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RASigs Association
Keeping the channel open
CORPS MOTTO 'Certa Cito'
The Corps motto is 'Certa Cito' and is translated as 'Swift and Sure', signifying the aim of the signal service - that communications be carried out with maximum speed and certainty.CORPS COLOURSTactical (White over Blue) - White symbolises the ribbons wound on the Caduceus of the God Hermes and the Blue representing the Royal Colours.Domestic (Light Blue over Dark Blue over Dark Green) - Representing the three media of communications, the air, the sea and the land.
CORPS BADGE
The present Corps Badge, approved in 1946, is described as: "The figure of Mercury on a globe, the latter supported above by a scroll bearing the motto 'Certa Cito', and a boomerang below bearing the inscription 'Australia'. The whole is surmounted by a crown, detached. Mercury and the globe are in sliver; the remainder gilt. Mercury faces his right."
Mercury was originally the Roman god of commerce and good fortune. When the Romans conquered Greece they adopted the god Hermes, and they, realising he had much in common with their own god of fortune, they brought him into their pantheon under the name of Mercurius.
Royal Australian Corps of Signals
Corps Badge - Corps Motto - Corps Colours - Princess Anne Banner - Corps March - Corps Day - Corps Pray
The Royal Australian Corps of Signals (RASigs) is one of the 'arms' (combat support corps) of the Australian Army. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems. The motto of the Signals Corps is Certa Cito and is translated as 'Swift and Sure', signifying the aim of the signal service – that communication be carried out with maximum speed and certainty. Like their British counterparts, the Royal Australian Corps of Signals' flag and hat badge feature Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods, affectionately referred to by members of the corps as "Jimmy" (the origin dates back to the merge with Engineers when the Engineer's band's Drum Major had a "Jimmy" on his staff)
Modern Army command and control systems demand reliable, high speed transfer of large volumes of data. The communications systems provided by Signals must keep pace with modern information technology. The control of the electromagnetic spectrum offers a decisive advantage in modern warfare and Electronic Warfare, listening to or interfering with enemy electronic transmissions, is a critical contribution by the Signals Corps to the Army's combat capability.
On the battlefield Signals provides commanders with the means of controlling the battle using road and air dispatch services, radio, microwave and satellite links. A high technology computer switched digital network, capable of providing a high quality, high capacity, secure communications network is being introduced.
The Corps has recently taken over the responsibility for Army Information Systems. Signal Corps personnel now control large integrated information systems and are responsible for the installation and operation of local area networks using state-of-the art computer equipment.
Specialist roles in the Corps include: Communication System Operator (Known in the Corps as "Operators"), Telecommunications Technician (Known as "Techs" or "Techies"), Electronic Warfare Operator (Known as "Bears" from being primarily posted to a base near Cabarlah (Koala), QLD") and Information Systems Technician (Known as "Geeks").
CORPS MARCH
The Regimental quick march for the Corps is known as "The Royal Signals March". This march is based on the traditional airs "Begone Dull Care" and "Newcastle".
The Regimental slow march entitled "The Royal Signals Slow March, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal", was specially written for the Corps by Mr R R Ricketts, Musical Director of the Royal Signals Band from 1926 to 1939.When a Corps march is played, officers and other ranks should remain still in whatever position they are at the time and should keep silent.
When playing a march, the band should remain seated if already in that position.We cannot trace this popular ditty beyond the reign of James II, but we believe it to be older. The origin is to be found in an early French chanson. The present version has been taken down from the singing of an old Yorkshire yeoman. The third verse we have never seen in print, but it is always sung in the west of Yorkshire.
Quick Time - Begone Dull Care (click to play)
Slow Time - HRH The Princess Royal (click to play)
CORPS Colours
The Royal Australian Corps of Signals has two sets of colours, tactical and domestic.
The Tactical colours are White on Royal blue. White symbolises the ribbons wound on the Caduceus of the God Hermes and the Blue representing the Royal Colours.
The domestic colours, sky blue on dark blue on dark green, represent the three mediums of communication: air, sea and land.
