WORLD WAR 1 SIGNAL BOY

[markjue]

My son is doing a project and we need to find some information on what was the role of a signal boy?

[thewideeyedowl]

Hi Markjue and a very warm welcome to you (and to your young son) to Brit Gen...

Signal Boy was the lowest level in the hierarchy of Visual Signallers in the Royal Navy and the emblem is crossed flags. The ranking went something like this (info here is from a WW2 ref): Chief Yeoman of Signals > Yeoman of Signals > Leading Signalman > Signalman > Ordinary Signalman > Signal Boy.

Basically, the Signal personnel had the vital job of communicating between ships (??) by flags. (One of our naval experts may have to correct that statement; I am simply one step ahead of you!)

But what will be of interest for this school project is this info about a young Signal Boy who was killed aged 17: https://www.benfleethistory.org.uk/pa...h=0p30p40p105p. There are some interesting photographs, and you will see that this young lad died intestate. If you then click on his name, you will find his family details in summary and a further click will take you to his entry on the Commonwealth War graves Commission (CWGC) website.

Hope this will get the family started on Signal Boys!

Owl