HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF 7TH SIGNAL REGIMENT (ELECTRONIC WARFARE)

    The birth of the 7^th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare) on 22 December 1964 came at the end of a long gestation beginning early in World War II. On 19 June 1940 a small group of signalmen were segregated into 1 Special Wireless Section during training at Seymour, Victoria. This small group was, after completion of training, deployed to the Middle East. Upon arrival in the Middle East the unit changed it's name to 4 Wireless Section and over the next twelve months served in Greece, Egypt, Crete, Syria and Lebanon.

    The section returned to Australia in mid 1942 and changed its name to 5 Wireless Section. The unit began to expand and further training was conducted at Bonegilla. At the same time sections were established in Darwin, P.N.G., and at Mornington Racecourse in Brisbane.

    On 18 May 1942 the unit again changed its name and became the Australian Special Wireless Group (ASWG). From then until the end of the war the ASWG was primarily occupied with the war in the Pacific. Sections also served in the Solomon Islands, P.N.G., Dutch New Guinea, India and the Philippines. A further section was also established in Perth.

    Following the end of the war the ASWG scaled down its operations and moved to Cabarlah, just north of Toowoomba in Queensland, and commenced operations on 3 February 1947 as the 101 Wireless Regiment. Sub units of the 101 Wireless Regiment were deployed throughout the South East Asian subcontinent for the next 35 years. The sub units were spread from Singapore and Malaysia through Hong Kong, Borneo, Laos and Nui Dat in Vietnam.

    On 22 December 1964, the unit changed its name to become the 7^th Signal Regiment, and was granted the Freedom of the City of Toowoomba on 29 August 1975.

    On 2 October 1989, 7^th Signal Regiment combined with the then independent 72 Electronic Warfare Squadron and became 7^th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare). Since that time the Regiment has had personnel serving in the Middle East (Gulf War), Somalia, Western Sahara, Bougainville, Rwanda, and East Timor.

    The Regiment has a long proud history of operational service from the beginnings of its earliest predecessors, and will continue to do so if recent deployments are indicative.

From the "Official History of 7th Signal Regiment (EW)" - (updated)

Published for the 50th Birthday of the Regiment - February 1997

Submitted by Bob Hartley