Signals Section
Signals Section was formed as part of the 1st Australian Corps of Signals at Seymour on 19 June 1940, and was comprised of a lieutenant and 39 other ranks, mainly from New South Wales.
On 20 December 1940, under the command of Lieutenant NJ Traynor, it joined the Regiment and embarked for the Middle East on HMT Mauretania on the 29th.
In April 1941, the Section proceeded with the rest of RHQ to join the Desert Force at Abu Haggag. In June it moved further west to Sidi Barrani as part of ‘Operation Battleaxe’.
The Section did not operate as originally planned in the Western Desert, but worked mainly with the R.A.F. Desert Air Force, and also with the 4th Indian Division, the Polish Brigade and the Durham Light Infantry Battalion.
In July 1941, RHQ, including the Signals and the Workshops Sections, moved to Hill 95 Camp in Palestine and remained there until February 1942, when it embarked for Australia on HMT Andes, with Signals Section under the command of Lieutenant LR Williams.
Whilst some members were transferred to the newly formed 2nd / 4th Light AA Regiment, the majority saw service in Western Australia providing communications for the Catalina flying boats on the Swan River and R.A.A.F./U.S.A.F. bases at Pearce & Geraldton.
When the Regiment was disbanded in July 1943, the Signals Section was attached to 109 Aust Light AA Regiment. The section was disbanded in Sept 1943 and the men transferred to the newly-created 102 Aust Composite AA Regt’s Signals Section.