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The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS or RC Sigs; french: links=no, Corps des transmissions royal du Canada, CTRC) is a component within the
Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
' Communications and Electronics Branch, consisting of all members of that
personnel branch Personnel branches, in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), are groupings of related military occupations. Personnel branches were officially established at unification in 1968 to amalgamate the old Canadian Army corps and similar occupational group ...
who wear army uniform. Prior to 1968 it was a combat support corps of the
Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
.The Regiments and Corps of The Canadian Army (Queen's Printer, 1964) The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals was re-instituted in 2013. It provides communication support and information systems for the Canadian Army. Signallers receive their training at
CFB Kingston Canadian Forces Base Kingston (also CFB Kingston) is a Canadian Forces Base operated by the Canadian Army located in Kingston, Ontario. History The Barriefield Military Camp, commonly called Camp Barriefield, was established as a military b ...
, Ontario, at the Canadian Forces School of Communication and Electronics (CFSCE). Upon completion of their trade's training, signallers are posted to one of three mechanized brigade groups in Canada, or the Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment at CFB Kingston. There are detachments of signallers at bases around Canada and other DND facilities. In the Second World War era, the corps badge consisted of a circle, with a Tudor Crown on top with the text ''Royal Canadian Corps of Signals'' around the edge. At the centre of the circle is the Roman god Mercury. At the bottom is a ribbon with the text and eight maple leaves.


History

Major
Wallace Bruce Matthews Carruthers Major Wallace Bruce Matthews Carruthers (February 13, 1863 – October 21, 1910) was an officer of the Canadian Militia (now the Canadian Army) and the founder of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. Education Born in Kingston, OntarioKingsto ...
established a militia ( Non-Permanent Active Militia) component of signallers under the designation "Signalling Corps" on 24 October 1903, making it the first independent signal corps in the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
. It was redesignated "The Canadian Signal Corps" on 4 June 1913. On 1 April 1919 as part of the restructuring based on experiences during the
Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, a regular (Permanent Active Militia) component was established as the "Canadian Signalling Instructional Staff". This was redesignated "The Canadian Permanent Signal Corps" on 15 December 1920. Shortly thereafter, on 15 June 1921,
King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
, the Canadian monarch, bestowed on the permanent force portion of the organization the title "The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals". Meanwhile, on 1 August 1921, the militia component was re-titled "Canadian Corps of Signals"; redesignated "Royal Canadian Corps of Signals" on 29 April 1936 (as part of the larger military restructuring that year); and finally aligned in nomenclature with the regular component as "The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals" on 22 March 1948, after the conclusion of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
.


Korean War

In June 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea, initiating a conflict that became the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
. A United Nations-led coalition was formed with 16 countries providing troops. Canada was one of the countries to intercede in the conflict. Over 26,700 Canadian troops served as part of the British Commonwealth Forces Korea. The RCCS was disbursed among the Canadian regiments as well as some American units and contributed to the overall success of the UN mission. Signallers served the war effort with distinction in multiple battles, one of which was the
Battle of Kapyong The Battle of Kapyong (or Gapyeong) ( ko, 가평전투, 22–25 April 1951), also known as the Battle of Jiaping (), was fought during the Korean War between United Nations Command (UN) forces—primarily Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand� ...
.
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...
(PPCLI), with their attached signallers, held their position against a much larger enemy force during the first North Korean spring offensive. With such efforts by the PPCLI and signallers, The UN mission stopped North Korean aggression and subsequently provided deterrence that lead to an armistice, signed on 27 July 1953. This armistice is still in effect.


