Royal Signals Museum

Royal Signals Museum Dorset's interactive museum of army communications, telling the story of the Royal Corps of Signals. Why were pigeons so important to the British Army?

Explore Corps history from anywhere in the world via our free digital Bloomberg Connects guide. A true gem nestled in the beautiful countryside of North Dorset, The Royal Signals Museum traces the fast-paced and complex history of The Royal Corps of Signals from its origins in "C" Telegraph Troop, Royal Engineers and its contributions to every major conflict since WWI, right up to the challenges i

ts personnel face in an age of sophisticated digital warfare. The Museum also traces the wider story of military communications from ancient times to the present day. For those with curious minds, there are so many reasons to visit...ever wondered how secret agents were trained in WWII? What was life like as a Secret Agent with the SOE in France and what equipment did you have to help you escape… if you were caught? What was it like laying cables under fire on the front? What was Enigma and why was it so important? The answers to all these questions and more can be found at The Royal Signals Museum! Based in Blandford Camp, the Museum offers the unique experience to “rub shoulders” with serving soldiers and after two successful lottery bids the exhibitions are modern, high tech and interactive. Visitors can drive an armoured vehicle through a virtual landscape, guide a laser beam, "direction find" the enemy, set up a satellite network, learn about encryption and practice Morse code. The Royal Signals is not just about communications – in fact, this is just the tip of the iceberg! How do you intercept enemy transmissions? How can you jam radio traffic or block potential IEDs? What are Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electronic Counter Measures (ECM)? What is Cyber Warfare, what are the threats and how can we protect ourselves? There is only one place to find out – at the Royal Signals Museum! Children will love the hands on activities and prize winning family fun trails and the whole family can enjoy some refreshments at the Comms Cafe. Plus, the Museum boasts a popular, well-stocked shop with a wide range of books, souvenirs, toys and clothing featuring the Signals Badge and Corps colours. At only £22 for a family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) the museum offers amazing value and hours of entertainment. From code-breaking to Cyber, espionage to Electronic Warfare, spies to satellites...the Royal Signals Museum has it all! Please remember: Adults (16+) must bring ID as the Museum is in the middle of a military camp!

𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦In 1982, 600 officers and soldiers of the R...
14/06/2026

𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦

In 1982, 600 officers and soldiers of the Royal Signals took part in the Falklands Campaign. The Corps deployed satellite links back to the UK for the first time on a major operation. The surrender of Argentine forces took place at 2100hrs on 14th June local time in Port Stanley - 42 years ago today. The conflict lasted 74 days.

This teleprinter signal was sent from the Rear Link detachment of 30 Signal Regiment, which was attached to 3 Commando Brigade. The message was sent unclassified (UUUUU) and dated 0120hrs ZULU on the 15th June and received by the Message centre in Hereford. It is on display in the Museum with other Falklands-related artefacts.

On 20th June, British Forces retook the South Sandwich Islands and declared hostilities over.

𝗙𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥'𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗚𝗜𝗙𝗧 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗬𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗨𝗠 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣!Father’s Day is just around the corner, and the Royal Signals M...
10/06/2026

𝗙𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥'𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗚𝗜𝗙𝗧 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗬𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗨𝗠 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣!

Father’s Day is just around the corner, and the Royal Signals Museum Shop has a fantastic range of gifts to make the day extra special.
Discover great present ideas, including:

• A wide selection of Cobi model kits, featuring tanks, armoured vehicles and aircraft
• The Escape Room Mystery Game
• Signals Lamp and Torch Kits
• The Signaller – a self-contained Morse code practice key with built-in sounder, LED indicator, and battery holder
• Signals-branded polo shirts and hoodies
• Stationery and souvenirs
• Tankards and glasses
• Puzzles and brainteasers for all ages

Whether you're looking for a unique gift, a challenging build, or something with a military communications theme, you'll find plenty of inspiration in our shop. Visit us soon to browse the full range.

𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗: 𝟴𝟮 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗡This Saturday, 6th June marks 82 years since the D-Day Landings, when approximately 156,0...
05/06/2026

𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗: 𝟴𝟮 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗡

This Saturday, 6th June marks 82 years since the D-Day Landings, when approximately 156,000 Allied troops landed on five Normandy beaches in one of history’s most daring military operations. That momentous day marked the beginning of the long and hard-fought campaign to free Europe from N**i occupation. The Royal Signals were involved in every phase of the planning including:

The build-up of signals communications for the combined headquarters
The communications for the assembly of troops for embarkation
The creation of fake radio traffic to deceive the enemy as to the location of the landings
Preparations for cross-channel communications links
The provision of beach signals for the actual landings
The allocation of radio frequencies (to ensure there was no unintentional jamming)
The use of civilian telephone and telegraph lines once they had been captured and repaired

𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗮𝗿𝗱

One of the most poignant D-Day artefacts in the Museum is the ‘Original Lanyard.’
Immediately following the landings in Normandy by 6th Airborne Divisional Signals on 6 June 1944, the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Smallman-Tew, encouraged each soldier to plait for themselves a lanyard from the camouflaged rigging lines of parachutes still scattered on the drop zones.

The aim was to ensure that each soldier had in their possession a length of strong cord which might be useful should they be involved in any future attempt to escape capture by the enemy. All soldiers carried out their Commanding Officer’s wish and the Lanyard was worn by all ranks.

On 22 July 1944 Lieutenant Colonel Smallman-Tew and his driver were killed when a German mortar shell hit their vehicle near Escoville, France. The Lanyard has been proudly worn since 1944 by all ranks of airborne signals units in direct descent from 6th Airborne Divisional Signals in memory of Lieutenant Colonel Smallman-Tew.
The original Lanyard displayed in the Museum was made from the rigging lines of the actual parachute used by Lieutenant Colonel Smallman-Tew on D-Day, 6 June 1944.

𝟮𝟵𝟵 𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗡 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬Sergeant Chris Lye and Lance Corporal Charlie Henderson of 299 Squadron (Special Communications)...
29/05/2026

𝟮𝟵𝟵 𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗡 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬

Sergeant Chris Lye and Lance Corporal Charlie Henderson of 299 Squadron (Special Communications) have been in the Museum this week to update the unit’s display case.

299 Squadron remains the British Army’s only unit solely focused on delivering Special Communications and operational support to the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. Special Communicators operate in high-threat, politically sensitive environments to provide high-grade, low-attribution communications and technical operations support globally.

The new display features three mannequins representing the work of the Squadron. The three figures can be seen in the photographs and show:

A Diplomatic Special Communications Operator in tuxedo.
A High Threat Special Communications Operator with helmet and weapon.
A Technical Operation Special Communications Operator, holding a tablet.

Graphic panels will be added in the coming weeks to complete the display.

26/05/2026

COOL INSIDE. FASCINATING THROUGHOUT - VISIT THE ROYAL SIGNALS MUSEUM THIS WEEK! ☀️☀️

Escape the heat and discover a cooler side of history at the Royal Signals Museum.

Step inside, and explore the fascinating world of secret communications, codebreaking, and military technology - all in comfort while the temperatures soar outside. From hands-on exhibits to incredible stories of innovation and bravery, it’s the perfect day out for families, history lovers, and curious minds alike.

𝗠𝗔𝗬 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙 𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗠Half term starts tomorrow – and there’s plenty happening at the Royal Signals Museum! Make the most of the ...
22/05/2026

𝗠𝗔𝗬 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙 𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗠

Half term starts tomorrow – and there’s plenty happening at the Royal Signals Museum!
Make the most of the break with a family day out packed with discovery, adventure and hands-on fun — plus our popular KIDS GO FREE offer continues!

Explore our brand-new exhibition: Cold War in the Shadow of the Bomb
Drive an armoured vehicle through a virtual landscape
Set up a satellite network
Try your hand at Morse Code
Take on our exciting Young Explorer trails for a chance to win prizes!

Discover incredible stories of teamwork, innovation and military communications with our FREE Bloomberg Connects digital guide, featuring immersive audio and video from real soldiers sharing their experiences.

Don’t forget to visit the museum shop with fantastic new products available and the Communications Café team will be ready with tasty food and drinks throughout your visit!

PLEASE NOTE:
Adult visitors must bring valid photo ID for admission onto Blandford Camp. Accepted ID includes a passport, driving licence, MoD90, Post Office pass or bus pass.

We look forward to welcoming you this half term!

𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗪𝗣𝗔𝗧!To mark National Cold War Heritage Week, this post focusses on one of the veteran stories in the Museu...
21/05/2026

𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗪𝗣𝗔𝗧!

