"Field Telephones 1914" Topic

Does anyone have information on the use of telephones in Aug 1914, thanks in advance :)

I do but this is quite a big topic. Did you have a specific situation that you are interested in?

Robert

I am trying to determine how Battalion HQ communicated with Brigade, how many signallers & how long the reels were.
I am doing a home set of rules for me and a fellow ex serviceman, we are basing our rules on Mons and the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division, as I have the war diary from Aug 3rd until 25th December 1916 of the 2nd Battalion the Kings Royal Rifle Corps as this was my granddads unit:).
Each stand is a half company of 2 platoons.

So any help would be very much appreciated :)

have a few manuals on my Scribd Archive the main one that may help is link
there is also part one on there as well
the signal service france
also try some of the US manuals
Handbook-of-Telephones-of-the-Signal-Corps-U-S-Army
lines of communication
Military-Signal-Corps-Manual
power buzzer
Signal Book United States Army
trench line construction

During the Battle of Mons, 2nd Infantry Brigade did not have telephone communications with 1st Division. All comms went through despatch riders, frequently referred to as DR in war diaries. Just to give you some idea, the 1st Division Signal Company did lay telephone cable to 1st and 3rd Infantry Brigades on 23 August. These covered 4 km and 1.4 km respectively.

2nd Infantry Brigade moved during the day, which would have negated any cable laid in the morning anyway.

1st Division did not have telephone comms with 1st Army Corps. All their signals went through DRs.

There is no evidence from either 2nd Infantry Brigade or 2/KRRC war diaries that telephone comms were available between them on 23 August. I very much doubt that any such existed. Operational Orders appear to have been handwritten, based on copies still in the 2nd Infantry Brigade war diary.

Does this help at all?

Robert

Thanks all, especially Robert, all this has helped tremendously :) I have the war diary of the 2 KKRC but it is hard reading being pencilled written and photocopied.

Yes, it takes a bit of getting used to. Even more interesting when you try to read handwritten French or German war diaries… :-)

Robert