The first Signal troops of independent Finland were formed already during the Civil War. At the end of February 1918, four small field artillery units were established in Ostrobothnia. Finland's first actual Signals detachment, the Field Telegraph Battalion, was established in Mikkeli on 5th of March 1918, with the Telegraph School, a school for the training of telegraphers. The first Signal troops were trained by jaegers from Germany and a few Swedish volunteer officers, non-commissioned officers and civil engineers.
From 6th of June 1918 on, the Defence Forces' signals matters were handled by the General Staff's Operational Department Bureau 1D. The Signal Corps were subordinate to the Bureau's command. The bureau was separated from the Operations Department at the beginning of 1920 and they were transferred to the Chief of Staff of the Army. At the same time, the name was changed to the Office of the Inspector of Signals.
In 1921, the signals, engineers, railway and automobile corps were merged into a single branch, Techical troops, following the example of France. Until the Winter War, all technical forces were under a common command. The Signals branch only became independent as a separate branch of the armed forces on the eve of the Winter War in October 1939. Colonel-Lieutenant Leo Ekberg was appointed as the first inspector of the independent branch.