Memorabilia 14

Signals Operating Instructions (SOI)


Supplied by Jimmy

(Sorry no names, no pack drill)

Monthly Signals Operating Instructions (SOI) were issued to give the information necessary to operate the various Signals facilities in the Task Force.   The SOI (and backups) were produced and controlled by the Task Force Signal Squadron (103 Sig Sqn and then 104 Sig Sqn) and issued to the Task Force Units and others (as required).   All information in the SOI was classified and any known compromise had to be immediately reported to HQ 1 ATF. 

If compromised, it was a real pain because backup SOI's had to be immediately issued and then new SOI backups had to be produced.  The production of SOI was by calculation/design, typing on gestetner stencil skins, running off on the gestetner machine and preparing for controlled issues.    Remember - we had no computers in those days!

Examples of compromises involving the reissue of SOI during 1971 are:

1.  30 March 1971, SOI was captured by the enemy in a contact with 3RAR

2   18 April 1971, SOI was lost when a RAAF 9 Sqn Helicoper was shot down in the Long Hai Hills, whilst supporting a Vietnamese Regional Force Battalion.

 

1 ATF SOI - JANUARY 1969

Sample of each item from that SOI
Click on the Icon
Click for SOI Item 1 Item 1 - Index
Click for SOI Item 2 Item 2 - Distribution
Click for SOI Item 3 Item 3 - General Information
Click for SOI Item 4 Item 4 - VHF Freq Allocation & Callword
Click for SOI Item 5 Item 5 - HF Freq Allocation & Callword
Click for SOI Item 6 Item 6 - Emission Designators
Click for SOI Item 7 Item 7 - VHF Freq Designator Code
Click for SOI Item 8 Item 8 - HF Freq Designator Code
Click for SOI Item 9 Item 9 - 1 ATF SDS (VEH)
Click for SOI Item 10 and 11 Item 10 - Air Courier Services
Item 11 - 1 ATF Switchboard Designators
Click for SOI Item 12 Item 12 - Address Groups
Click for SOI Items 13 and 14 Item 13 - Operations Codes
Item 14 - Numeral/Authentication Code
Click for SOI Item 15 Item 15 - Codewords & Meanings
Click for SOI Item 16 Item 16 - 1 ATF Comd Net (VHF)
Click for SOI Item 16a Item 16a - 1 ATF Rear Comd Net (VHF)
Click for Items 17 and 17a Item 17 - 1 ATF Comd Net (HF)
Item 17a - 1 ATF HQ Air/Admin Net
Click for SOI Item 18 Item 18 - 1 ATF TG Net
Click for SOI Items 19 and 20 Item 19 - Misc HQ Unit Nets (Fixed Callsigns)
Item 20 - C Sqn, 1 Armd Regt (Fixed Callsigns)
Click for SOI Items 21 and 22 Item 21 - A Sqn, 3 Cav Regt (Fixed Callsigns)
Item 22 - Artillery Nets (Fixed Callsigns)
Click for SOI Items 23 and 24 Item 23 - Misc Unit Nets (Fixed Callsigns)
Item 24 - TFMA Air Net (Fixed Callsigns)
Click for SOI Items 25 and 26 Item 25 - 1 RAR Nets (Fixed Callsigns)
Item 26 - 9 RAR Nets (Fixed Callsigns)
Click for SOI Items 27 and 28 Item 27 - 4 RAR Nets (Fixed Callsigns)
Item 28 - 2 SAS Sqn Nets (Fixed Callsigns)
Click for SOI Item 29 Item 29 - Air Frequencies
Click for SOI Item 30 Item 30 - Special Instructions
Click for SOI Item 31 Item 31 - Antenna RC-292
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