has been written with pliers and Morse keys and in the dusty and muddy tracks of motor cycles and jeeps through the deserts and jungles of the world.

To the ordinary member of the Australian Corps of Signals, life has never been dull. Oft-times his duties have taken him right into the furnace of battle. Admittedly, life has leaned occasionally towards the prosaic; sometimes it has been reduced to terms of routine. At all times, however, the men who pound Morse keys, clamber up poles and ride their mechanical steeds through the day and night have been ever inspired by their duty to the Cause-the Cause of the men with the rifles, machine guns and mortars in the front lines of the world's battlefields.

This picture is painted in broad strokes. Space restrictions and security regulations have reduced somewhat particulars in detail. Some facts have been omitted for obvious reasons. It has been found necessary in several cases to censor individual deeds and even the work of whole units. These men and units have been neglected only in print. Their efforts will never be forgotten and will receive due recognition when happier times permit.

And so, this book is presented for your appreciation and enjoyment. One and all, members of the Australian Corps of Signals hope you like it.

THE EDITORS.