Intercepting German Communications

Mr. Spear discusses his arrival in France, and being sent to an outpost, a forward position used to intercept German signal traffic. Here he would copy what he heard and pass it to a runner, who would deliver it to Headquarters.

Thomas Spear

Thomas Spear was born on October 22, 1896 in Alberta. His father was Reverend David Spear, a pioneer missionary in the Northwest Territories. As a youngster, Thomas often accompanied his father travelling in winter by horse and sleigh. When the First World War started, Mr. Spear was living in Emerson, Manitoba working for the Canadian Pacific Railroad as a telegraph operator. In January 1916 he enlisted in the Canadian Signal Corps and in April of that year sailed aboard The Baltic to England. Before heading to the battlefields of France, Mr. Spear was given additional training. One of the things he had to learn was the Continental Code or semaphore, which had a number of different characters from Morse Code. Mr. Spear was one of the first to learn wireless communication and eventually manned a wireless truck near the front.

Medium:

Video

Owner:

Veterans Affairs Canada

Recorded:

February 2, 2000

Duration:

1:44

Person Interviewed:

Thomas Spear

War, Conflict or Mission:

First World War

Location/Theatre:

France

Branch:

Army

Units/Ship:

Canadian Signal Corps

Rank:

Private

Occupation:

Signaller

Copyright / Permission to Reproduce