109th Signals Squadron

Last updated
109th Signal Squadron
Active12 November 1966 – present
Country Australia
Allegiance Australian Army
Branch Army Reserves
Type Field army
Role Military communications
SizeOne squadron
Part of 13th Brigade
Garrison/HQKarrakatta
Motto(s)'Certa Cito', means 'Swift and Sure'.
Commanders
Current
commander
Major Eric Simpson
Colonel-in-Chief The Princess Royal
Insignia
Unit colour patch 109th Colour Patch.png

109 Signals Squadron, Royal Australian Corps of Signals is an independent military communications sub-unit of the Australian Army. it currently resides in Karrakatta in Western Australia as part of the 13th Brigade.

History

Signals have been represented in Western Australia since 1906 when a company of Signallers was formed and located in Perth and Fremantle. The Corps units in Western Australia have undergone many name changes since 1906. After becoming the Royal Australian Corps of Signals in 1925 and serving during the Second World War only two main units were left operating in Western Australia; Headquarters Western Command Signal Squadron and Western Command Intercom Troop.

405th Signal Squadron was raised from these two units and a Battle Group Signal Troop was raised to cater for other Western Command units. 405 Signal Troop was primarily responsible for all strategic communications between Western Command and other States/Formations.

A further change in 1965 saw the raising of 123 Signal Squadron from 405 Signal Squadron. On 12 November 1966, 109 Signal Squadron was raised from the Battle Group Signal Troop to assist in the training of National Servicemen and women. [1] Both units were in Leederville, Western Australia. In 1973, all Army Reserve members were transferred from 123 Signal Squadron to 109 Signal Squadron. 109 Signal Squadron was responsible for providing communications to 2 Task Force.

109 Signal Squadron moved to Lord Street in East Perth in 1974 and remained there until 1987. Early in 1988, the unit moved to Leeuwin Barracks, East Fremantle, and came under the command of Headquarters 13 Brigade. [2]

A Significant change occurred to 109 Signal Squadron’s establishment during 1989 as a result of becoming a Brigade Signal Squadron. Although an independent Signal Squadron, it now had a formation chain of command, Headquarters 13 Brigade. Its establishment was changed to be along the lines of an Australian Regular Army Brigade Signal Squadron. In the five years following the unit undertook seven major exercises in the Pilbara region.

109 Signal Squadron moved to its current location in 1992 where most of the 13 Brigade units are located. [2] In 2006 under Project Focus, all supporting non-Royal Australian Corps of Signals elements, excluding limited logistic staff were reallocated to dedicated corps units as part of a project designed to enhance and streamline C2 and administrative arrangements.

Since 2006, 109 Signal Squadron has consisted of two troops, one Combat Net Radio focused and the other Battlefield Telecommunications Network/Information Systems focused. In 2008 these troops were renamed 405 Signal Troop and 123 Signal Troop to honour the Western Australian signals history.

109 Signal Squadron has committed reservists to undertake rotations to the Solomon Islands for Operation Anode, providing support to border patrolling in Northwest Western Australia for Operation Resolute and providing individual round outs to Operation Slipper in Afghanistan and Operation Astute in East Timor. [2]

Related Research Articles

Units of the British Army

The units of the British Army are commanded by the Chief of the General Staff. This is broadly similar to the structures of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, in that the four-star (general-equivalent) commanders-in-chief have been eliminated since 2011 and service chiefs are given direct command of their respective services and are responsible as Top Level Budget (TLB) holders. Army Headquarters is located in Andover, Hampshire. There is a Commander Field Army and a personnel and UK operations command, Home Command.

Royal Corps of Signals Communications arm of the British Army

The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications and information systems essential to all operations. Royal Signals units provide the full telecommunications infrastructure for the Army wherever they operate in the world. The Corps has its own engineers, logistics experts and systems operators to run radio and area networks in the field. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems, providing command support to commanders and their headquarters, and conducting electronic warfare against enemy communications.

Royal Australian Corps of Signals

The Royal Australian Corps of Signals (RASigs) is one of the 'arms' of the Australian Army. It is responsible for installing, maintaining, and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems. The motto of the Signals Corps is Certa Cito and is translated as 'Swift and Sure', signifying the aim of the signal service – that communication be carried out with maximum speed and certainty. Like their British counterparts, the Royal Australian Corps of Signals' flag and hat badge feature Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods, affectionately referred to by members of the corps as "Jimmy".

Structure of the Australian Army

This article describes the current structure of the Australian Army. It includes the army's order of battle and the headquarters locations of major units. Members of the Australian Army also serve within joint units of the Australian Defence Force which fall outside the direct command of the Australian Army.

