THE AIR FORMATION SIGNALS CRESCENT
| A service was held in the Millennium Chapel of Peace at the National Memorial Arboretum on Sunday, May 9th, 2004, to complete the dedication of a crescent of nine copper beech trees planted as a tribute to all those who served as Air Formation Signallers. In the congregation were members of the Air Formation Signals Association, 19th Signal Regiment Association and serving members of the Royal Corps of Signals representing 21st Signal Regiment and the Cyprus Communications Unit. Three years later, on Saturday, May 12th, 2007, a tenth tree, dedicated to those who served in Air Support Signal Units, was planted and the following year the crescent was completed when a rock (bearing a plaque with words to explain that the ten trees formed one coherent memorial) was dedicated. |
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The Crescent is on the edge of the RAF Area - appropriate as Air Formation Signallers served under RAF Operational Command. Beside each tree is a memorial plaque, each one reading 'Dedicated to those who served in . .' or 'Dedicated to the memory of . . .'. Towards the end of the service the congregation moved to the crescent where a number of trees were ceremoniously 'planted'. Each plaque bears an appropriate badge and together they tell the story of Air Formation Signals from the begining in 1917 to the present day.
 The First World War : In October 1917 the first squadron of bomber aircraft moved to an airfield at Ochey, near Nancy, to the south of the main British Expeditionary Force, a squadron tasked to bomb strategic targets in the German industrial heartland. This force grew gently and with the formation of the Royal Air Force in April 1918 became the Independent Force - an Air Force independent of either Army or Naval command. Ground communications for the force - which was planned to grow to 100 squadrons - was provided by a Company of Royal Engineer Signals with Lt Col Waley Cohen as Assistant Director of Signals at Air HQ. These were our first Air Formation Signallers.
Colonel Waley Cohen was an astonishing man. A City Gent. Member of the London Stock Exchange, Liveryman of the Drapers' Company, Member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers, Life Member of the Royal Agricultural Society of England and of the Royal Horticultural Society. A keen astronomer to travelled to Sumatra (1926), Siam (1929) and Canada (1932) as a member of official 'Eclipse Expeditions'. Fluent in the French language. The list of his interests and activities goes on but a constant thread was his love of Army life and, from the time of the Boer War, in telecommunications.
He was commissioned in the Queen's Westminster Rifle Volunteers in 1893. He served as Brigade Signalling Officer in the Boer War. At the start of the First World War he went to France as 2i/index.htmcQWR but by 1915 had again become Brigade Signalling Officer.
Waley Cohen continued to serve as a Territorial Army Officer becoming Honorary Colonel of the Line-of-Communication Signals, SR. With the outbreak of the second world war, at the age of 652, he became Welfare Officer for Eastern Command thus becoming one of the few to wear both the Queen's South African medal and the WW2 Defence Medal.
The badge on this plaque depicts the brass shoulder badge worn by members of the Royal Engineer Signal Service.
Here we remember the men of the Independent Force flying their flimsy machines during the winter weather, long distances deep into enemy territory. We remember the 352 aircraft lost on these missions and the 328 aircrew who died. We remember the men of the Royal Engineer Signal Service who served with them.
 Between the Wars : In 1924 the War Office authorised the formation of specialist Royal Signals units of the Supplementary Reserve who would provide ground communications for the Royal Air Force on exercise and overseas. These were formed as individual sections but in 1935 this scheme was abandoned and a single unit, termed 'RAF Signals, Royal Signals' was formed at Leeds under the command of Lt Col John Campbell. Under John Campbell's command the unit grew to five companies and 1,500 men by the outbreak of the second world war - the largest unit in the Royal Signals Order of Battle.
Unlike Waley Cohen who wrote of his experiences and whose work is well documented, John Campbell - whose influence was so great - is a very shadowy figure. We know that he, like Waley Cohen, was a part time soldier. When he had to retire prematurely due to ill health in May 1939, he, like Waley Cohen, became Honorary Colonel, Air Formation Signals. We know that he was respected and loved by his men who spoke of themselves as 'John Campbell's family'.
In May 1939 the unit split into two, Nos 1 & 2 Air Formation Signals, and contrary to established procedures, 2 AFS was mobilised long before mobilisation of the Regular and Territorial Army units had been completed and members of the unit were at action stations, in France, with communications in place, before war was actually declared.
1st Air Formation Signals supported the Air Component of the BEF whilst 2nd Air Formation Signals supported the Advanced Air Striking Force. 1st AFS withdrew from France withe the Air Component before Dunkirk but the Advanced Air Striking Force remained and, with 2nd AFS, withdrew through Cherbourg and Brest.
The badge on this plaque depicts the cap badge worn by all members of the Royal Corps of Signals until a new pattern was adopted in 1947.
Here we remember the aircrew flying obsolete Fairy Battle and obsolescent Blenheim light bombers against an army well equipped with anti-aircraft weapons and supported by modern fighters and ground attack aircraft. We remember their service during that bitter winter of 1939/40 and the service of the Air Formation Signallers who served with them and shared their hardships.
