The 2nd Signal Brigade (later 2nd Signal Group), was a military formation of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

composed of

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

units. The brigade was first formed following the reorganisation of the old Territorial Army in 1967, and was disbanded in 2012 under the Army 2020 programme. However, later the 2nd Signal Group was formed continuing the lineage of the old brigade, before it was disbanded in 2018.

Background

Before the

1966 Defence White Paper The 1966 Defence White Paper (Command Papers 2592 and 2901) was a major review of the United Kingdom's defence policy initiated by the Labour government under Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The review was led by the Secretary of State for Defence, ...

and subsequent wide-ranging reorganisation of the Army, signal formations larger than those controlled by a Lieutenant Colonel (ie: battalion (regiment in the RCS)) were rare, and usually only temporary regional formations. However, following that defence paper, eight new 'signal groups', commanded by a

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

were formed to oversee specialist units with specific duties, including those tasked with supporting the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR).

Formation

On 1 April 1968, Headquarters, 2nd Signal Group (Static Communications Network) was stood up at

Aldershot Garrison Aldershot Garrison, also known as Aldershot Military Town, is a major garrison in South East England, between Aldershot and Farnborough in Hampshire. The garrison was established when the War Department bought a large area of land near the villa ...

to command the squadrons which provided fixed communications assets within the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. It also oversaw the strategic reserve signal regiment, 10 Signal Regiment. The group, though having changed names and units several times, maintained this role till its disbandment as a group in 2018.Lord & Watson, pp. 128–130 Therefore, on formation the group oversaw the following units: * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Group, at

* 233 Signal Squadron (Northern Ireland), Royal Corps of Signals, at

Thiepval Barracks Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn, County Antrim, is the headquarters of the British Army in Northern Ireland and its 38th (Irish) Brigade. History The barracks were built in 1940. They are named after the village of Thiepval in Northern France, an im ...

Lisburn Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...

* 240 Signal Squadron (Northern Command), Royal Corps of Signals, at Fishergate House,

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

Royal Corps of Signals Association,
Royal Corps of Signals Journal: The Wire 1970
', Retrieved 25 June 2021. - supporting Northern Command ** Signal Works Service Troop ** HQ Northern Command Communication Centre, at Fishergate House, York * 241 Signal Squadron (Western Command), Royal Corps of Signals, at Churchill House,

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

- supporting Western Command ** Signal Works Service Troop ** HQ Western Command Communication Centre, at Capital House, Chester * 242 Signal Squadron (Scottish Command), Royal Corps of Signals, at

Craigiehall Craigiehall is a late-17th-century country house, which until 2015 served as the Headquarters of the British Army in Scotland. It is located close to Cramond, around west of central Edinburgh, Scotland. Craigiehall was designed by Sir Willia ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

** Signal Works Service Troop ** HQ Scotland (Army) Communication Centre, at Craighall, Edinburgh) * 10th Signal Regiment (Southern Command), Royal Corps of Signals, at Cavalry Barracks,

Hounslow Hounslow () is a large suburban district of West London, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 12 metropolitan centres in Gr ...

Royal Corps of Signals Association,
Royal Corps of Signals Journal: The Wire for 1969
'. Retrieved 25 June 2021 ** HQ London District Communication Centre, at Horse Guards,

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It is the main ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Royal Corps of Signals Association,
Royal Corps of Signals Journal: The Wire for 1970
'. Retrieved 25 June 2021.

Cold War

In 1972, 13th Signal Group (Volunteers) HQ was disbanded, and its three regiments transferred to 2nd Signal Group. The group now oversaw the TA units which had the same roles as their regular counterparts, that of providing fix communications within the United Kingdom. Following 13 Signal Group's integration into 2 Signal Group, the command held the rank of

Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

.Royal Corps of Signals Association,
Royal Corps of Signals Journal: The Wire 1972
', Retrieved 25 June 2021. In addition the group was given responsibility for the NATO ACE HIGH early warning system, and strategic communication links. The new group now included the above units plus the following: * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Brigade, at Basil Hill Barracks,

Corsham Corsham is a historic market town and civil parish in west Wiltshire, England. It is at the south-eastern edge of the Cotswolds, just off the A4 national route, southwest of Swindon, southeast of Bristol, northeast of Bath and southwest o ...

32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment The 32nd Signal Regiment is a British Territorial Army (United Kingdom), Army Reserve Regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals. The regiment forms part of 1st (United Kingdom) Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operation ...

(V), in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

* 37th (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

* 38th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

* 71st Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 87,889 as of 2011. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, char ...

