32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment, Royal Signals

The 32nd Signal Regiment (Volunteers) is a British Territorial Army regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals.

Regimental heritage
The 1st Lanarkshire Engineer Regiment were raised in Glasgow on 5 December 1859 as part of the Volunteer Force. The regiment was formally registered with the War Office on 27 February 1860. In 1863 the regiment adopted the uniform of the Royal Engineers. In 1864 the "Corps Training Ground" was established in Maryhill. In 1894 a Telegraph Company was added to the regiment. In 1900 the regiment was chosen to be part of the first operational use of the Volunteer Force and a company of two officers and 99 Other Ranks were sent to the Second Boer War. The regiment undertook its first Annual Camp at Dunoon in 1902.

World War I
As part of the 1908 Haldane Reforms, which created the TA, the regiment became the Glasgow Telegraph Group Royal Engineers. A Wireless, Cable and Airline Company were added and the regiment was established as a Field Company to support 51st Highland Division. After the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the Glasgow Group RE was disbanded and the regiment was sent as part of IV Corps and the British Expeditionary Force to France. The regiment saw action at the 1st Battle of Ypres and had the distinction of being the first reserve regiment to take part in active service in the campaign.

World War II
On reforming the Territorial Army in 1920, 52nd Lowland Division Signal Company reformed at Maryhill. On 28 June that year the Royal Corps of Signals was formed and the regiment changed uniform and cap badge. During World War II the regiment again saw active service in support of both 51st Highland and 52nd Lowland Divisions in the European theatre. On reforming the TA in 1947, the regiment returned once again to Maryhill as the 51st/52nd (Scottish) Infantry Division Signal Regiment. A small part of the regiment became the 82nd Army Emergency Reserve (AER). The regiment was retitled 52nd Lowland Infantry Division Signal Regiment in 1948.

Post War
As a result of the 1966 Defence White Paper, a major reorganisation of the Army took place, caused by the end of National Service, with the TA being disbanded and the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) formed. Instead of forming large reserve formations, the role of the new TAVR was to provide individual and unit-sized reinforcements for the Regular Army. The 32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment was created as a TAVR II being formed on 1 April 1967. The new regiment was composed of five squadrons, amalgamating the four Signals Regiments in Scotland. They were:


 * Headquarter Squadron
 * 51st (Highland) Signal Squadron - successor to 51 (Highland) Signal Regiment
 * 52nd (Lowland) Signal Squadron - successor to 52 (Lowland) Signal Regiment
 * 61st (City of Edinburgh) Signal Squadron - successor to 61 (City of Edinburgh) Signal Regiment
 * 82nd (Army Emergency Reserve) Signal Squadron - successor to 82 Signal Regiment (Army Emergency Reserve)

The regiment gained a sixth squadron in 1969, when a Squadron of North Irish Horse became 69 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron. The regiment was reduced to five squadrons in the early 1970s upon the disbandment of 82 Squadron. Due to Options for Change, 69 Squadron transferred to 40 (Ulster) Signal Regiment in 1995. In 1999, due to the reforms implemented by the Strategic Defence Review, 52nd Squadron was re-titled as 52 (Lanarkshire and Glasgow Yeomanry) Signal Squadron due to the disbandment of B (Lanarkshire and Queen's Royal Glasgow Yeomanry) Squadron, The Scottish Yeomanry, which became part of the Queen's Own Yeomanry; This title however did not achieve popular use, and the traditional title of 52nd (Lowland) Signal Squadron was used up to restructuring in 2008.

At this point the title of 52 (Lowland) was transferred to the existing Headquarters Squadron to form 52 (Lowland) Support Squadron, this completed a journey of 9 years between 99 and 2008 when the 52 (Lowland) Squadron was away from its home of Jardine Street on the banks of the River Kelvin. The existing infrastructure and personnel were renamed 852 (Lanarkshire) Signal Troop and 863 (Lothian) Signal Troop becoming part of the new 51st (Scottish) Signal Squadron based upon the Squadron Headquarters of the former 61st (City of Edinburgh) Signal Squadron.

Another journey was completed in October 2010 when 69 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron returned to the Regiment after a 15 year hiatus. The Squadron rejoined as 40 Signal Squadron.

Locations and operations
The Regimental Headquarters is situated in Maryhill, Glasgow and after re-organisation in 2008 the regiment currently has five squadrons based throughout Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England:


 * 33 (Lancashire) Squadron - Liverpool & Manchester
 * 40 Squadron - Belfast & Limavady
 * 50 Squadron - Darlington & Hartlepool
 * 51st (Scottish) Signal Squadron - Edinburgh & East Kilbride
 * 52nd (Lowland) Support Squadron - Glasgow

The regiment is part of 2 (National Communications) Signal Brigade, and has the following Mission:

Commander 2 Signal Brigade is to deliver specialist Information Communication Services at readiness in order to enable effective command and control of Expeditionary, Other Government Department (OGD) and UK Operations The Regiment provides UK Operations Communications Support to the Commanders of the Regional Brigades: With secure Command and Control communications facilities to execute their regional Integrated Communications Planning (ICP) responsibilities in Scotland. The main capabilities for this are provided by Deployable Communications Detachments for Key Points and the Brigade Main HQs using the REEBOK LAN system, Mobile Signal Detachments, Brigade Tactical HQs using BOWMAN and Liaison Officers and Airwave Gateway Vehicles to extend or replace the Airwave system sites.
 * 15 (North East) Brigade
 * 38 (Irish) Brigade
 * 42 (North West) Brigade
 * 51st (Scottish) Brigade

The regiment is supported in these roles by a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) Light Aid Detachment (LAD), responsible for maintaining and repairing the unit's vehicles and equipment, including Land Rovers and the SA-80 A2 rifle. The regiment also maintains a long-standing affiliation with the Queen's Own Gurkha Signals that began in 1967. In ceremonial duties, the regiment makes up the mainstay of The Royal Corps of Signals Pipes and Drums. Recent operational deployments as a unit have included Operation Giraffe - the Cumbrian floods of 2009 and the creation of Barkers Crossing, Operation Fresco, Operation TOSCA - the UN Mission to Cyprus and the 31st G8 summit at Gleneagles. Many members have also served alongside their regular counterparts on operations all over the world, including on Operation Herrick in Afghanistan and Operation TELIC in Iraq.