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Corps of Signals at a Glance

Ancestry of Signals Corps

In 1857, Indian Telegraph Department provided extensive communication during the Sepoy Mutiny campaign. In 1868, Signals job was assigned to Sappers and Miners of Engineers. In 1879, during Second Afghan War, two companies of Bengal Sappers and Miners were hurriedly equipped as telegraph units and dispatched to the front. In the year 1910, the Headlamp committee sat in Simla to recommend re-organization within the Indian Army. As a result of the recommendations made by the committee, Signals in India came into being as a separate organization under the Corps of Engineers on 15 February 1911. This day is the official Birthday of the Corps of Signals.

During World War I, Signals units were raised as part of every expeditionary force or formation, which was dispatched out of India. Experience of World War I and the development in the techniques of signals communication made it obvious that signals units were indispensable part of any formation and should therefore be retained as permanent organizations. Hence, in 1920 when the post war re-organization of the Indian Army was carried out, the Indian Signals Corps was formed as a separate corps. Since then, one signals unit has been authorized for an infantry division.

At the outbreak of World War II, the Indian Signals Corps was still a small corps with the total strength of 6411. They were organized into nine major signals units and a number of smaller units. To meet the demand during the war, rapid expansion of the Indian Army was necessary and consequently Corps of Signals was also expanded. The strength of Signals Corps at the end of World War II was roughly 64,000. After the partition of India in 1947, the strength of Signals Corps of Pakistan Army was approximately 7773.

Signals Corps of Bangladesh Army

In the initial days of Liberation War, only 79 signals personnel from Ex Pakistan Army were available for employing in the war, but their number has been increased. Thereafter, the program of raising the sector/brigade signals company was under taken as follows:

Major M Habibullah Bahar (Lieutenant Colonel retired) was overall responsible for looking after the battalion headquarter of signals battalion at headquarter in Mujib Nagar.

Number 1 Sector/Brigade Signal Company was raised at headquarter 11 Sector and Flying Officer Rouf of ex Pakistan Air Force was appointed officer commanding of this company. This company was made responsible for providing communication to Northern Zone covering the zonal headquarter and all units of 5 Sector.

Captain Shahidul Islam (Brigadier General retired) was given the task of organizing number 2 Sector/Brigade Signals Company with the echelon headquarter. This company was responsible for providing communication to the units of 1-4 Sectors of Eastern Zone.

Captain Mohd Abdul Halim (Major General Retired) was appointed officer commanding of number 8 Sector/Brigade Signals Company. His company was responsible for providing communication for the units of 6-9 Sectors.

Immediately after the liberation, in the process of re-organization and development of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, Signals Corps was also organized and developed to shape the Corps to the present state.

Significance of Signals Colour

Signals is represented by three different colours; the light blue, dark blue and green. These colours represent the sky, sea and land respectively signifying Signals service in the sky, sea and on the land, virtually everywhere.

Insignia of Signals Corps

Insignia of Signals Corps, widely known as ‘JIMMY’ is a man standing on a globe; with a staff in one hand having two snakes wrapping around it, an eagle wing on its top and a flower in another hand. According to Greek Mythology the man is ‘Harmes’, the messenger of God who was responsible for dispatching messages between the earth and heaven with speed and reliability. The snake represents security and eagle wing represents power. The flower is our national flower ‘Shapla’ and globe represents the earth.

Motto of Signals Corps

The motto of Signals Corps is ‘Druto-O-Nishchit' which means dispatching all types of messages/information with speed and reliability.

Corps Song