– formed in 1972 and placed under command of the group, not originally part of 13 Signal Group, joined after merger In 1982, as part of the 1981 Defence White Paper and 'Notts Review', the group was redesignated as 2nd Signal Brigade. In 1987, 1st Signal Group was disbanded and most of its responsibilities transferred to 2nd Signal Brigade. The brigade's area of responsibility subsequently expanded that year, including direct communications support for HQ UKLF and oversaw much of the Salisbury Plain and Wiltshire District areas. That year, brigade HQ moved from

to Basil Hill Barracks,

. In 1989, just before the end of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, the brigade formed part of

United Kingdom Land Forces United Kingdom Land Forces was a command of the British Army responsible for generating and preparing forces for current and contingency operations. The commander of the forces was known as Commander-in-Chief, United Kingdom Land Forces, who in ...

and was organised as follows: * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Brigade, at Basil Hill Barracks,

*244 Signal Squadron (Air Support),

, at

RAF Brize Norton Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the village of Brize Norton, and the towns of Carterton and Witney. The station ...

– provides static communications for UK-based RAF basesLord & Watson, p. 128. *''55 (West Lancashire) Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals'' (V), in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

*32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment,

(V), in Glasgow * 37th (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Bristol * 38th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Sheffield * 71st (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Bromley **348 (Inns of Court & City Yeomanry) Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals (Home Service Force) – formed in 1987 * National Defence Communications * Communications and Security Group (United Kingdom), at

Imjin Barracks Imjin Barracks is a military installation situated near Innsworth in Gloucestershire that is home to NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC). The Barracks were named after the Battle of the Imjin River because of the connection with the Glouc ...

Innsworth Innsworth is a suburb of Gloucester, it is also a civil parish and forms part of the borough of Tewkesbury, in the county of Gloucestershire, England. The parish population taken at the 2011 census was 2,468. It contains Imjin Barracks, the h ...

** No. 4 Communications Company (Royal Corps of Signals), at

Post Cold War

Following the

Dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

and subsequent end to the

, the British Army was reorganised, seeing a 1/3 of its strength being lost. However, luckily for the 2nd Signal Brigade, now known as 2nd (National Communications) Signal Brigade, very few changes occurred, and those changes mostly being expansions. As part of the reductions, the 12th Signal Groups (Volunteers) was disbanded and its units moved under the 2nd or 11th Signal Brigades. By now, the brigade was organised as follows y 1996 * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Brigade, at Basil Hill Barracks,

2 (City of Dundee) Signal Squadron The 9th Special Communications Unit, later redesignated as the 92nd Signal Regiment, and from 1967 as 2 (City of Dundee) Signal Squadron is a communications unit of the British Army, belonging to the Royal Corps of Signals. Background Follow ...

(V), in

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

* 31st (City of London) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Southfields Southfields is a district of inner London located within the London Borough of Wandsworth, England, 5.6 miles (9 km) south-west of Charing Cross. Southfields is mainly residential, historically a part of Wandsworth itself, and is divided b ...

(from 11 Sig Gp) *32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Glasgow *37th (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Bristol * 38th (City of Sheffield )Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Sheffield *

39th (Skinners) Signal Regiment 39th (Skinners) Signal Regiment is an Army Reserve regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 1 Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations. The Lynx badge is a reminder ...

, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

* 71st (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Bexleyheath Bexleyheath is a town in south-east London, England. It had a population of 31,929 as at 2011. Bexleyheath is located south-east of Charing Cross, and forms part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is identified in the London Plan as one of ...

Modern Day

The brigade was once again relieved from any major cuts after the

Strategic Defence Review The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was a British policy document produced in July 1998 by the Labour Government that had gained power a year previously. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of t ...

and the Future Army Structure (FAS) programme shortly afterwards. However, the later would become the last expansion of size for the regiment. Changes brought upon the brigade were dramatic, with the regional affiliations being completely dropped, the brigade now forming part of HQ Theatre Troops, and all TA regional units brought under its command. This included the soon to be reformed 10th Signal Regiment. The group's priority also switch to that of national defence, with each regiment providing at-least one (though most had 2) signal squadrons to support the regional brigades. Therefore, by 2009 the brigade was organised as follows: * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Brigade, at Basil Hill Barracks,

* 1 (Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron (Special Communications),

(V), in

Bletchley Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated in the south-west of Milton Keynes, and is split between the civil parishes of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford and West Bletchley. Bletchley is best known ...

*2 (City of Dundee) Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

* 43 (Wessex) Signal Squadron (Air Support), Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

– administrative command only, under operational control of regular 21 Signal Regiment (Air Support) * 10th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals, at Basil Hill Barracks, Corsham – overseeing the regional signal squadrons, each supporting the regenerative divisions *31st (City of London) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

*32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

* 36th (Eastern) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in Ilford *37th (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

* 38th (City of Sheffield) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

*39th (Skinners) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

* 40th (Ulster) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), at Clonaver Barracks,

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

* 71st (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (V), in

First Aid Nursing Yeomanry The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps) (FANY (PRVC)) is a British independent all-female registered charity formed in 1907 and active in both nursing and intelligence work during the World Wars. Its members wear a mili ...

(V), at

Horseferry Road drill hall The Horseferry Road drill hall was a military installation at 95 Horseferry Road, London. History The drill hall was designed as the drill hall for G (London Scottish) Company 1st Battalion 51st Highland Volunteers and completed in 1985. It incor ...