Post-War

During the 50s and 60s, the RCCS operated
Emergency Government Headquarters Emergency Government Headquarters is the name given for a system of nuclear fallout shelters built by the Government of Canada in the 1950s and 1960s as part of continuity of government planning at the height of the Cold War. Situated at str ...
, nicknamed "Diefenbunkers", that served to ensure the continuity of government at the height 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 t ...
. The RCCS operated the
Ennadai Ennadai is a former populated place in the Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. Located on a peninsula that juts into northeastern Ennadai Lake it faces an unnamed island. It is northwest of Churchill, Manitoba and west of Arviat. Ennadai and t ...
Lake Radio Station (VEJ) from the summer of 1949 until 18 September 1954 when it was turned over to the Department of Transportation. When the Canadian Army,
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
and
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack subma ...
were unified in 1968 to form the
Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
, the RCCS was amalgamated into the Canadian Forces' Communications and Electronics Branch. On 19 April 2013, Minister of National Defence,
Peter MacKay Peter Gordon MacKay (born September 27, 1965) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2015 and has served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General (2013–2015), Minister of National Defence (2007� ...
, announced that the designation of "Royal Canadian Corps of Signals" would be restored for the army component within the Communications and Electronics Branch.
Restoring the historical designations of Canadian Army organizations.


Structure

* Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics *
Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source o ...
* 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signal Squadron * 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signal Squadron * 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signal Squadron * 31 Signal Regiment * 32 Signal Regiment * 33 Signal Regiment * 36 Signal Regiment * 37 Signal Regiment *
38 Signal Regiment The 38 Signal Regiment (Volunteers) was a regiment of the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals, part of the Army Reserve. The regiment's task was to "provide contingency communications throughout the whole of Northern England, from the Scottish ...
* 39 Signal Regiment * 41 Signal Regiment *
21 Electronic Warfare Regiment 21 Electronic Warfare Regiment (french: 21e Régiment de guerre électronique) is a Communications and Electronics Branch regiment in the Canadian Army, based in Kingston, Ontario. 21 EW Regt exists to provide trained army electronic warfare oper ...
**Regimental Headquarters (Regular) **211 Electronic Warfare Squadron (Regular) **212 Electronic Warfare Squadron (Regular) **214 Electronic Warfare Squadron (Reserve) **215 Electronic Warfare Squadron (Regular) **218 Combat Service Support Squadron (Regular)


Colonels-in-Chief

*
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood (Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary; 25 April 1897 – 28 March 1965), was a member of the British royal family. She was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, the sister of Kings Edward VIII ...
(1940–1965) *
Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...
(1987-now)


Notable former members

*
William Arthur Steel William Arthur Steel MC (November 3, 1890 – November 28, 1968) was a Canadian Army officer during World War I and a radio pioneer. Steel was born in 1890 in Castleton, Ontario and graduated from electrical engineering from the University of ...
– An officer with the RCCS during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
and radio pioneer. * Jack Kane – He was Anglo-Canadian
arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchest ...
, conductor and
clarinetist This article lists notable musicians who have played the clarinet. Classical clarinetists * Laver Bariu * Ernest Ačkun * Luís Afonso * Cristiano Alves * Michel Arrignon * Dimitri Ashkenazy * Kinan Azmeh * Alexander Bader * Carl Baerma ...
who served with the trumpet band from 1942 to 1945. * James Gayfer – Served with the RCCS trumpet band in Europe. He was also the Director of the Band of The Canadian Guards in the 1950s and early 60s. * William Carlton Woods


See also

*
List of Canadian organizations with royal prefix This is a list of Canadian organizations with designated royal status, listed by the king or queen who granted the designation. As a matter of honour, the Canadian monarch may bestow on an organization the right to use the prefix ''royal'' befor ...
*
Communications Security Establishment The Communications Security Establishment (CSE; french: Centre de la sécurité des télécommunications, ''CST''), formerly (from 2008-2014) called the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), is the Government of Canada's national ...
* Band of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals


References


External links

{{Commons category, Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
Communications and Electronics Museum


NWT Historical Timeline, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
RC Sigs Militaria Web Site
Administrative corps of the Canadian Army Military communications corps Military communications of Canada Military units and formations established in 1903 Army units and formations of Canada in World War I Army units and formations of Canada in World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1968 Military units and formations established in 2013