F SectionBy Aussie Graves 
F' Section, No.2 Company of the 55th 1st West Lancashire Divisional Signals was brought up to war time strength in the early summer of 1942. The section was attached to the 136 1st West Lancs Field Regiment for discipline, pay and rations, to provide and maintain communications between RHQ and three battery Headquarters prior to posting overseas.
Section Strength:- 6 motor cycles, 4 D.R’s Equipment:- 1 mark D5 field telephones contained in an oblong metal case with webbing shoulder strap. These were replaced later by American “L” type phones contained in a leather case with close down lid. These were much more robust and afforded better protection from damp and wet weather that the D5 The line cable was Mark D5 - two strands of steel, one strand of copper. This was single strand cable wound on steel drums one mile in length. (All this communication was on earth return principle). 1 cable layer, a metal framed contraption with spindles across the centre controlled by handle, made for bolting in the back of a 15cwt truck (1916 -18 vintage) Mark 18 set portable Mark 48 set portable Our first taste of things to come came at Waybin. Lines which had been taken over from another regiment to an O.P. at 1601 had to be maintained at the same time carrying recharged dogs for wireless sets at the O.P. and bringing the discharged ones down on a daily basis. On 29th January 1943 to accompany Col. Wagstaffe to Battalion HQ of the 4th West Kents. The Kents were to occupy a group of hills approximately four miles behind the Japanese positions. Our C.O. would establish an OPP with Battalion HQ with a land line for communication plus wireless. The move was to be carried out during the night of 31st. Extra men had to be used as porters to carry the cable drums while the lineman ran the cable out. Mules could not be used. A bamboo pole through the centre of the drum acted as a spindle with a man each side supporting it. Silence was essential so the pole was muffled with pieces of rag. Each man wore his Plimsolls (Jungle boots were not on issue) with army boots hung by the laces around his neck. The West Kents provided a fighting patrol to look after us. The position was reached before daybreak and by dawn we were well dug in and established with the line working well. During the day the C.O. did some registering (notice I'm learning!) The line was cut a couple of times, two of us going out to repair it without any trouble. The second morning a carrier drove in behind the hill, on whose orders or why I do not know. It was carrying supplies. A line of men were formed from the foot of the hill up to the position and the supplies were passed hand to hand in a chain. The Japs decided to let the New Year in with a mortar barrage and shelling with a 75. The Colour Sergeant of the Kents and eleven of their men were killed. We buried them at the foot of the hill. The line was cut again and Jock Hamilton and I went out to repair it. The cut repaired, we were returning to the O.P. when we found one of the Kents lying dead in the bushes. How he had been killed I do not know. Back at the O.P. I saw the Kents’ padre and took him to the body. At 0100 hours I was awakened by the O.P. telling me the C.O. wanted me. I found him with the C.O. and ADJ of the Kents having a heated argument. Turning to me our C.O. said 'Aim your rifle at Orion, we'll liven this bloody lot up”! Realising that things were not right I slipped the magazine out of the rifle. As I did this I felt something hard in my back. The ADJ of the Kents said 'You fire that rifle Graves and I will shoot you'. Col. Wagstaffe overheard him and gave him a dressing down. I managed to calm the C.O. down and get him back to the command post. The next morning I was ordered to gather the men together with our equipment as we were leaving. The C.O. went in one carrier and I went in the second with the remainder of the men, leaving the hill like some unruly lodgers being evicted. When I got back to RHQ Col. Wagstaffe had gone and I never saw him again. I think he was right in what he said but unfortunately he said it the wrong way and the wrong man got the sack. The Regiment was moving over the pass and RHQ moved to 33 Brigade area. Our time was spent maintaining lines to various O.P.s, particularly the one to 'able' which was continually being cut. At the end of January there was a move planned to take Buthidaung and cross the Maundaw Buthidaung road. Lines were to be laid during the night with Mr. Finch, the Section Officer, in charge of a party of 6 section linemen, battery signal Sergeants with a number of battery signallers and 4 Indian signalmen from 33 Brigade. Working through the night, once again the cable drums being carried on a bamboo pole, we reached the road. I found a culvert under the road and crawled through with the cables, making them safe on the other side. The lines were to lie there and brought into use after the Infantry had advanced. The main party returned to RHQ while I took the Indian signalmen back to the Brigade. Mr. Finch was waiting for me when I got back to say our labours had been in vain because 5,000 Japs had cut the Division off. The line to HQRA was cut and I went on motor cycle with another lineman to repair it. Approaching Div. HQ area I was stopped by an M.P. and asked where I was headed. I replied that I was going to Div. HQ. He informed me that Div. HQ no longer existed. Wally Kellet, operating the wireless in RHQ Command post, received a message instructing every man to stay at his post. He informed Capt. Woods, the Adj. who told him to acknowledge. The reply came back 'Acknowledge won't do, we want a Wirrawadyilco' The battle of the Box was on. After a spell of leave and rest at Ranchi we left for Khohima. The battle was over when we got there. The motor cycles were handed in at Dimapur in exchange for 3 jeeps and trailers. The dispatch riders were no longer required as such but were left on the strength. The time at Khohima was spent laying safety lines for practise shoots involving the Infantry to give them confidence in the accuracy of our gunners. On leaving Khohima we started the mad dash down the country for the Irrawady. Arriving at Nyaungu and having no Section Officer I attended the C.O's briefing for crossing the river. He said he wanted a line across the river. I asked how wide it was and was told 2,000 yards. My problems were numerous. 1. D5 cable is not very strong I went back to the Corp. HQ and saw the Signals Quartermaster. I asked if he could lend me a couple of drums of American 'E' type cable. This cable comes on two mile drums. It has 4 strands of steel and 4 strands of copper covered by heavy rubber and strong Gutta Percha, excellent insulation. An engineering Officer I had met offered to lend a driver and Duwk. The two drums were put on board, hoping we would only need one of them, again using our faithful bamboo pole spindle. This was laid flat on the deck. As many empty metal drums as we could find were loaded for weights. The end of the cable was made off on a stout stake and, leaving one man behind with a telephone connected to the end we set sail with two men turning the drum to payout the cable. We could not go straight across because of the strong current so we had to go upstream. The Duwk driver played the line like a fisherman enabling us to put a turn around the metal drum and throw it over the side. The driver did an excellent job. The other side was reached with about 100 yards to spare. I had occasion to go back from Pagan about a week later to find the line still working. Eventually we arrived at Hlegu and Wally Kellet was again operating a set at the side of Chaung. I went up to see if everything was all right and he told me he had just switched over to All India Radio to hear the news that a bomb had been dropped on a town in Japan and flattened it. It must have been one of those European blockbusters (some blockbuster!) It all ended, true to the tradition of the Royal Corps of Signals. The line went through swift and sure in support of an excellent Regiment of gunners. Certa Cito |
