Only one ex-members making contact since my last update. He is: Eric Caisley - Radio Relay Troop - early sixties.

I have added a site forum on the home page, just click on the link. You can add your opinions and views, reply to other's comments and generally interact with other ex-members of 249 Signal Squadron (FARELF). (People are visiting the Forum but not bothering to add anything - is it worth keeping it going? Let me know.)

Both Jack Wraith and Trevor (Tex) Rayson are holidaying, not together, in Penang, Malaysia and sent Graham an email/postcard - no doubt to wind him up and make him very envious - well lads you succeeded!! That also applies to Bob Geddes – he’s always doing it.

Trevor recommends a book he has read entitled “The Quiet Operator” written by John Simpson & Mark Adkin - a true life story about Len Wilmott - Royal Signals, ex boy TG Operator in Malaya, amongst other places.

Before relaying the messages received from the RSA, I would like, again, to recommend to anyone who is not already a member of the Royal Signals Association that they do join and so reap the benefits. Please contact Peter Cuckow (RSA@royalsignals.mod.uk ) for any answers to queries that you may have, ie closest branch. I include Peter in these updates so he will be, as always, ready to help.

Data Protection, received from RSA: On 8th July 2009 the General Secretary sent the following letter to all branches and affiliated associations:-

“Following a Government ruling, all those persons dealing with lists of personal details must undergo a course of instruction on data handling. In order to comply with this, any member of your branch/association committee who holds or deals with lists of members’ names and addresses must view the enclosed CD. The course should take around an hour and there is no ‘pass’ or ‘fail’.

Please provide the Association HQ with the names(s) of those within your branch/association who have seen the CD. Would you please take care of the CD as any changes in your committee may require a new person to view it.

Those who have already completed the on-line course through MoD sources need not view the CD, but should have their name forwarded to the Association HQ.”

You should be aware that Graham has complied with the above (that is why he always obtains permission regarding your details) but must now stress to you all that any information should not be divulged from “The Address List” without first getting the OK from the person involved and then only to bona fide & genuine ex 249’ers.

Royal Garden Party: A Garden Party will be held at Buckingham Palace on Thursday 1st July 2010 to mark The Princess Royal’s 60th Birthday. The Garden Party is being held by gracious permission of HM The Queen. All the guests will be from, or associated to, an organization or charity with which The Princess Royal is closely affiliated. The Royal Signals Association has been allocated places for three couples. Anyone interested in bidding for places should send the following details to the General Secretary by Friday 5th March 2010:-

Full forenames and surnames (as shown on passport), title, rank (if appropriate) and decorations.

Whether it is a married couple or companions.

Please indicate if a person is disabled and requires special help.

Address to which the invitation should be sent, including both county and post code.

It has been stressed to us that no alterations or substitutions can be made once the nominations have been made.

The Royal Signals Association reunion weekend in 2010 is Saturday 19th/Sunday 20th June at Blandford. Having unavoidably missed the last couple Lynn & Graham are determined to be there this year, in fact, they have already booked their accommodation. Further details will be forwarded to you as we get them. But it is up to you to make your own arrangements to attend. I believe HRH Princess Royal will be present so no doubt it will be well supported.

However all of that was eclipsed by the passionate talk given by Brigadier Flint. Somewhat naturally he started with Afghanistan where we have close on one thousand of our Corps deployed Those of us who have retired longest will remember the days when there were Royal Signals personnel serving with infantry and armoured units, but not in recent times. Now there are 69 Signalers with infantry battalions in Helmand province. This is due to the further development of the Bowman system, a complicated technology anyway and soon the introduction of Falcon with greater use of Satellite communications. Now 42 inch TV sets can be seen in Battalion HQ, not showing Manchester United v Liverpool but the land and its occupants around their deployed positions beamed down from airborne drones, some hand launched and some more sophisticated. All communications are now digital and hence the expertise of the Royal Signals technician is required.. Electronic Warfare is a major activity.

Not all that the SOinC described can be printed here but there has been one incident when a Royal Signals Cpl with an infantry battalion was able, single handed one might say, to anticipate and then reduce the impact of a major Taliban attack on their position. And such techniques are a major part of reducing the number of casualties from roadside bombs. Many of our signalers now deployed can speak the local language (eg Parsi) used by the Taliban.

Moving to general matters, the Corps is now 11,000 strong with 2,000 in the TA and some 500 Gurkhas The latter have proved themselves very capable tradesmen with some now YofS or FofS S and at least one Officer with as MA in IT.

Whilst the titles of the Corps’ major regiments stayed the same such as 1 Div Signal Regiment, 22 Signal Regiment etc, their roles have been adapted to the present hostilities so that 4 Div Signal Regiment will soon deploy to Afghanistan, 30 Signal Regiment provides for emergency operations such as support for Haiti, and the remaining TA Signal Regiments, whilst still providing personal for overseas operations, will be responsible for Regional Home defense in the face of potential terrorist attacks.

Ten per cent of the Corps is made up of girls some of whom have been operating in forward units described above.

To maintain morale emphasis is being placed upon the 'resettlement' of those coming back from operations in Afghanistan. This takes the form of replacing conventional training for six months with opportunities for adventure training and sport. The Corps has won the Army Football Championships and all four weights in the Army Tug of War. There is one girl in the Olympic Winter sports (I think toboggan?)

The SOinC emphasised the support we get from the new CGS, and the general recognition that our soldiers have skill and character.

One final plea to us all was to support the operations in Afghanistan. He pointed out that if we fail to remove the Taliban influence there and replace it with local democratic talent, the Pakistan Taliban will overthrow the Pakistan Government. Pakistan has a nuclear capability and so does India who would not tolerate a Taliban dominated government. The outcome could be horrific.. Having heard him say that, I for one realised that it was the first time I had been given a creditable reason for today’s operations.

Criteria for joining the Royal Signals Association.

What it boils down to is this - If you served during the time of 249 FARELF (which you did) you must have participated in the "One Days Pay" ruling which entitles you to join the RSA as a Life Member for free. If you go to the RSA website details are available there. If you do not wish to join a Branch local to you (and possibly participate) you can join the RHQ Branch. - Hope this makes sense.

In case it makes it clearer here is a copy off the email that Neville received.

Dear Neville. Thank you for taking an interest in this matter. All those who contributed to Corps Funds through the Days Pay Scheme (DPS) are automatically eligible for free membership of the RSA. However, they must still apply to join by completing an enrollment card, which is sent to Assn HQ. Yes, it would be best if I was asked to check to see if any potential member was already a LIFE MEMBER before asking for the remittance. The bottom line is that all money received as remittance for LM goes into the Benevolent Fund for welfare use.