It had its origins in a Volunteer unit of the Royal Engineers formed in 1861 and provided the communications for several infantry divisions during World War II.

When the old Volunteer Force was subsumed into the Territorial Force (TF) after the Haldane reforms in 1908, the 2nd Gloucestershire (The Bristol Engineer Volunteer Corps) Royal Engineers (originally formed at Bristol on 10 April 1861 by employees of the Bristol and Exeter Railway) provided the Royal Engineers (RE) components of the TF's South Midland Division, including the South Midland Divisional Telegraph Company, with the following organisation:[1][2][3][4][5][6] Nos 2–4 Sections were largely manned by the three infantry brigades to which they were attached.

[1][3][7][8][9] The 1st South Midland Division embarked for France at the end of March 1915 to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and took its place in the line of the Western Front.

The German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line (Operation Alberich) in Spring 1917 created a devastated area over which new communications had to be installed, and the divisional cable wagons came into their own.

In June 1918 the division was closely engaged in the fighting on the Asiago Plateau, where cables were difficult to install and wireless was more widely used than on the Western Front.

At the conclusion of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, 48th (SM) Division led the pursuit into Austrian territory until the Armistice of Villa Giusti came into effect on 3 November.

Unlike its 1st Line, which had a year's experience of trench warfare before its first major action, 61st (2nd SM) Division was thrown into the disastrous Battle of Fromelles just seven weeks after arrival.

[9] The opening of the German spring offensive on 21 March found 61st (2nd SM) Division holding the line in front of St Quentin.

The BEF had introduced a new system of defence in depth, but this was still incomplete, particularly the essential buried cable communications, and surface lines were quickly cut by the massive German bombardment.

By 23 March the badly mauled 61st (2nd SM) Division was in reserve during the actions at the Somme Crossings, though individual units were still engaged.

Much re-use of captured German cable and poles was employed, and corps cavalry and bicycle units had to be used to supplement the limited number of dispatch riders.

Wireless sections had been increased in August, allowing signal companies to man stations as far forward as battalion HQs.

Although the companies did not see active service themselves, they raised a number of new signal units that served in various theatres of the war,[3] beginning with a Southern Motor Airline Section that embarked for the Western Front on 10 November 1914.

[23][24][25] In 1939, the organisation of an infantry divisional signal unit and the attachments of its subunits were as follows:[26] 48th (SM) Division moved to France in January 1940 to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

When the German offensive began with the invasion of the Low Countries on 10 May, the BEF advanced into Belgium under Plan D, and soon its leading divisions were in place on the River Dyle.

[1][3][25][36] 61st Division did appear in 21st Army Group's proposed order of battle in the summer of 1943, but it was later replaced by veteran formations brought back from the Mediterranean theatre before Operation Overlord was launched.

[37] The division sailed on 16 October and 11th Infantry Brigade (including its HQ and signals) carried out the first 'Torch' landing near Algiers at 01.00 on 8 November.

[37][43] The Allies followed up with landings on mainland Italy, and had made good progress by the time 78th Division began disembarking at the captured port of Bari on 22 September.

It took part on the final Battle of Monte Cassino (Operation Diadem, 11–18 May 1944) and the subsequent fighting in the Liri Valley as far as Alatri.

The roads were in bad shape and it took a long time to travel up to the line for the winter fighting, in which it took the hills above Bologna and pushed towards the Santerno.

Hostilities on the Italian front ended on 2 May with the Surrender of Caserta, and 78th Division entered Austria on 8 May to begin occupation duties.