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In the armed forces, a signaller is a soldier
Soldier

A soldier is a general English term that refers to a land component of national armed forces.In most societies of the world, "soldier" is also a general term for any member of the land forces including Commissioned officer and non-commissioned officers....
 or seaman
Seaman

Seaman as a rate refers to one of the lowest rates in a Navy. In Commonwealth of Nations context it refers to the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
 responsible for military communications
Military communications

Military communications, or Signals , is a field of military activities, tactics and equipment dealing with Telecommunications. First of all, military communications are battlefield communications, including intercommunication with a higher Command or country's government....
 and related tasks. Most signallers are employed in the operation of radio
Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals, by modulation of electromagnetic radiation with frequency below those of visible light.Electromagnetic radiation radio propagation by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space....
 equipment and antenna
Antenna (radio)

An 'antenna' is a transducer designed to transmitter or receive Electromagnetic radiations. In other words, antennas convert electromagnetic waves into electrical currents and vice versa....
s (other than personal radios), but other signallers may be responsible for the construction and maintenance of telephone line
Telephone line

A telephone line or telephone circuit is a single-user telecommunication circuit on a telephone telecommunication system. Typically this refers to the physical wire or other signaling medium connecting the user's telephone apparatus to the telecommunications network, and usually also implies a single telephone number for billing purpo...
s and telephone switchboard
Telephone switchboard

A switchboard was a device used to connect a group of telephones manually to one another or to an outside connection, within and between telephone exchanges or private branch exchanges ....
s for field telephone systems, information technology
Information technology

Information technology , as defined by the Information Technology Association of America , is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to data conv...
 infrastructure, or electronic warfare
Electronic warfare

Electronic warfare The term EW refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the EMS or to attack the enemy....
.






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Combat Engineer Sets Up Cable
In the armed forces, a signaller is a soldier
Soldier

A soldier is a general English term that refers to a land component of national armed forces.In most societies of the world, "soldier" is also a general term for any member of the land forces including Commissioned officer and non-commissioned officers....
 or seaman
Seaman

Seaman as a rate refers to one of the lowest rates in a Navy. In Commonwealth of Nations context it refers to the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
 responsible for military communications
Military communications

Military communications, or Signals , is a field of military activities, tactics and equipment dealing with Telecommunications. First of all, military communications are battlefield communications, including intercommunication with a higher Command or country's government....
 and related tasks. Most signallers are employed in the operation of radio
Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals, by modulation of electromagnetic radiation with frequency below those of visible light.Electromagnetic radiation radio propagation by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space....
 equipment and antenna
Antenna (radio)

An 'antenna' is a transducer designed to transmitter or receive Electromagnetic radiations. In other words, antennas convert electromagnetic waves into electrical currents and vice versa....
s (other than personal radios), but other signallers may be responsible for the construction and maintenance of telephone line
Telephone line

A telephone line or telephone circuit is a single-user telecommunication circuit on a telephone telecommunication system. Typically this refers to the physical wire or other signaling medium connecting the user's telephone apparatus to the telecommunications network, and usually also implies a single telephone number for billing purpo...
s and telephone switchboard
Telephone switchboard

A switchboard was a device used to connect a group of telephones manually to one another or to an outside connection, within and between telephone exchanges or private branch exchanges ....
s for field telephone systems, information technology
Information technology

Information technology , as defined by the Information Technology Association of America , is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to data conv...
 infrastructure, or electronic warfare
Electronic warfare

Electronic warfare The term EW refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the EMS or to attack the enemy....
. In the past, signallers also operated heliograph
Heliograph

A Heliograph is a wireless solar telegraph that signals using Morse code flashes of sunlight reflected by a mirror. The flashes are produced by momentarily pivoting the mirror, or by interrupting the beam with a shutter....
s, Aldis lamps, semaphore flags
Flag semaphore

Modern semaphore The newer flag semaphore system uses two short poles with square flags, which a signalman holds in different positions to signal letters of the alphabet and numbers....
, and even carrier pigeon
Homing pigeon

The homing pigeon is a variety of Domestic Pigeon Rock Pigeon that has been selective breeding to be able to find its way home over extremely long distances....
s. Presently, signallers work with modern equipment using satellites, computers, and electronics to monitor and maintain division-sized networks.

