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History

Headquarters Squadron

Headquarters Squadron was formed in 1976 when the Regiment moved from Bulford to Soest in Germany. The Squadron acts as a central point of contact for the Quartermasters (QM), Motor Transport (MT) and Regimental Administration Office (RAO) departments. This new Squadron remained nameless until the Regiment returned to Bulford in 1993.

The name "Somme" Squadron is in reference to the role the Iron Division (the nickname of 3 Division) took during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The Division carried out deep night infiltration to within 800m of the enemy trenches, then after attacking at dawn, captured all of its objectives within 2 hours of the attack. The attack was a complete success and the Division held its objectives for the remainder of the battle.

202 Signal Squadron

202 Signal Squadron was born as Kilo Troop of First Division Signal Regiment in 1958, based in the United Kingdom. Its role was to provide communications for 2 Infantry Brigade. Shortly afterwards, the troop became independent, moved to Seaton Barracks, Plymouth, and expanded to form 202 Signal Squadron (Infantry Brigade Group). The Squadron was rather short lived, however, as the unit was disbanded in 1959.

In March 1981 202 re-formed and moved to Allenbrooke Barracks in Paderborn, Germany. It became a semi-independent Squadron under 4 Armoured Division and its role was to support 33 Armoured Brigade. As part of 1 BR Corps, its formed part of Nato's defence against possible Warsaw pact invasion. At this time it was equipped with Clansman and Bruin communications mounted in AFV 432 armoured vehicles. In January 1986, the Squadron deployed on its first full exercise using ptarmigan, by now using ASV 436 and 439 command vehicles.

The Squadron on providing its two mirror image headquarters for 33 Armoured Brigade. The next major change was when the unit moved under the command of Third Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment. However it still retained the same degree of independence.

On the 8 February 1993, the Squadron disbanded and reformed as 200 Signal Squadron. The mantle "202 Signal Squadron" passed to the former 2 Squadron, part of Third (UK) Division and Signal Regiment; now based in Bulford.

In December 1995, the Squadron temporarily adapted to a new role on Operation Resolute, in the former Republic of Yugoslavia. For three months the Squadron was based in Bugojno, where it provided numerous detachments around the theatre to British and Foreign units and had enhanced tactical armoured headquarters on standby. From April the squadron moved to Banja Luka to give intimate support to the Division's new headquarters location. There is provided access communications, a commcen and technical and administrative support for the staff.

The three troops in 202 Signal Squadron were named after battles fought by the Third Division, Waterloo, Inkerman and Overloon. The Battle of Bussaco which took place in 1810 in the Spanish Peninsula defeated Napoleon, with one of the French leader's favourite Battalions being nearly destroyed.

In 1944 the third Division was involved with the liberation of Overloon and Vanrai. During Operation AINTREE, they attacked south-east from Oploo and then seized Overloon and Venrai. The fierce battle lasted six days, after which the people of Overloon took the men of the third Division to their hearts and erected a memorial to its dead.

206 Signal Squadron

Between 1920 and 1959, 6 Infantry Brigade was supported by personnel from 2nd Division Signals. However in the late 1950s, it was decided that Brigades should have their own independent signals units, and hence 206 Signal Squadron was formed to serve 6 Infantry Brigade.

With the integration of Headquarters and Signal units in 1964, the Squadron was redesigned 6 Infantry Brigade Headquarter and Signal Squadron and assumed the additional responsibility for administration of the Brigade Headquarters. Then in September 1970, a change in the Brigade orbat led to the formation of 6 Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron. At this time the Brigade consisted of 4/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, The Queen Royal Irish Hussars, 2nd Battalion The Queens Regiment and 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers.

On the 1st January 1971, the Brigade came under the operational command of 4th Division thus ending a long association with 2nd Division which had begun in 1811. In early June 1973, the emblem changed from the cross keys and bayonet of the 2nd Division, to the Black Rhinoceros.

Due to further reorganisation, 6 Armoured Brigade was subsumed by the 3rd Armoured Division. 206 Signal Squadron was reabsorbed into 3 Armoured Divisional Headquarter and Signal Regiment in November 1977 and became 4 Squadron with responsibility for the communications of both Division Task Forces. The Squadron was reformed in January 1981 to support 6 Armoured Brigade. In November 1983 the Brigade became an airmobile formation before reverting back to an armoured brigade in 1988. Finally, 206 Signal Squadron was integrated into 3(UK) Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment in December 1992.

The Squadron was initially formed with the troops: Mons, Cambrai and Inkerman. This latterly changed to Mons, Cambrai and Normandy all three troops taking their names from famous battles fought by units of 3 Division and its predecessors.

The battle of Mons on 24 August 1914, was the first battle fought by British forces in Western Europe since Waterloo. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the speed and accuracy of British marksmen forced the Germans to temporarily halt their advance, thus allowing British forces to withdraw.

At 0600 hours on 20 November 1917, 380 British tanks moved towards the front line near Cambrai. German troops fled in terror as a hole 6 miles wide and 400 yards deep was torn in the Hindenberg line. This was the dramatic introduction of the tank which hailed a new dimension of manoeuvre warfare.

The battle of Normandy took place on 6 June 1944, the greatest military operation in history succeeded in landing 155,000 men of the Allied army on to the shores of Northern France in order to defeat the German forces in NW Europe. 3 Division were the first ashore at Sword beach, one of five beaches in Operation Overlord. The success of the Normandy Campaign was a key factor leading to the Allied victory defeat in the Second World War.

