The Signal Company did not train with the rest of the division in 1912, having been specially selected to take part in that year's Autumn Manoeuvres of the Regular Army.

[1][10] At the beginning of August 1914 the East Lancashire Division was preparing to go on annual training at Caernarfon when orders came cancelling the camp because of the deteriorating international situation.

The men were billeted in the schools next door to the drill hall and horses and carts were requisitioned according to standing instructions.

The divisional engineers entrained at Bolton on 9 September and the following day embarked at Southampton with the signal company (150 strong) aboard the Saturnia.

Early in 1915 the signal establishment was increased to provide a section for the divisional artillery HQ, another cable detachment and additional motor cycle despatch riders, bringing the company strength up to 208.

[1][9][14][15][18][19] On 1 May the division began embarking at Alexandria to join the Gallipoli Campaign, the Signal Co with Divisional HQ (DHQ) aboard the Crispin.

On 25 May a rainstorm flooded 125th Bde HQ in Krithia Nullah, washing away the signals equipment, and the section suffered casualties while replacing it.

Williams won the first Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) awarded to the company when in charge of two cable-laying parties in Krithia Nullah.

They were caught by two salvoes of Turkish artillery fire, suffering casualties to men, horses and equipment, but he reorganised them and completed the job in time for the next day's attack (the Third Battle of Krithia).

When 42nd (EL) Division advanced after the Battle of Romani (3–5 August) the company struggled to get a horsed cable wagon up to the divisional report centre; after that camel transport was improvised in the pursuit to Katia Oasis.

At the time the BEF was engaged in following the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line (Operation Alberich) requiring much cable-laying in the devastated area around Péronne.

In May the division moved to Havrincourt Wood in front of the Hindenburg Line, where the Signal Co laid deep buried cables to the brigade HQs.

On 6 September 125th Bde made an attack on the strongpoints of Iberian, Borry and Beck House farms (the division's only involvement in the Battle of Passchendaele), and for 24 hours the only communications No 2 Section were able to maintain were by carrier pigeon.

[15][33][34] 42nd (EL) Division next went to Nieuport on the Belgian coast, where the flooded country and persistent shelling meant heavy work for the signallers to repair telephone lines that were frequently broken, particularly across the River Yser.

On the afternoon of 25 March DHQ moved to Foncquevillers, where the signallers picked up a buried cable route and re-established communications with corps HQ.

[14][15][38][39] The division was out of the line for rest and reorganisation from 7 to 16 April, after which it returned to Foncquevillers, where the signallers re-located and brought back into use cables that had been buried during the Battle of the Somme two years earlier.

[40][41] After the victory of the Battle of Amiens on 8 July – the start of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive – the Germans in front of 42nd (EL) Division began to withdraw.

In two continuous days of fighting (the Battle of the Canal du Nord, 27–28 September) the East Lancashires leap-frogged through five successive objectives.

[8][50][54][55] 66th (2nd EL) Division concentrated near Béthune and took over a sector of old line in considerable disrepair, which the divisional RE and signallers began to put into order.

At the end of June the division moved to the Flanders coast where it joined Fourth Army preparing to advance in support of the expected breakthrough at Ypres.

The line was turned elsewhere, and for the next few days of retreat the division took part in a series of stands until it reached Hangard Wood on 30 March, where it was relieved by French troops and went for rest in Amiens.

At the beginning of 1916 the depot moved to the Western Command Reserve Training Centre, RE, at Caernarfon, joining the 3rd Line RE of the 55th (WL) and 53rd (Welsh) Divisions.

The provisional brigades' role thus expanded to include physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas.

[69][71][72][73] After assembling in Lancashire, 73rd Division moved in early January 1917 to join Southern Army (Home Forces), stationed in Essex and Hertfordshire, with the Signal Company at Hitchin.

[1][7] 42nd (EL) Divisional Signals and the units it administered moved to Norton Street, Brooks' Bar, Stretford, Manchester, on 12 March 1932.

[54][8][9][77][78] After mobilisation, 42nd (EL) Division moved to Hungerford for training, and then embarked for France on 12 April 1940 to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

[1] When the German offensive in the west opened on 10 May, the BEF advanced into Belgium in accordance with 'Plan D', with 42nd (EL) Division moving up to the Escaut, where it was in reserve.

In June 1956, RHQ and 1 Sqn moved to Norman Road, Rusholme, in Manchester, formerly occupied by 606th (East Lancashire) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery.

The regiment also took on administrative responsibility for three brigade signal sqns:[6][1][8][101] From 1961 the mixed squadrons including members of the WRAC (1 and 3 Sqns) trained for a wartime role giving signals support to the Civil Defence organisation at Cuerden Hall, Bamber Bridge, Preston, the designated wartime Regional Seat of Government.

[108][109] 42nd (East Lancashire) Division's formation badge on the Western Front during the First World War consisted of a diamond divided horizontally, white over red.