III Corps (Australia) Australian Army corps

III Corps was an Australian Army unit during World War II. It was responsible for the defence of Western Australia in 1942–1944. The corps was formed in April 1942 from Western Command, which had been established in October 1939. Throughout the war, the formation's size expanded and contracted as available manpower, and the strategic situation, dictated. At its height, the corps consisted of two infantry divisions and one armoured division, which were deployed to defend against a Japanese invasion threat, which ultimately never eventuated. The corps ceased to exist in June 1944 when it was converted back into Western Command, which remained until the end of the war in 1945.

Communications and Electronics Branch

The Communications and Electronics Branch is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The army component of the branch is designated the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals.

13th Brigade (Australia) Brigade of the Australian Army

The 13th Brigade is an Army Reserve formation of the Australian Army. Originally formed in 1912 as a Militia formation in Victoria, the brigade was re-raised as a First Australian Imperial Force unit during World War I and fought on the Western Front. In the interwar years, the brigade was re-raised as a part-time formation based in Western Australia and later fought in the New Britain Campaign during World War II. It is currently headquartered at Perth in Western Australia and has units located across the state in locations such as Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Albany, Katanning, Joondalup and Rockingham. The current brigade was formed in 1988 and is tasked with the protection of Western Australia. It forms part of the 2nd Division of the Australian Army.

36 (Eastern) Signal Regiment was a Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment formed part of 2 Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations. It was disbanded effective 31 March 2010, with elements being subsumed by the 37th and 39th Signal Regiments.

34 (Northern) Signal Regiment

34 (Northern) Signal Regiment was a Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment formed part of 12 Signal Group, providing command and control communication for NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC). As a result of the Strategic Review of Reserves it was announced on 28 April 2009 that the regiment was to be disbanded The regiment consisted of three squadrons plus the band:

37th 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.

40 (Ulster) Signal Regiment

40 (Ulster) Signal Regiment (Volunteers) was a Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment formed part of 2 Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations. The regiment did not have an internal security role in Northern Ireland.

Sri Lanka Signals Corps

The Sri Lanka Signals Corps (SLSC) is a combat support corps of the Sri Lanka Army, responsible for providing military communications, information technology and electronic warfare support. The corps is made up of a signals brigade, ten regular regiments and one volunteer regiment. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems. It is headquartered at the Panagoda Cantonment.

Western Australian emergency of March 1944 Events related to Australias defence during World War II

During March 1944, the Allies of World War II rapidly reinforced the military units located in the state of Western Australia to defend against the possibility that Japanese warships would attack the cities of Fremantle and Perth. This redeployment began on 8 March after concerns were raised about the purpose of Japanese warship movements near the Netherlands East Indies, and ended on 20 March, after it was concluded that an attack was unlikely.

1st Armoured Brigade (Australia) Formation of the Australian Army

The 1st Armoured Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in July 1941, at Greta, New South Wales from volunteers for the Second Australian Imperial Force and was assigned to the 1st Armoured Division. Raised initially for service in the Middle East, following Japan's entry into the war, the brigade was assigned to the defence of Australia in case of an invasion. After garrison duties in New South Wales and Western Australia, it was disbanded in November 1944 without seeing active service, although some of its former units saw action later with other formations.

201st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade

The 201st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade is located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The 201st was originally named the 201st Military Intelligence Brigade and on 3 July 2008 it became the Army's third active duty battlefield surveillance brigade and was renamed the 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB). The US Army decided to get rid of its BfSBs and the 201st was realigned into a new expeditionary military intelligence brigade.

14 Signal Regiment (United Kingdom)

The 14th Signal Regiment is a part of the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals. The regiment's role is to provide Electronic Warfare (EW) capability in support of deployed Land Commanders, in order to enable operations in the electronic battlespace. It is the only British Army Regiment capable of conducting sustainable electronic warfare in support of national operations worldwide. The regiment is currently based at Cawdor Barracks, on the site of the former RAF Brawdy, near Haverfordwest, in South Wales.

1st Signal Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 1st Signal Brigade, formally known as the 1st Signal Group was a communications command of the British Army. The group was first formed in 1968 as a result of the 1966 Defence White Paper which expanded support for NATO and the British Army of the Rhine. In 1987 the group was disbanded and merged into the 2nd Signal Brigade.

The following is a hierarchical outline for the structure of the British Army in 1989. The most authoritative source for this type of information available is Ministry of Defence, Master Order of Battle, and United Kingdom Land Forces, HQ UKLF, UKLF ORBAT Review Action Plan, HQ UKLF, 1990.

The 10th Signal Regiment is a current regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals within the British Army.

15 Signal Regiment (United Kingdom) Special signal regiment of the British Armys Royal Corps of Signals

The 15th Signal Regiment is one of four special signal regiments of the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals.

References

  1. "Australian Ship, Unit and Corps Anniversaries". Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "109th Signal Squadron". Army. Australian Army. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.