To mark National Cold War Heritage Week, this post focusses on one of the veteran stories in the Museum’s Cold War exhibition.

Ian Cameron-Mowat served in the Corps from 1983 until 2009. During the Cold War, he spent two years as an Intelligence Officer with BRIXMIS. BRIXMIS’ job was to gather intelligence on Soviet forces in East Germany. When interviewed for the exhibition, Ian told us a number of fascinating stories from use of thermal imaging and rummaging through rubbish dumps to the toughness of Soviet troops. This anecdote, however, brings a lighter touch and relates to Ian’s beret which he kindly loaned for display in the exhibition.

He tells the story below.

“I had three-man patrols in a Mercedes cross-country vehicle. And that was summer or winter. Our job was to cover the German Democratic Republic and the Soviet forces every day of the year. And we did that from the Mission's founding in early 1946 right up to the end of the Cold War. There wasn't a day went by when we didn't patrol out on the ground.

Now that meant spending a lot of time there in the winter. And so on one winter patrol, overnight we were observing a particular Soviet installation and we got out and went to sleep in the snow in our little kennel tents. And then in the morning, we left and went to our next objective. And I realized I'd lost my beret.
Now, this is trivial, but when we went back into West Berlin, you needed to look smart so that people didn't think you'd been up to anything disreputable. So I thought, where's my beret? When did I last see it? And so we backtracked 50 kilometres to the place where we had observed the Soviets overnight. And I walked forward in the vehicle's tracks and found just down to the left, a beautiful, frozen, fresh, cow pat. And I picked it up and I turned it over and there underneath it was my beret, frozen with a cow pat on top of it! And so I unpeeled the frozen poo, dusted it off so it wouldn't smell in the car and here is my beret, 36 years later.”

The photographs show Ian - then a Captain - in East Germany in 1989 and his beret on display in the Museum.

𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗥 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞Today marks the beginning of National Cold War Heritage Week. The Royal Signals Museum is...
18/05/2026

𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗥 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞

Today marks the beginning of National Cold War Heritage Week. The Royal Signals Museum is contributing to the programme with its new exhibition 'The Cold War, In the Shadow of the Bomb.' The exhibition opened in February and features first hand testimony from Cold War veterans, alongside a recreation of part of the Berlin Wall and a range of object displays from NATO and Warsaw Pact radios to documents and items of uniform. See details on the poster to find out more about the week's events.

The Museum was recently contacted by James Kelly who served in the Royal Engineers for 20 years. See the post here for h...
15/05/2026

The Museum was recently contacted by James Kelly who served in the Royal Engineers for 20 years. See the post here for his plans to build FOB Herrick at this year summer's Capel Military show.

𝗩𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗬Today marks 81 years since Victory in Europe. On 8th May 1945, Prime Minister, Winston Churchill made ...
08/05/2026

𝗩𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗬

Today marks 81 years since Victory in Europe. On 8th May 1945, Prime Minister, Winston Churchill made an announcement that war in Europe had come to an end following Germany's surrender the day before.
The news was significant to the military footprint across the globe. British Army units in North Africa and the Middle East marked VE Day 1945 with a mix of celebrations and a sense of relief, acknowledging the end of the European conflict while still facing the ongoing war in Asia.

For many Signals personnel, the day was still one of duty. When war was declared against Germany in 1939, Joyce Powell joined the ATS as a telephonist and was assigned to work with the Royal Corps of Signals. After working in Scotland, she deployed to Cairo where she worked on strategic telephone switchboards from which the higher direction of the war in that theatre was conducted. She spent VE Day in Egypt, before returning to the UK in July 1945.

Despatch Rider, Sig Sidney Marsh spent VE Day with 2nd General Headquarters (GHQ) Liaison Regiment, 15th Army Group. The GHQ Liaison Regiment listened into both Allied and enemy transmissions to establish their locations and assess the risk to Allied units. It was not a Corps unit, but the operators were Royal Signals. Otherwise known as Phantom, these units operated in all the major theatres in Europe and North Africa. From D-Day, the squadron HQs were based at each corps HQ and every division had a Phantom patrol.

Address

Blandford Camp
Blandford Forum
DT118BJ

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 11am - 4:30pm

Telephone

01258 482248

Website

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