Central Volunteer Headquarters, Royal Corps of Signals Central Volunteer Headquarters, Royal Corps of Signals (CVHQ, Royal Corps of Signals) is a special administrative group of the Royal Corps of Signals formed to oversee the national reserve units of the corps. History Central Volunteer Headqua ...

(V), at Basil Hill Barracks, Corsham Following the effects of the

Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...

, a further 'chapter' was added to the FAS, which saw (at-least for the Royal Corps of Signals) a large reduction in those units still using the old ''PTARMIGAN'' communications system. Thereby freeing up funds which would have converted these units to the system. Then, in 2009, as part of the reorganisation of the entire Territorial Army, wholesale mergers and disbandments took place. Under this re-structuring, the brigade was significantly reduced in size, with 1 Sqn disbanding and being absorbed as 801 Signal Troop in 299 Signal Squadron (1 Signal Brigade), 43 Signal Sqn joining 21 Signal Regiment full-time, and the largest changes: 31 (City of London), 36 (Eastern), 38 (City of Sheffield), and 40 (Ulster) Signal Regiments all disbanding by 2009/2010 shortly thereafter.Royal Corps of Signals, ''The Wire for October 2009: The Journal of the Royal Corps of Signals''. Retrieved 28 June 2021

Army 2020

In 2013, following the

Army 2020 Army 2020, was the name given to the restructuring of the British Army, in light of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. Background The British Government gave an indication of its proposals for the future structure of the Army in ea ...

re-organisation, the brigade was disbanded and subsequently reorganised as the 2nd Signal Group. Now forming part of the

11th Signal Brigade and Headquarters West Midlands 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

, the group held the same role as the former brigade, as a national communications and regional support formation. The group's structure was very similar to that of the former brigade: * Headquarters, 2nd Signal Group, at

Venning Barracks Venning is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Annabel Venning (born 1973), British author and journalist * Dorothy Venning (1885–1942), British artist * Ivan Venning, Australian politician * John Venning (1776–1858), Engl ...

, DonningtonBrooke-Holland & Rutherford, p. 26 * 10th Signal Regiment,

, at Basil Hill Barracks,

– providing regional specialist technical supportBrooke-Holland & Rutherford, p. 10 * 15th Signal Regiment (Information Support), Royal Corps of Signals, at

Blandford Camp Blandford Forum ( ), commonly Blandford, is a market town in Dorset, England, sited by the River Stour about northwest of Poole. It was the administrative headquarters of North Dorset District until April 2019, when this was abolished and it ...

– providing specialist technical support *

32nd Signal Regiment The 32nd Signal Regiment is a British Army Reserve Regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals. The regiment forms part of 1st (United Kingdom) Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations. History Early history 1st Lanar ...

, Royal Corps of Signals, in

– Army Reserve, paired with 2nd Signal Regiment in 7th Signal Group * 37th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals, in

Redditch Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...

– Army Reserve, paired with 1st and 16th Signal Regiments in 7th Signal Group * 39th Signal Regiment (Skinners), Royal Corps of Signals, in

– Army Reserve, paired with 21st Signal Regiment in 7th Signal Group *

71st (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment 71st (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment is an Army Reserve regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 11th Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations. History T ...

, Royal Corps of Signals, in

– Army Reserve, paired with 3rd (United Kingdom) Divisional Signal Regiment in 7th Signal Group In 2016, a further

Army 2020 Refine Army 2020 Refine was the name given to the restructuring of the British Army, in light of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015. Army 2020 Refine The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 announced that the structure of the Reac ...

was published, and in 2018, 2nd Signal Group was disbanded and its units were dispersed into the two remaining signal brigades (1st and 11th).

Commanding officers

Commanding officers of the group/brigade included: * –15 October 1969,

G. Peat, OBE (died at home while in command) * 1970, Colonel F. M. S. Winter *

John C. Clinch, 1 January 1972–March 1974 *Brigadier Peter A. C. Baldwin, March 1974–January 1976 *Brigadier Patrick H. F. Webb, January 1976–March 1978 *Brigadier Arthur L. Dowell, March 1978–April 1980 *Brigadier J. P. Hart, April 1980–May 1983 *Brigadier Keith H. Olds, May 1983–June 1986 *Brigadier J. A. P. Russell, June 1986 – 1987 *'' etween 1987 and 1992, Commander, Communications, United Kingdom Land Forces held the position commanding officer of the brigade' *Brigadier Colin A. Brown, 1992–May 1993 *Brigadier John E. Neeve, May 1993–June 1996 *Brigadier S. Mervyn A. Lee, June 1996–June 1997 *Brigadier S. Gordon Hughes, June 1997–June 2000 *Brigadier Nigel C. Jackson, June 2000–August 2002 *Brigadier John E. Thomas, August 2002–September 2004 *Brigadier Michael Lithgow, September 2004–October 2006 *Brigadier David A. Hargreaves, November 2006–March 2010 *Brigadier Stephen J. Vickery, March 2010 – 2012

Footnotes

References

* * Wienand Drenth, ''The Territorial Army 1967–2000'', 2000, Einhoven, Kingdom of the Netherlands. * {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Signal brigades of the British Army