216 Parachute Squadron Royal Signals
Encyclopedia
216 Parachute Signal Squadron (216) is a Squadron
of the British Army's
Royal Corps of Signals
. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information
systems in support of 16 Air Assault Brigade.
216 Parachute Signal (Parachute Brigade Group)was formed in 1959 before becoming 216 Parachute Signal Squadron in 1965 and deployed into operations in Cyprus
, Bahrain
, Aden
, Borneo
, British Guyana and Northern Ireland
. In 1977 HQ 16 Parachute Brigade and 216 Parachute Signal Squadron amalgamated to form 6th Field Force Headquarters and Signal Squadron.
in 1981 saw the Signal Squadron reroll and retitled to the 1st Infantry Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (216), losing much of its airborne status and in 1982 members of the Squadron formed part of the Operation Corporate
task force to the South Atlantic. The success of the Parachute Regiment during the conflict led to the decision to reinstate the parachute role and 5 Airborne Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (205)
came into existence in November 1983. In December 1983 1st Infantry Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (216) relinquished its airborne associations to 205 Signal Squadron and assumed the number 215. In recognition of the historical significance of the number '216' and to mark the 50th Anniversary Year of Airborne Signaling, 205 Signal Squadron was re-titled in October 1991 as 216 Parachute Signal Squadron.
When NATO troops moved into Kosovo
in June 1999 the Squadron, as part of 5 Airborne Brigade, were amongst the first troops into the country. Subsequently, part of 24 Airmobile Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (210) deployed into theatre in support of 101 Logistic Brigade. As this was happening, as part of the Strategic Defence Review 16 Air Assault Brigade was about to form from various elements of 5 Airborne Brigade and 24 Airmobile Brigade. Correspondingly, elements of the two brigade signal squadrons formed up on 1 September 1999 in both Colchester and Pristina, Kosovo as 216 Signal Squadron .
In 2006 following an arduous tour of Afghanistan the squadron was handed its Parachute Title by HRH Princess Ann. It is known as 216 (Parachute)Signal Squadron.
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
of the British Army's
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
systems in support of 16 Air Assault Brigade.
History
| Operation | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Operation Agricola | Kosovo Kosovo Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia... |
1999 |
| Operation Palliser |  Sierra Leone |
2000 |
| Operation Essential Harvest Operation Essential Harvest Operation Essential Harvest was a deployment mission in the Republic of Macedonia by NATO, officially launched on August 22, 2001 and effectively started on August 27... |
 Republic of Macedonia |
2001 |
| Operation Veritas Operation Veritas Operation Veritas was the codename used for British military operations against the Taliban government of Afghanistan in 2001. British forces played a supporting role to the American Operation Enduring Freedom. In addition, the British contribution was an important part of the overall forces deployed... |
 Afghanistan |
2001–2002 |
| Operation Telic Operation Telic Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011... |
 Iraq |
2002–2003 |
| Operation Herrick IV Operation Herrick Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom... |
Afghanistan |
2006 |
| Operation Herrick VIII Operation Herrick Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom... |
Afghanistan |
2008 |
| Operation Herrick XIII Operation Herrick Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom... |
Afghanistan |
2010–2011 |
216 Parachute Signal (Parachute Brigade Group)was formed in 1959 before becoming 216 Parachute Signal Squadron in 1965 and deployed into operations in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, British Guyana and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. In 1977 HQ 16 Parachute Brigade and 216 Parachute Signal Squadron amalgamated to form 6th Field Force Headquarters and Signal Squadron.
in 1981 saw the Signal Squadron reroll and retitled to the 1st Infantry Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (216), losing much of its airborne status and in 1982 members of the Squadron formed part of the Operation Corporate
Operation Corporate
Operation Corporate was the codename given to the 1982 British military involvement in the Falkland Islands during the Falklands War. The commander of task force operations was Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse. Operations lasted from 1 April 1982 to 20 June 1982....
task force to the South Atlantic. The success of the Parachute Regiment during the conflict led to the decision to reinstate the parachute role and 5 Airborne Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (205)
205 Signal Squadron
205 Signal Squadron was a unit of the Royal Corps of Signals of the British Army. After two of their members were killed in an Army Air Corps Gazelle helicopter due to a friendly fire incident with HMS Cardiff during the Falklands War, the numbers "205" were painted at the crash site as a memorial ....
came into existence in November 1983. In December 1983 1st Infantry Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (216) relinquished its airborne associations to 205 Signal Squadron and assumed the number 215. In recognition of the historical significance of the number '216' and to mark the 50th Anniversary Year of Airborne Signaling, 205 Signal Squadron was re-titled in October 1991 as 216 Parachute Signal Squadron.
When NATO troops moved into Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
in June 1999 the Squadron, as part of 5 Airborne Brigade, were amongst the first troops into the country. Subsequently, part of 24 Airmobile Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (210) deployed into theatre in support of 101 Logistic Brigade. As this was happening, as part of the Strategic Defence Review 16 Air Assault Brigade was about to form from various elements of 5 Airborne Brigade and 24 Airmobile Brigade. Correspondingly, elements of the two brigade signal squadrons formed up on 1 September 1999 in both Colchester and Pristina, Kosovo as 216 Signal Squadron .
In 2006 following an arduous tour of Afghanistan the squadron was handed its Parachute Title by HRH Princess Ann. It is known as 216 (Parachute)Signal Squadron.