Seeking proper trade name for WWII Canadian Radio Technician
 

Good evening folks,

I'm new to this forum and seeking the proper terminology used in WWII to identify the technical trade of Radio technician. They fixed/repaired the wireless equipment in vehicles and ground base stations. Did the Radio technician belong to the Signal or to the REME command. What would be their trade badge ? Thank you for any info on particular topic. Best regards.

Wireless Mechanic
 

Wireless Mechanic was a RCOC 'B' Trade that with the creation of the RCEME in 1944 became Telecommunication Mechanic Lines of Communication. Qualified mechanics were entitled to wear the B Trades Badge.

Good evening Ed, thank you very much! Best regards Daniel

The UK trades were:

Lineman Mechanic
Radio Mechanic
Telegraph Mechanic

I've got some of the course notes (in a box, somewhere) with a chart of the training path. Everyone got the "Workshop Practice" (Metal bashing, drilling holes and filing flat) and "Basic Theory" (Electricity & Magnetism, etc.) parts and then specialised into either Line or Wireless. Line covered telephony and telegraphy, then specialised further into (I think) Line communications (Audio repeaters, carrier telephony, switchboards, etc.), and Telegraph Mechanics (Creed teleprinters and morse transmitters, automatic exchanges (later on, probably)).

Best regards,
Chris.

Hello Chris,

Thank you. It is very informative. Would the qualification badges be the same in UK ? Best regards. Daniel

Probably. I found http://jfchalifoux.com/army_trade_badges.htm via a web search last night, and that contains some 1920-1942 sleeve patches (Signals Electrician, Signals Lineman, Signals Wireless, and a space for Dispatch Rider), but there are other patches on the internet with either a gauntlet holding 6 lightning bolts, and a red or yellow circle with 6 lightning bolts, which are presumably trade badges. Then again, 1942-1945 seems to have simplified matters by just having a larger 'T' patch, either plain (group c), with laurel wreath (group b) or with laurel wreath and surmounted by a king's crown (group a).

It might be worth asking the Signals Museum - I've not taken mush interest in uniform & badges, I'm afraid. (More webbing and equipment.)

Best regards,
Chris.

Hello Chris,

Thank you again for providing this valuable information.

The information on the internet is somewhat inconsistent (not to mention scanty), but there appear to be several trade patches:

Crossed flags - worn by infantry signallers (and R.(C.) Sigs. instructors.)

Lineman patch - telegraph pole with cross arms
Electrician (signals) - valve (or lightbulb)
Wireless Operator - vertical fist holding six lightning bolts
??? - coloured ring (red or yellow) with six lightning bolts.

These appear to have been discontinued at some point during WW2, and you just get the unit shoulder title, division patch, maybe a TRF patch, and rank insignia.

I looked for a reference book on these but Amazon wanted £100+ for a used copy. (A better search found the same book for £10 so I've ordered that!)

More later!

Chris.

This is the bible on British Army Trade and Proficency Badges and as you can see very expensive but you can normally find them for about half of this if you watch out on e-bay or the British Military Badge Forum.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353720920...iABEgJJTfD_BwE

The problem with the trade badges in both world wars was that there were many unoffical badges / colour combinations in use the purpose of some is not now known. The Canadian Army also had some of its own badges not used by us including Telegragh Pole and Valve (or Light bulb).

I have one of the biggest trade badge collection in the UK if anyone want to see what signals related badges I have.

Since the eBay listing will evaporate as soon as someone buys the lot I will remove the URL and put the details in instead:

Title - "British Army Proficiency Badges"
Authors - Langley, David and Edwards, Denis.
ISBN - 9780950942704
(Hardcover and signed by D. Edwards.)

and note that it has a "Buy it now" price of £202.80 - Yikes!

(There's an unsigned copy in Australia for a mere £78.88 + 14.88 shipping, which is softcover, new, and has a 2005 supplement included.)

What I've ordered is:

Title: British Army Cloth Insignia 1940 to the Present an illustrated reference guide for collectors.

Author: Davis, Brian L

Which is B&W illustrations but a snip at a mere £10 (+£4 for postage). :D

Well, someone must have documented it all somewhere :) I'll have a look through the various books I've got at some point and see what turns up.

(This doesn't answer the original poster's question about Canadian badges, but it might be a starting point - and I will admit to wondering what some of the "circle with lightning bolts" patches were for, especially as they appear with on variety of coloured (black, khaki and (presumably RAF) blue) base fabrics.)

Best regards,
Chris.

If you live in Australia that is a very good price for the book and I was not aware that it was ever produced in hard back.

For the Canadian Army Badges specicially you can also get 'Skill at Arms' A History of Canadian Army Trade Badges & Parachute Wings by Thomas J Bennett
ISBN 1-894255-52-6

This has now arrived and is not particularly helpful - all the badges are shown in monochrome and there's minimal detail given (it's basically a catalogue of the author's collection).

Though it does appear to claim the "circle with six lightning bolts" = Wireless/Radio Mechanic.

Further rummaging and image searches show the circle in red, yellow, blue or white and the lightning bolts in white. I'm not sure I believe this as meaning anything other than "a lot of the ones for sale are modern reproductions or guesswork", or the original badges were produced 'in theatre' or at unit level using available materials, and not issued centrally.

The IWM library has a copy of the expensive book, so I might try and get access to that when I'm in London next.

So far, there seem to have been:

"Telegraph Pole" badge = Lineman (Canada only?)
"Valve/Lamp with lightning bolts" = Wireless Mechanic? (Canada only?)
"Circle/Ring with lightning bolts" = Wireless Mechanic (British?)

"Hand holding lightning bolts" = Wireless Operator?
"Gauntlet holding lightning bolts" = AFV Wireless operator? (Armoured Corps?)

The pre-WW2 Signals trades were:

Electrician-Fitters
Instrument Mechanics
Operators (Signals)
Linemen
Despatch Riders
Draughtsmen (Signals)

Also the General Army Trades:

Blacksmiths
Carpenters & Joiners
Clerks
Farriers
Saddlers and harness makers

further on there's a not about training failed tradesmen as:

Drivers
Drivers I.C. (I assume that's "Internal Combustion.)

(All the above from "Royal Corps of Signals - Corps Memoranda 1934".)

Best regards,
Chris.

Thank you Chris for this information.

Rgards

Daniel

The signals badges in my trade badge collection.

Hello Neil,

Very nice collection. Thanks for sharing.

Best regards

Daniel