Notebook of Gerard Henderson Cowan - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
AWM2019.22.259
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

611 Wm Continued Mgelly p humber on tus spece is put the number of the mesage you are replying to. For instance day, the 3rd Origade sent a mersage querying something and the message number was 2431. Thent A31 would be the message you were replying to and it would be put in the space referredto The space marked three so denoted a fullstop. They are always sent and tell that the main body of the mersage is coming next. Text Space In this space is put the merage itself. It is merely ruled for neattness
Arm Continued & Space From In this space to put who the message is from He place they are at and the time sent S Jpuet yn this space the signsture of the addressor inthe Kerson authorised to telegraph in his name is put. Kank, name and initial must be put in hores There are always two break to each mersage, never more and never bit.
te potes Continued messages are numbered in their order, as they are sent out, 423,4 ets and 20 on. The first mesage that is sent but after midnight is marked 21 Ecl Signal Officer Keeps a regleter and enters the mestage number as they are sent The Erxcemble Is for the use of the signal Clerk or signaller oney. It is the first big space on the forth and is really the pistory of the mersage There are four main divisions Hey aret Prefix A Code time II Office of Oregine Cerice & as No of Words
Sste On Befixes ex trefic is always the first King sent It serves a double purpose to denote I Fronty II Tells whether and it is for dolivery or transmision The prefire I dendtes deliver tranemision h Delwvey Lom Class of Musage 05 Ox ng ate ationnerd ergentingac 54 24 An argent owean mneaeater urgent Eacluday in place Argent Eperation 70 hesage, and 80 trgent Eperation or sste Kinlsnextin porite to OSOrOX Form Continued Geambleand trefix Under this leading is put the priority of the masage Code time denever allend no matter howmany stations a ameage may be trans mitted through Stir the time te Dignal clerk accepts the mesage for transmizion by signal Officerfuer so the station or office were the masage was first accepted for transmiion sevvice instruction anything relating to delay or delivery of that metsage
Prefised Continued Delivery Frons Clars of Mersage an ordinary OHMS mezagen immede e aa t marked Hronty insprect Asignat servece on Hoving witthn in space) 59 This resage t sent byr Dignal Officer min Mt 84 Anordinary OH.143 21 message Cmarked a An Ardinary privste iewsage nothe service 22 Arehly paid menage them Lhun Besage Notes on Prefiner O5 & Ox Can only be made out by special officers te will generally take precidence over 246XA She &n can be sent by any administrative office in the army BFrom Continuede sumber of Aoda In the space is put number of words in the medage, starting from the first word in the address to and ending wpto Hetime Crelagn Sondean but Derves inseruaions He th message has been delaged cause of Delay is put in this space &f it is of previous date f Multiple address and means of Communication anything relating to there is wrtten in service the hece marked dent against DT is put the time Cde time notured) that the operator receives he from station he is sending to. Against T0 is put the call of the station message is tramitted to Oss B filled in by the opertor putting his own name in i ban
RLEANAc or ecceces wo vonne Ced i No a secuese n Form Chom is wed for incoming mewages. Undere the heading of Refir Code nn Words is put the prefere tre Code lime and number of Lords to Service Instructions. Anything relating to the history of the menage Received Coont by here is put call of the station mersage was received from And harde initial and Ra Sent or Sent but At Here If the meadage is to be delvered to anytor some distance away, sent iscrossed out of just for delivery close by the words Sent dt are crossed out Ht. here is put the time that the addressed receoves the
and C Fom Could mersage Nler is put the name of the addresee or unit B. Fame witial and ran of operator Reference dine Handed in at Insterd of just putting the fall of the office handed it at it is writte in full After Office is put the Cate time de coded Received Here is put the time that they gave to marage correct signal to the sending Station address to Contains hame Lanhans location of person or persons to whom it is sen! n m mo wn
EForm Contd venders humber, bere is put the original sender number Day of Month A Reply to tumly etc contain the date and number of message if is in reply to if any. Text Contains purely the lest of the minege From Pescet Lime Ths space contains the name and address of the person who it is from and the time sent
same general Enowe Eexparative trare Plterator Dop Egnal Block Sign pter And After Mirculaenns How deal £o5 Signal Gappebter soa Ede wall asaved Aeceasion of cigs tot wi seatymp 64 eletters 19roup Sletter Oy 1oyp g fen 22 tempge lter yon CC to leter 102 Signale unewered bywhcht of one tttes ears pending terly letter tel Dending ittely Eitter answer Danding Anows Bending Answer letter . Pepee Eclarlerge a sord orgrepnobllemead pouledged Teattract theattention Kenut Se crase awa orga sent incorrely Ger adopapa To caaly merrge being sent To internht a mony o teinstruct Sent before s after a cndorprte of mery withn in Capitale Pant before & after cipler or a word or portion of merdage to be reperted back rack for a repetition of a doubfful word
same General Enowe Caperative Coase terster Ptop Sgnal Block Segn Cipter Lord After Miscuaencs 467 How Deat Signat Brapltter Hray Enter wl seead 2 Mcsson 17 of cighto wi Seatigmp o 87 aletter groyt Slatter By a f t fen 22 CC erapf2 tter Gen tleter fen W4 Signale unewered, bywhicht of one latter tens Drunding telf letter Sendine till citt Melf Answer Dending Answes Bending answer letter epre Ealusleege a word grpnbmea Ealaged Fattrest teattentin Konlwout Trerase a word or grp sent inconely to yo doa To concela merge being rest Dountemeht among or tedinstruct Sant before s after a Conor porter of merrey written in Capitalo pant before & after apler or a word or portion of mereage to be replated back oack for a repetition of a doubfful gond

