I am assuming that the OP is referring to normal signals maybe, rather than radio failure. In all my time in training we taught, and used, signals for services, eg gear and flap, and sometimes for changing position but the old signals for manoeuvring, such as levelling off, turning etc, were not ever used - although I believe they are still carved in stone in AP3456. HEFOM (previously HEFOE) was still much discussed in briefs and debriefs, and occasionally used in practice speechless recoveries, but I don't think I ever saw or heard of it being used for real, other than for the radio failure itself.
When I was doing my final test at Flying Selection at Swinderby, I had a problem with my helmet as we taxied out. Despite being somewhat tense due to the significance of the occasion, I told the instructor that I was going to have to deal with it and said to ATC - "I'm going to have to hold here for a moment because I have got a wasp in my helmet". Quick as a flash, the controller came back with "You should have saved that for the no RT recovery"!