WW2

The Build-up to D-Day supplement.

More memories.

Communications?

During the build-up to the invasion, I don’t think we knew exactly what was going on, but we were excited by all the military vehicles, and the many convoys of Bren-Gun-Carriers, DUKWs*, armoured cars, trucks (often towing guns), dispatch-riders, etc.  I now remember that there were several trucks which had reels of wire-cables belonging to signals regiments, driving about which used to throw out cables onto hedges.  These would go on for miles. All along the Pilgrims Way from Otford village to Wrotham, for example.   I can’t remember how they ran the cable across at road junctions.  These were (I assume) telephone wires for communication.   There were few phones in those days, and radio communication was in its infancy.

     They seemed to have problems at times getting this to work, as you can imagine. 

      I suppose someone must have gathered up all these wires once they were redundant, as the troops moved away as part of the invasion forces.   They may have reeled in, and re-used the wires, in other spheres

      I raise this, what may seem to be of little importance as feature of the war, but it does draw added attention to how very different (and very limited) communications then compare with today.

T.P.  04.07.2010.

* Amphibious landing-craft.