(11)
  

 
 (12)
 

(12)


A Form Continued

In reply to Number 
In this space is put the

number of the message you

are replying to.
For instance say, the 3rd Brigade
sent a message querying
something and the message
number was ZA31. Then ZA31
would be the message you

were replying to and 

it would be put in the 
space referred to
The space marked three A's

denotes a full stop. They
are always sent and

tell that the main body
of the message is coming 

next
Text Space.
In this space is put the

message itself. It is merely

ruled for neatness
 

 

 

A Form Continued
IV  Space From 

In this space is put who
the message is from,

the place they are at

and the time sent
 V Space Z
In this space the signature
of the addressor or ^of the
person authorised to 

telegraph in his name

is put. Rank name and

initial must be put in.

notes
There are always two breaks

to each message, never

more and never less. 
 

 

A Form Continued

Notes Continued

Messages are numbered
in their order, as they are
sent out, 1, 2, 3, 4 etc and
so on. The first message

that is sent out after
midnight is marked

No 1. ________________

Each Signal Officer keeps

a register and enters the
message number as they

are sent.

The Preamble
Is for the use of the signal

Clerk or signaller only.
It is the first big space on

the form and is really

the history of the message

There are four main divisions
They are  I  Prefix.
                  II Code time.
                 III Office of Origin & Service Ins
                 IV No of Words

 

 

Notes Con

Prefixes
The Prefix is always the first - 

thing sent
It serves a double purpose
to denote  I Priority

and  II Tells whether

it is for delivery or

transmission
The prefix $. denotes deliver

 ''         ''      x        ''          transmission
 

Delivery Transmission Class of Message 
DS DX

Signal Service.
Message requiring

immediate
attention. Marked
urgent in space Z
SA XA

An urgent Railway
message requiring 
immediate attention.

Marked urgent Railway

in Space Z
SO XO

Urgent Operation
message, marked

Urgent Operation
in Space Z
___________________
Ranks next in

priority to 

DS or DX
 
 

A Form Continued
Preamble Contd
Prefix
under this heading is put
the priority of the message
Code time
Is never altered no matter

how many stations a

message may be
transmitted through

It is the time the Signal

clerk accepts the message

for transmission by Signal
Office of Origin
Is the station or office

where the message was

first accepted for transmission

Service Instructions

Anything relating to

delay or delivery of that 

message 
 

 

Prefixes  Continued
 

Delivery  Trans  Class of Message 
SB XB

An ordinary O.H.M.S.

message requiring
immediate attention,

Marked Priority in space Z
SG XG

A Signal service message.
(Nothing written in space Z)
This message is only 

sent by Signal Officer
or Signal Master.
SM XM

An ordinary O.H.M.S.
message. Not marked

priority.
S X

A ordinary private

message (not a service

message)
SRP XRP A reply paid message
SP XP Press message 

Notes on Prefixes

DS &  DX Can only be made

out by special officers
SO &  XO will generally take

precedence over SA & XA
SM & XM Can be sent by any

administrative office in 

the army.

