GHQ Liaison Regiment

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=GHQ Liaison Regiment
dates=1939–1945
nickname=Phantom
country=United Kingdom
branch=Army
type=Special reconnaissance
garrison=Pembroke Lodge
battles=Dunkirk evacuation
Operation Market Garden
notable_commanders=George Frederick Hopkinson

GHQ Liaison Regiment (known as "Phantom") was a special reconnaissance unit first formed in 1939 during the early stages of World War Two. Its Regimental headquarters was Pembroke Lodge, a Georgian house in Richmond Park, London.

History

It had its origins as the No 3 British Air Mission in France, 1939. Together with the Belgian General Staff, its role was to report back information about the allied forward positions from Belgian GHQ to the Advanced Air Striking Force HQ so as to pinpoint the changing locations of "bomb lines. These were the battle areas not occupied by Allied troops, and therefore suitable targets for bombs and shells. [cite web |url=http://www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/news/features/display.var.462004.0.force_of_the_phantom.php |title=Force of the Phantom |last=Sampson |first=June |publisher=Kingston Guardian |accessdate=2008-01-20]

In November 1939, Lieut-Col George Frederick Hopkinson, ‘Hoppy’, as he was better known was sent as a Military Observer to the No 3 British Air Mission and subsequently changed the method of operations to focus upon greater use of wireless communications and mobility to provide real-time assessment from the front line. The collective codename for these Missions was classified by themselves as ‘Phantom’, which later became an official designation.

After the Dunkirk evacuation, the unit was re-formed as No 1 GHQ Reconnaissance Unit. In January 1941, the Reconnaissance Corps was established and Phantom was reclassified as GHQ Liaison Regiment to avoid confusion.

Phantom recruited men with various skill-sets – linguists, drivers and mechanics and undertook rigorous training in wireless communication and cipher.

In January 1944, the Reconnaissance Corps was absorbed into the Royal Armoured Corps and with it the Phantom GHQ Liaison Regiment. Phantom was disbanded in 1945, however it was briefly re-born as the Army Phantom Signals Regiment (Princess Louise’s Kensington Regiment) until 1960, when it was clear that technology provided for alternative solutions.

Market Garden

During Operation Market Garden, in September 1944, the only communication with the surrounded airborne troops at Arnhem was from a Phantom patrol. This communication included the famous, desperate, message from General Urquhart that “..unless physical contact is made with us early 25 Sept...consider it unlikely we can hold out long enough..”. Two Phantom officers were subsequently awarded the Military Cross for maintaining these vital communications during the operation.

Organisation

Deployed as Squadrons in North West Europe, South East Europe, North Africa and Italy, its role was to provide collection, passage and dissemination of real-time information on the progress of battle back to Corps HQ. Phantom information was obtained by patrols, either embedded with other formations or by specially-directed missions by individual Army HQs.

A Squadron GHQ Liaison Regiment, under the command of Second Army, consisted of a Squadron HQ (SHQ) and a number of Patrols (one per Corps and a further ten further forward of Corps).

Each patrol consisted of an officer, an NCO and up to 9 other ranks. They were typically equipped with Norton motorcycles, Jeeps, Morris 15cwt trucks and White M3 A1 Scout cars and carried a 107 Receiver, 52 and 19 sets.

For Operation Overlord, one patrol was assigned to each Divisional HQ of 1 and 30 Corps to land with Main Divisional HQ. Thus on D-Day, three Patrols (5, 8 & 14) landed with 3rd BR, 50th Northumbrian and 3rd Canadian Divisions.

Some patrols undertook parachute drops with the SAS to provide communications with SAS Brigade HQ.

Later, with Phantom efficiency proven and with US forces under the leadership of 12 US Army Group, similar arrangements were made for Phantom to provide communications with US Corps.

Officers

Famous Phantom officers included actors Major David Niven (who initially commanded A Squadron) and Tam Williams; MPs Jakie and Michael Astor, Sir Hugh Fraser, Sir Carol Mather, Maurice Macmillan and Christopher Mayhew. Sir Robert Mark became Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police whilst others excelled in other arenas – academia, athletics, horseracing (Sir Gordon Richards and John Hislop). [cite web |url=http://www.specialforcesroh.com/browse.php?mode=viewawards&catid=6 |title=Phantom - Phantom Signals Regiment |publisher=Special Forces Roll of Honour |accessdate=2008-01-20]

References

Further reading

*cite book
last = Niven
first = David
authorlink = David Niven
title = The Moon's a Balloon
publisher = Penguin Books
series =
origdate = 1972
year = 1994
isbn = 978-0140239249

*cite book
last = Parlour
first = Andy
authorlink =
coauthors = Parlour, Sue
title = Phantom at War: The British Army's Secret Intelligence and Communication Regiment of WWII (Hardcover)
publisher = Cerberus Publishing
series =
year = 2003
doi =
isbn = 978-1841451183

External links

* [http://www.royal-signals.org.uk/of_interest/phantom.php THE FOUNDATION OF "PHANTOM"]
*http://www.vmarsmanuals.co.uk/newsletter_articles/phantomsignals.pdf