Communications and Electronics Branch - Customs and Traditions

Customs and Traditions

• Colonel-in-Chief: Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal

• Branch flag: Horizontal bicolour, French grey (Munsell Notation 5PB5/2) over dark blue (Munsell Notation 7.5PB2/2). It is commonly believed that the colours of the flag represent "grey skies over blue waters"; however, the colours were inherited from the officer's Mess Dress uniforms of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS), which were in turn inherited from the 21st Lancers, the first unit of Major Carruthers, founder of the RCCS
• Home Station: CFB Kingston, Ontario
• Motto: Velox Versutus Vigilans (Latin, "Swift, Skilled, Alert"); motto inherited from the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
• Nickname:
  • "Jimmies" – after "Jimmy", the nickname given to the Roman god Mercury as patron (and insignia) of Signals in Commonwealth countries; the origin of this particular sobriquet for the god is unknown; there are a number of theories as to why 'Jimmy' was adopted as a term of endearment for the emblem. The most widely accepted is that it came from a very popular Royal Signals boxer, called Jimmy Emblem, who was the British Army Champion in 1924 and represented the Royal Signals Corps from 1921 to 1924.
  • "Sigs" – after the abbreviation of "Signals"
  • "Sig Pigs" – rhyming slang name; sometimes used deprecatingly by non-Signalmen, generally with pride by Signalmen
  • "Rubberheads" - Nickname applied only to Communicator Research personnel; considered pejorative or insulting when used by non-Communicator Research personnel; this references the large padded earphones that were often used by the trade.
• Authorized march: "The Mercury March"
• Branch colours: French grey and dark blue
• Miscellaneous:
  • Signals units follow the Cavalry practice of naming their units "Regiment" for "Battalion", "Squadron" for "Company", and "Troop" for "Platoon".
  • Trained Privates in Signals or Communications units are styled "Signalman" or "Sig".