 

 

 

A Form Continued
Number of Words
In this space is put number of

words in the message , starting

from the first word in the

address to and ending with 

the time. Break signals do not count but AAA does

Service Instructions

I    If the message has been delayed

     cause of Delay is put in this space

II   If it is of previous date
III  Of multiple address

IV  And means of communication

Anything relating to these

is writtem in Service Ins-

& Space marked Sent

Against  AT is put the time

(Code time not used) that the operator

recieves RD from station he is sending

to. Against TO is put the call

of the station message is transmitted to

BY . . . Is filled in bt the operator

putting his own name, initials & rank.
 

 

Copy of ''C'' Form    Army Form C2123
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS -  refer to original document

 

C Form 

C Form is used for incomming

messages.

Undere the heading of Prefix - - 

Code . . . . . . Words is put the prefix

the Code time and number of

Words.

Service Instructions 

Anything relating to the

history of the message

Recieved From & By
here is put call of the station

message was recieved from 

And Name initials and Rank of ^operator
Sent or Sent Out,
At Here if the message is

to be delivered to any one 

some distance away ^ the word Sent

is crossed out if just for 

delivery close by the words
Sent out are crossed out.

AT. Here is put the time that

the adressee recieves the
 

 

Copy of ''B'' Form    Army Form C2122
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS -  refer to original document


      

C Form Cont

message.

TO. Here is put the name of
the addresee or unit.
BY. Name initial and rank 

of operator

Reference Line
Handed in at. instead of just

putting the call of the officer

handed itn at is written
in full
After Office. is put the Code

time de coded.

Received Here is put the

time that they gave
RD message correct
signal to the sending

station.
Address to

Contains Name Rank and

location of person or

persons to whom it is sent

 

C Form Cont
Senders Number,.

Here is put the original

Senders number
Day of Month & Reply to Number

etc, contain the date and

number of message it

is in reply to if any.
Text Contains purely

the text of the message

From Place & Time

This space contains the
name and address of

the person who it is

from and the time

sent

 

 

Miscellanous Signals

Name  Signal How Sent  How Answered By which Stn Sent  Purpose
General 
Answer		 T

1 Group of

letter

1 Group of one

letter

   To acknowledge a word or group not otherwise acknowledged
Preparative

Succession

of dots

Sent continously

until answered

 Gen  Ans Sending To attract the attention of an unknown Stn
Erase

Succession

of eight dots

   By itself Either

To erase a word or groups

sent incorrectly. To erase a word or groups incorrectly coded
Operator WW

Sent 1 Group of

2 letters

 By itself Sending

To cancel a message being

sent
Stop Signal PP

1 Group of 2

letters

 By itself Either

To interrupt a message

or to send instructions
Block Sign ZZ 1 Group 2 letters Gen Answer Sending

Sent before & after a

word or portion of message

written in Capitals
Cipher CC 1 Group 2 letters Gen Answer Sending

Sent before & after 

cipher or a word

or portion of message

to be repeated back
Word After WA 1 Group 2 letters Gen Answer Either

To ask for a repetition

of a doubtful word
 

Miscellanous Signals

Name  Signal How Sent  How Answered By which Stn Sent  Purpose
General 
Answer		 T

1 Group of

letter

1 Group of one

letter

   To acknowledge a word or group not otherwise acknowledged
Preparative

Succession

of dots

Sent continously

until answered

 Gen  Ans Sending To attract the attention of an unknown Stn
Erase

Succession

of eight dots

   By itself Either

To erase a word or groups

sent incorrectly. To erase a word or groups incorrectly coded
Operator WW

Sent 1 Group of

2 letters

 By itself Sending

To cancel a message being

sent
Stop Signal PP

1 Group of 2

letters

 By itself Either

To interrupt a message

or to send instructions
Block Sign ZZ 1 Group 2 letters Gen Answer Sending

Sent before & after a

word or portion of message

written in Capitals
Cipher CC 1 Group 2 letters Gen Answer Sending

Sent before & after 

cipher or a word

or portion of message

to be repeated back
Word After WA 1 Group 2 letters Gen Answer Either

To ask for a repetition

of a doubtful word
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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