3 Division

The Peninsular War (1809-1814) & The Waterloo Campaign (1815)
Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley, who later became the Duke of Wellington, started forming his Brigades into Divisions in 1809, whilst commanding the allied armies during the Peninsular War.

The Third Division was first formed up tactically on the 2nd July 1809, under the command of Major General J. Mackenzie, on the frontier of Portugal and Spain. At this time dispatch riders provided communications essential for successful command. Signallers were not attached to the Third Division until 1814.

By the winter of 1811 the Third Division was generally known by the nickname 'The Fighting Division', since it always seemed to be in action against the French enemy.

Between 1809 and 1815 the Third Division took part in the following battles:

  • Talavera - 28 July 1809
  • Bussaco - 27 September 1810
  • Torres Vedras - Winter 1810 - 1811
  • Sabugal - 3 April 1811
  • Fuentes D'Onoro - 5 May 1811
  • Cuidad Rodrigo - 19 January 1812
  • Badajoz - 6 April 1812
  • Salamanca - 22 July 1812
  • Burgos - September-October 1812
  • Vittoria - 21 June 1813
  • Pyrenees - 30 July 1813
  • Quatre Bras - 16-17 July 1815
  • Waterloo - 18 July 1815

The Crimean War (1854-1855)

The Third Division, along with the rest of the British Army, had a rather uninspired campaign in the Crimea. However, communications had greatly improved since the Peninsular War, with the Army Telegraph Train provided line heliograph communication.

The Third Division took part in the following battles during the Crimean War:

  • Alma - 20 September 1854
  • Inkerman - 5 November 1854
  • Sebastopol - 1854-1855

The Boer War (1899-1900)

Following the Crimean War the Telegraph Troop, Royal Engineers, was formed in Blandford in 1870 and by 1884 had grown to a telegraph Battalion. No 3 Detachment of this Battalion deployed with the Third Division to fight in the Boer War.

During the Boer War the Third Division took part in the following battles:

  • Stormberg - 10 December 1899
  • Advance into the Orange Free State - 12 March 1900
  • Reddersburg - 3 April 1900

The First World War (1914-1918)

On return to the UK from the Boer War, No.3 Detachment of the Royal Engineers Telegraph Battalion was retitled Third Division Signals and located at Bulford.  In 1908 the Telegraph Battalion was replaced by the Royal Engineers Signals Service.

When the Third Division deployed to France during the First World War,  it took its Signals Service unit with it. At this time despatch riders formed the backbone of the service, however, the first 'wireless' sets were also being used.

It was during The First World War that the Third Division's current nickname 'The Iron Division' was conceived.
 

During the First World War the Third Division took part in 45 different battles, including the more famous battles of:

  • Mons
  • The Aisne
  • Ypres (1914 and 1917)
  • The Somme (1916 and 1918)
  • Arras (1917 and 1918)
  • The Lys
  • Cambrai

The Second World War (1939-1945)

On 28 June 1920, the Secretary of State for War, the Rt. Hon. Winston S Churchill, officially formed the Corps of Signals. Six weeks later His Majesty the King bestowed the title 'The Royal Corps of Signals'.

In 1937 Divisional Signals became mechanized and in 1939 were mobilised as part of the British Expeditionary Force which deployed to France. Early in 1940 the Division, now commanded by Major General (later Field Marshal) Bernard Montgomery, took part in the Dunkirk withdrawal.

The Signal Regiment, along with the rest of the 3rd Infantry Division, returned to Europe with the Normandy landings ( the Division was the first ashore at Sword Beach) in 1944 and advanced through the low countries. The Signal Regiment supported the Division as it fought many actions, culminating with the Rhine crossings in 1945.

During The Second World War the 3rd Infantry Division took part in 16 different battles including the more famous battles of:

  • Dunkirk
  • Normandy (D-Day)
  • Caen
  • Operation Goodwood
  • Operation Market Garden (Arnham)
  • The Rhineland

 

Post War to Present Day

In 1945 the Signal Regiment was retitled 3rd Infantry Division Signal Regiment and deployed to Palestine.  Withdrawing from Palestine in 1947 the Regiment was temporarily disbanded to be reformed in 1951 as part of the Army Strategic Command in Colchester. Deployments with the Strategic Command included Suez in 1956.

The Regiment deployed to Cyprus in 1964 on UN operations and by the end of 1978 the Regiment and the Division HQ had moved to Korbecke on the Mohnesee in the Federal Republic of Germany.  After various reorganizations of the Forces in Germany the Regiment was established with Signal Squadrons supporting each of 4, 6 and 33 Armoured Brigades. 

With the demise of the USSR and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990, options for change resulted in the return of the 3rd Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment to Bulford, to be retitled 3 (UK) Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment.

The Divisional Headquarters and Signal Regiment has an amphibious, air-mobile and air-portable capability and is able to deploy in armoured or light vehicles to meet a variety of contingencies, either as part of the ACE Rapid Reaction Corps, or for national contingency operations.

Since The Second World War soldiers from 3 (UK) Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment have deployed (on both operations and exercises) to:

  • Afghanistan
  • Borneo
  • Bosnia
  • Canada
  • Cyprus
  • Germany
  • Gibraltar
  • Kosovo
  • Malaysia
  • Northern Ireland
  • Palestine
  • Port Said
  • South Arabia
  • Thailand
  • The Falkland Islands
  • The Gulf (1990-1991 and 2003)
  • The Suez Canal
  • The United States