Welcome to "Semaphore to Satellite"

FORMAL PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT

The Project was announced on the 6th of August 2010 in a letter jointly signed by MGen Guy Thibault, CD, Branch Leader and Chairman of the Project Board of Governors and by Gen Ramsey Withers, CMM, CStJ, CD, LL.D (Ret'd), former Chief of the Defence Staff, Honorary Chairman of the Board. Formal launching of the project occurred 22 October 2010, at the Home Station. Click here to read more about the Board of Governors.

Click here to view the formal announcement

VOLUME ONE OF A CONTINUING STORY OF COMMITMENT AND PROFESSIONALISM

REVIEW - COMMENT - CONTRIBUTE - INVEST

To be known as the C&E Branch History Project (the Project) "Semaphore to Satellite" will tell the story of the Canadian Forces Communications and Electronics (C&E) Branch and its founding elements: the Canadian Signalling Corps (CSC), Canada’s Naval Communications Research Establishment and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Telecommunication Branch. It will trace the evolution of The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS) from its CSC roots shortly after the Boer War to the present day state-of-the-art C&E Branch established in 1968 - a result of the Canadian Forces Unification and Integration Act that caused the amalgamation of the three founding elements. The Project will focus on the generations of men and women whose dedication, professionalism and nationalism fostered the establishment and modernization of signalling, in its broadest context, against a backdrop of military involvement in Canada’s nation building at home and abroad.

Volume One is expected to become a collectors item, if not for all students of Canadian military history, certainly for all members of the Branch family. It will be attractive to display, entice readers to its story line and presentation and likely prompt the question "what pages are you on". While the initial version of Volume One will not be in "e" book, or "e" pub format (or whatever "e" technology emerges), supplements to Volume One and follow-on volumes of the history of the Branch could be published in these formats - time and our Branch market will undoubtedly decide.

Over the course of the project the Executive Committee will post its progress on this website.

PROJECT PHASES:

PHASE ONE

An English language version of "Semaphore to Satellite" is to be launched in Oct 2013 during our Branch 110th Anniversary celebrations at our Home Station at Canadian Forces Base Kingston. It is expected that Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, our Colonel in Chief, will attend the Book Launch as well as other Branch functions surrounding our Branch Birthday; more on this celebration in future updates of this website. Maclean's Magazine is seriously interested in providing national coverage of the Branch Birthday, the Book Launch and the visit of Princess Anne.

PHASE TWO

A French-language translation will follow the publication of the English language version as quickly as possible, but not likely in time for the Project Launch in Oct 2013.

FEASIBILITY STUDY - BUSINESS PLAN

2010 was devoted to the conduct of a Feasibility Study that resulted in the approval of a Business Plan for the Branch History Project by C&E Branch authorities on 21 October 2010.

Click here to view more about our Business Plan.

PROJECT STATUS

The Branch Project structure described in the Business Plan is now in place with the Executive Committee managing day-to-day affairs on behalf of the Board of Governors. Our Author BGen Bill Patterson (Ret'd), assisted by a team of researchers managed by Col Peter Sutton (Ret'd), is now working on-site at the Military C&E Museum.

Click here to view the Project Status