Air Forces

In an air force
Air force

An air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps , is in the broadest sense, the national armed force or armed service that primarily conducts aerial warfare....
, a signaller, an aircrew member, is a person trained to communicate between the aircraft and its base by means of radio
Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals, by modulation of electromagnetic radiation with frequency below those of visible light.Electromagnetic radiation radio propagation by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space....
 or Aldis lamp. With improvement and simplification of radio communications equipment the role of a "signaller" in modern times is redundant. In the days when morse code
Morse code

Morse code is a type of character encoding that transmits telegraphic information using rhythm. Morse code uses a standardized sequence of short and long elements to represent the alphanumeric, punctuation and special characters of a given message....
 telegraphy
Telegraphy

Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters. Radiotelegraphy or wireless telegraphy transmits messages using radio....
 was the main means of communication a signaller was an important member of an aircraft's crew
Crew

A crew comprises a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchy organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard....
.

Armies


United Kingdom

In the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
, signaller may refer to a member of the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals

The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and Information technology systems, providing command support to commanders and their headquarters, and conducting electronic warfare against enemy communicati...
 or a trained signals specialist in other areas of the army such as the Infantry
British Army Infantry

The British Army's Infantry, part of the Structure of the British Army, comprises 51 battalions of Infantry, from 19 Regiments. Of these 37 battalions are part of the 'Regular' army and the remaining 14 a part of the 'Territorial Army' force....
 or Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery

The Royal Artillery, is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it is made up of a number of regiments....
, Airtrooper
Airtrooper

The rank of 'Airtrooper' abbreviated 'Atpr' is a private , the first rank awarded to a soldier of the British Army Air Corps ....
 and specifically to the rank of Signaller (formerly Signalman).

Australia

In the Australian Army
Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force....
, a signaller is often referred to as a Chook (Australian Slang for Chicken) this is derogatory to be used by any one outside the Signal Corps, This is because the Morse code that Signallers used during WWII is likened to the chirping of chickens

Canada

In the Canadian Army, a signaller is often referred to as a "Jimmy" in reference to the picture of Mercury
Mercury (mythology)

In Roman mythology, Mercury was a messenger, and a god of trade, profit and commerce, the son of Maia Maiestas, also known as Ops, the Roman version of Cronus, and Jupiter ....
 (Greek: Hermes
Hermes

Hermes is the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology. An Twelve Olympians, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of thieves and road travelers, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures, of invention, of general commerce, and of the cunni...
), the roman messenger of the gods, which is referred to as Jimmy. The most widely accepted theory of where the name Jimmy comes from is a Royal Signals
Royal Corps of Signals

The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and Information technology systems, providing command support to commanders and their headquarters, and conducting electronic warfare against enemy communicati...
 boxer, called Jimmy Emblem, who was the British Army Champion in 1924 and represented the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals

The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and Information technology systems, providing command support to commanders and their headquarters, and conducting electronic warfare against enemy communicati...
 from 1921 to 1924. Signallers in Canada are responsible for the majority of radio, satellite, telephone, and computer communications within the Canadian military. Trained signallers of the rank of private in Canada are referred to as "Sig" as a replacement for private (ie. Sig Smith).

See also

  • Royal Corps of Signals
    Royal Corps of Signals

    The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and Information technology systems, providing command support to commanders and their headquarters, and conducting electronic warfare against enemy communicati...
  • Communications and Electronics Branch
    Communications and Electronics Branch

    The Communications and Electronics Branch is a personnel branch of the Canadian Forces ....
     (Canadian Forces)
  • Bowman
    Bowman (communications system)

    Bowman is the name of the tactical communications system used by the British Armed Forces. The Bowman C4I system consists of a range of HF radio, VHF radio and Ultra high frequency sets designed to provide secure integrated voice, data services to dismounted soldiers, individual vehicles and command HQs up to Division level....