GHQ Liaison Regiment GHQ Liaison Regiment ( known as Phantom ) was a special reconnaissance unit first formed in 1939 during the early stages of World War II and based at Pembroke Lodge , a Georgian house in Richmond Park , London . History . It had its origins as the No 3 British Air Mission in France in 1939 . Moving with the Belgian General Staff , its role was to report back information about the allied forward positions from Belgian GHQ to the Advanced Air Striking Force HQ so as to pinpoint the changing locations of " bomb lines " . These were the battle areas not occupied by Allied troops , and therefore suitable targets for bombs and shells . In November 1939 , Lieut - Col George Frederick ‘ Hoppy ’ Hopkinson was sent as a Military Observer to the No 3 British Air Mission and subsequently changed the method of operations to focus upon greater use of wireless communications and mobility to provide real - time assessment from the front line . The collective codename for these Missions was classified by themselves as ‘ Phantom ’ , which later became an official designation . After the Dunkirk evacuation , the unit was re - formed as No 1 GHQ Reconnaissance Unit . In January 1941 , the Reconnaissance Corps was established and Phantom was reclassified as GHQ Liaison Regiment to avoid confusion . Phantom recruited men with various skill - sets – linguists , drivers and mechanics – and undertook rigorous training in wireless communication and cipher . In January 1944 , the Reconnaissance Corps was absorbed into the Royal Armoured Corps and with it the Phantom GHQ Liaison Regiment . Phantom was disbanded in 1945 ; however it was briefly reborn as the Army Phantom Signals Regiment ( Princess Louise ’ s Kensington Regiment ) until 1960 , when it was clear that technology provided for alternative solutions . Operation Overlord . During Operation Overlord , in June 1944 , many patrols from Phantom came to Normandy on D + 1 . Their task was to go around day and night to find all the British , Canadian and American units they could , marking their locations on a map , and passing the information to the main HQ . Market Garden . During Operation Market Garden , in September 1944 , the only communication between the surrounded airborne troops at Arnhem and headquarters was via a Phantom patrol . This included the famous , desperate , message from General Urquhart that “ . . . unless physical contact is made with us early 25 Sept . . . consider it unlikely we can hold out long enough . . . ” Two Phantom officers were subsequently awarded the Military Cross for maintaining these vital communications during the operation . Organisation . Phantom deployed in squadrons in North West Europe , South East Europe , North Africa and Italy . Each squadron supported an Army and consisted of a squadron HQ ( SHQ ) and a number of patrols ( one per Corps and a further ten further forward of Corps ) . Each patrol consisted of an officer , an NCO and up to 9 other ranks . They were typically equipped with Norton motorcycles , Jeeps , Morris 15cwt trucks and White M3 A1 Scout cars and carried a 107 Receiver , 52 and 19 sets . The patrols either embedded with other formations or went on specially - directed missions from their individual Army HQs . The patrols ' role was to provide collection , passage and dissemination of real - time information on the progress of battle back to Corps HQ . For Operation Overlord , one patrol was assigned to each Divisional HQ of 1 and 30 Corps to land with Main Divisional HQ . Thus on D - Day , three Patrols ( 5 , 8 & 14 ) landed with 3rd BR , 50th Northumbrian and 3rd Canadian Divisions . Some patrols undertook parachute drops with the SAS to provide communications with SAS Brigade HQ . Later , with Phantom efficiency proven and with US forces under the leadership of 12 US Army Group , similar arrangements were made for Phantom to provide communications with US Corps . Officers . Famous Phantom officers included : actors Major David Niven ( who initially commanded A Squadron ) , Tam Williams and Willoughby Gray ; MPs Sir Jakie Astor , The Hon . Michael Astor , Peter Baker , Sir Hugh Fraser , Maurice Macmillan ( Viscount Macmillan ) , Sir Carol Mather and Christopher Mayhew ( Lord Mayhew ) ; journalist Sir Peregrine Worsthorne ; and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Robert Mark . Others , including ( Sir Gordon Richards and John Hislop ) , excelled in the fields of academia , athletics and horseracing .