CORPS DAY
On the 10th November 1948, His Majesty King George VI conferred the title "Royal" on the Australian Corps of Signals. The day is recognised a "Corps Day", and commemorative functions are held as near as possible to 10th November each year.Brief History of the Royal Australian Corps of SignalsAustralia has the unique distinction of having had the first regularly formed signal unit in the British Empire. In 1869 there existed, in New South Wales and Victoria small "torpedo and signals corps".
These continued until 1882, when they were disbanded. In 1885 a "signalling corps", composed of 1 officer and 12 other ranks, existed in South Australia and remained active until 1901.Before the advent of self-contained signals units, the complement of signallers was on a regimental basis, each unit having on its establishment a proportion of regimental signallers. Great attention was paid to the training of these personnel; prizes and badges being awarded to those qualifying at what was known as a "signalling school". Instruction was imparted by a staff officer designated "Inspector of Signalling".
After the inception of the Commonwealth Forces, an "Australian Corps of Signallers" was formed on 12th January, 1906. This Corps remained as a self contained unit, until the introduction of universal training in 1911, when it was merged with Australian Engineers.In 1912, signals troops and companies formed portion of the Corps of Australian Engineers and served as such throughtout World War 1. These units had such names as "15th Engr Sig Tp (Engrs)" and "23rd Engr Sig Coy (Engrs)". These designations were retained until 1916, when the term (AE) was substituted for (Engrs) in the title.
With the introduction of the divisional organisation in 1921, the terms "Cav Div Sigs" and "Div Sigs" appeared for the first time. Coinciding with this change of nomenclature, all Signals units were separated from the Australian Corps of Engineers. On the 1st January 1925, the Australian Corps of Signals was formed.Thus began the evolution of the Australian Corps of Signals which reached a total strength of 24,000 men during the Second World War.On 10th November 1948, His Majesty King George VI conferred the title "Royal" on the Australian Corps of Signals. Since then, members of the Corps have served with distinction in all operational areas in which Australian troops have been involved - Korea, Malaya, Borneo, South Vietnam, Cambodia, Timor and the Middle East.The Corps now has a regular peacetime strength of some 300 Officers and 2,300 Other Ranks. Its members are to be found in many parts of the world and in all States of Australia.
CORPS PRAY
"Almighty God, You communicate your truth to us in every age, giving light and understanding to our human condition.Grant that we, the members of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals, may be open to receive Your word so that our lives will communicate Your truth.Sharpen our skills that we may faithfully transmit the messages entrusted to us.We offer ourselves to serve You and our country, and to promote peace in our world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN."
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The Princess Anne Banner
On 10 September 1980, approval was given by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, LG, GCVO, the RASigs Colonel-in-Chief, for the Corps to carry a banner bearing her Cipher. The banner is known as "The Princess Anne Banner"
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Mercury, or rather Hermes, is a versatile and lovable god. He is lord of the wise - of the power that brings good luck to man. Above all, he is the messenger of the gods, as his dress proclaims; on his head is the petasus, or felt hat worn by travellers; in his hand is the caduceus or herald's staff. This staff was the symbol of a message and was wound about with white ribbons, signifying peace; the intertwined serpents are a later interpretation of the same idea. The staff conferred immunity, that is, the bearer of the message was sacred. He is completed by his golden sandals, which are winged, denoting swiftness.
Mercury possesses certain characteristics, such as a love of stealing, which are not commendable. Similarly he had duties, like the bringing of dreams and the conducting of the dead to Hades, which happily, signalmen are not expected to perform; but nevertheless in his swiftness, his sureness, his prudence and readiness in all situations, and, above all, his good humour when in difficulties, Mercury is no bad model.
Mercury came into the Corps because his statuette was carried on the staff of the drum major of the telegraph battalion of the Royal Engineers. He is often referred to as 'Jimmy' and his badge is worn with pride as the reward of athletic prowess.
There are a number of theories as to why 'Jimmy' was adopted as a term of endearment for the emblem. The most widely accepted in that it came from a very popular Royal Signals boxer, called Jimmy Emblem, who was the British Army Champion in 1924 and represented the Royal Signals from 1921 to 1924. Due to the close working relationship between the Royal Signals and the Royal Australia Corps of Signals, it seems logical the Australians would continue the tradition of nicknaming there corps emblem the same as their British brethren.
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