SIGNAL SERVICE brass shoulder titles worn circa 1904-08

The Signal Service was established formally in 1904, evolving from earlier telegraph and signalling sections within the Royal Engineers. Its role was absolutely critical:

• Telegraph and telephone communications
• Visual signalling (flags, lamps, heliographs)
• Later wireless experiments

The experiences of the Boer War (1899–1902) exposed major weaknesses in British military communications. As a result, the army professionalised signalling, leading directly to the creation of the Signal Service.

In 1908, the Signal Service was reconstituted as the Royal Corps of Signals, making these titles short-lived and transitional, which is why they’re scarcer than later “ROYAL SIGNALS” titles.