 The Middle East : We now remember those who served in the Middle East in 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9th Air Formation Signals. 4th Air Formation Signals supported the Desert Air Force, referred to sometimes as 1st Tactical Air Force. The Desert Air Force established the principles whereby Air Force and Army acted as a single cohesive force and this template was followed when the 2nd Tactical Air Force was formed as part of Operation Overlord.
The plan view of a Beaufighter was first used in the Middle East as a marking on Air Formation Signals vehicles, with a black or (later) red Beaufighter on the background of the traditional signals colours of white and light blue.
The Far East : Here we remember the Air Formation Signallers who served the Royal Air Force in India,  during the Burma campaign and who later were spread over an area from Japan to Celebes.
The origins of the arm badge worn by members of Indian Air Formation Signal units and 19th Air Formation Signals is well documented. Between June and November 1944 Colonel Burgess-Winn held the appointment of Deputy CAFSO, HQ Air Command, South East Asia and during this time his wife, Mrs Elsie Burgess-Winn, designed and made the first 'Beaufighter' Air Formation Signals arm badges. These were sewn on his uniform and shown to Air Formation Signal units as he visited them. The design was approved and subsequently adopted by all units in the theatre. It is interesting to note that as a Lieutenant Colonel, Godfrey Burgess-Winn had commanded 4th Air Formation Signals from October 1941 and March 1943 and so would have been aware of the use of the Beaufighter as a vehicle marking in the Middle East.
 Operations 'Torch' and Overlord' : We next remember again those who served in 1st and 2nd Air Formation Signals who now embarked for North Africa, together with the newly formed 7th AFS, and later followed by 10th AFS, on Operation Torch. They later moved on through Sicily and Italy. At the same time we remember those who served in eight Air Formation Signal units, Nos 11 to 18, who served 2nd Tactical Air Force in Operation Overlord.
The original artwork for this badge may be seen amongst the papers of Colonel FS Morgan in the Royal Signals Museum. It was first worn by 1st, 2nd and 7th Air Formation Signals in late 1942 prior to their embarking for North Africa on Operation Torch.
Ernest Albert Taylor : Joined the corps in 1931. He was a dispatch rider who served with 1, 2 and 4 AFS in Italy. Tragically he died in a Road Traffic Accident in April 1945 just a few days before hostilities ceased. He is buried in Padua War Cemetery and this tree, dedicated to his life, was contributed by his son and daughter-in-law.
 Major George McKowen and Cpl Ron Pritchard : are here remembered. George McKowen served in the corps from 1925 to 1954 and had an almost unique experience during the turbulent wartime years in that he commanded a company, 1 Coy of 15 AFS, from the day of its formation until the end of the war in Europe. This tree was dedicated in May 2003 when Mrs Edna Pritchard was able to join us to see this tree dedicated to her husband. George McKowen's son and daughter-in-law, Andrew and Sylvia, and Mrs Edna Pritchard contributed this tree to our memorial crescent.
Post War : In October 1948 the Red Beaufighter on the background of the corps colours was adopted as an arm patch to be worn by Air Formation Signallers world wide. In September 1959 the numbers of most Royal Signals Units were changed in a 'rationalisation' programme. 12th and 11th Air Formation Signals in Germany became 21st and 22nd Signal Regiments respectively whilst 4th Air Formation, now in Cyprus, became 20th Signal Regiment. In the Far East 19th Air Formation Signals retained its number to become 19th Signal Regiment. The 'Big Four' of the Cold War Period are remembered here.
 The Bar-None Motor Cycle Club : It is cautionary to remember that the people to whom the first eight trees have been dedicated were just that. They were soldiers, tradesmen and people. As people they played sports - kicking a football was an almost universal pastime when there was nothing else to do and many units gained enviable reputations on the sports field.
In the Canal Zone in 1943/44 a number of motor cycle enthusiasts formed a Club, with official blessing, to participate in Motor Cycle 'Trials' using service machines. At one time up to 150 riders participated. Many of these riders were Royal Signals Dispatch Riders but, as the name of the club implies, none were barred from membership.
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The photograph shows five members of the Air Formation Signals Association who, as young men, were members of the Bar-None Club. From left to right Gerald Evans, Dennis Egan, Chris Collier, Tom Fearon and Colin Morgan.
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Air Support Signal Units. Those who serve, and served, in Close Support Bomber Controls and Air Support Signal Units are remembered at the tenth and last tree. Appropriately this tree is also dedicated to 638 Air Formation Signal Troop which was formed in July 1962 to support 38 Group, RAF. On December 31st, 1968, the troop was disbanded and formed the basis around which 244 Signal Squadron (Air Support) was re-formed the following day. 244 Signal Squadron came under the command of 21st Signal Regiment (Air Support) in September 1992. |
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The Rock. The Crescent is introduced by a plaque mounted on a rock taken from the roundabout created at the entrance to Blandford Camp in 1967. The plaque is inscribed with the words 'This Crescent of 10 trees is dedicated to those members of the Royal Corps of Signals, of other arms and services and the Royal Air Force who served - or who serve - in Air Formation and Air Support Signal Units.
Picture: Saturday, May 10th, 2008. Dedication of 'The Rock'. Standard bearers of the Birmingham, AFSA and South Staffordshire Branches of the RSA with Rev Jim McManus, Chaplain to the AFSA. Wreaths laid by the AFSA and Birmingham Branches.
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