175th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

10th & 12th Defence Regiments, RA
175th Field Regiment, RA
10th & 12th Defence Regiments, RA; 175th Field Regiment, RA
	Royal Artillery cap badge
Active	4 October 1940–8 February 1943; 8 July 1943–11 April 1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Role	Field artillery
Size	3–4 Batteries
Part of	77th Infantry Division ; 45th (Holding) Division.

Last updated February 02, 2023

The 175th Field Regiment was a unit of Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II. Originally formed to man beach defence batteries, it was later converted to field artillery. It served in Home Forces and supplied trained gunners to the fighting fronts, but saw no active service. It was disbanded after the war.

10th and 12th Defence Regiments

After the British Expeditionary Force was evacuated from Dunkirk and the United Kingdom was threatened with invasion, a crash programme of installing coastal artillery batteries was implemented in the summer of 1940.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Later, as the Home Defence strategy developed, the Royal Artillery formed a number of 'Defence Batteries' to deploy around the coastline for general beach defence. These were not part of the RA's Coast Artillery branch, nor were they included in the field forces under Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces, but equipped with whatever old guns were available they freed up scarce field artillery from static beach defence for the mobile counter-attack forces. Most of these batteries were formed on 1 September 1940, and they were grouped into regiments from 4 October.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

10th Defence Regiment was formed at Mere, Wiltshire with 944–950 Defence Batteries. On 15 March 1941 944, 946, 948 and 950 Defence Btys were disbanded.
12th Defence Regiment was formed at Dunster, Somerset, with 955 and 956 Defence Batteries.

175th Field Regiment

A 25-pounder gun and Quad tractor on a training exercise in the UK. IWM-H-8241-Morris-C8-19410320.jpg — A 25-pounder gun and Quad tractor on a training exercise in the UK.

By the beginning of 1942 the imminent threat of invasion had passed, the coast artillery batteries were fully established, and the RA required gunners for the field forces. The remaining Defence Regiments in the UK were disbanded or converted into field artillery. On 12 January 1942 10th Defence Rgt was converted into 175th Field Regiment at Tiverton, Devon, and 945, 947 and 949 Defence Btys were designated A, B and C Btys. At the same time 12th Defence Regt and 955 Defence Bty were disbanded, and the personnel of 956 Defence Bty helped to form C Bty. A, B and C Btys were redesignated P, Q and R on 11 March.^[5]^[6]^[7] At this period the establishment of a field regiment was three batteries, each of two troops of four 25-pounder guns.^[8]

On 2 July 1942 the regiment was assigned to 77th Infantry Division in Home Forces.^[9] On 1 January 1943 the regiment's batteries were numbered as 162, 163 and 164 Field Btys. But on 11 January the regiment's batteries were transferred to 176th Field Rgt, which replaced it in the division. Regimental HQ (RHQ) of 175th Field Rgt remained without any batteries to command until 8 February when it was disbanded at Blandford Camp, Dorset; its personnel were drafted to form RHQ of a new 15th Medium Rgt.^[7]^[10]

However, on 20 July 1943, RHQ of 175th Field Rgt was reformed at Gosforth, Northumberland, when 145, 165, 166 and 167 Field Btys were transferred to it from 176th Field Rgt.^[7] 175th Field Rgt returned to 77th Division (now a reserve division) on 9 August.^[9] The primary role of the reserve divisions was to provide trained reinforcements to units serving in active theatres. On 1 December 1943 the division was downgraded to 77th (Holding) Division and its units were reorganised for sorting, retraining and temporarily holding personnel who were unattached due to disbandments, medical reasons and other causes. After D Day on 6 June 1944 the reserve and holding divisions supplied reinforcements mainly to 21st Army Group fighting in Normandy. Having been drained of most of its manpower, 77th (Holding) Division was disbanded on 1 September 1944 and reformed as a replacement for the disbanded 45th Division. 175th and 176th Field Rgts transferred to the new 45th (Holding) Division and remained with it until the end of the war.^[9]^[11]

175th Field Rgt and its batteries were disbanded on 11 April 1946.^[5]^[7]

Notes

↑ Farndale, Annex B.
↑ Maurice-Jones, pp. 227–32.
1 2 Collier, Chapter VIII.
↑ Farndale, p. 103.
1 2 3 Farndale, Annex M.
1 2 Frederick, pp. 931–4.
1 2 3 4 Frederick, pp. 538–9.
↑ Farndale, p. 99.
1 2 3 Joslen, p. 100.
↑ Frederick, pp. 486, 731.
↑ Joslen, pp. 73–4.

Related Research Articles

The 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army from 1936 until 1955, which defended Tyneside and Sunderland during the Second World War.

The 59th (Warwickshire) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of the Territorial Army (TA), part of the British Army, and was raised in Birmingham in 1938 just before the Second World War. It later served as a light anti-aircraft gun unit and continued in the postwar TA.

The 71st (Forth) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed in Scotland just before World War II. It served in North Africa and Italy during the war. Its' successors continue to serve in the Army Reserve as part of the Royal Logistic Corps.

The 103rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery was a short-lived unit of the British Army during World War II. Initially raised as an infantry battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment in 1940, it transferred to the Royal Artillery in late 1942 after serving for two years defending the coast of Norfolk. During 1943 it was broken up to provide independent air-landing batteries for 6th Airborne Division.

73rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery was a West Midlands-based volunteer air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) raised in 1937. During World War II, it served in the Battle of France, The Blitz, Egypt, Sicily and Italy. Postwar, its successor regiments continued to serve until 1967, and a battery descended from the regiment forms part of today's Army Reserve

The 1st Kent Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery from 1860 to 1956. Primarily serving as coastal artillery defending the Port of Dover and other harbours in South-East England, the unit's successors also served in the heavy artillery role on the Western Front during World War I and as anti-aircraft artillery during the Blitz and later in the North African and Italian campaigns of World War II.

175th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of the British Army formed during World War II. It served in defence of the vital naval and air base at Gibraltar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">85th (Tees) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

85th (Tees) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery was a part-time unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed from forces around the river Tees just before the outbreak of World War II. Its service during the war included the Battle of France and Dunkirk evacuation, the Battle of Britain and Blitz, and the North African and Italian campaigns. It continued to serve in the air defence role until 1961.

The East Riding Royal Garrison Artillery (ERRGA) was a part-time unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based at Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It provided coastal defence artillery along the Humber Estuary from 1908 to 1956, manned siege batteries on the Western Front during World War I at the Somme and Ypres and played a role in the pursuit of the German army during the Hundred Days Offensive. It served as infantry in Allied-occupied Germany after World War II. Its successor units in the Territorial Army included anti-aircraft artillery and field engineers.

74th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, was a Scottish air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army raised in Glasgow just before World War II. During the war it served in Home Defence and in Middle East Command. It continued to serve in the postwar TA until 1955.

The 103rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, was an air defence unit of the British Army during World War II. Initially raised as an infantry battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment in 1940, it transferred to the Royal Artillery in 1941. It served in Northern England and Northern Ireland but saw no active service. Shortly before D Day, it was broken up to reinforce other units that fought in the campaign in North West Europe.

The 50th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, was an air defence unit of the British Army during World War II. After serving with Anti-Aircraft Command in the defence of the UK, it trained to take part in the Allied invasion of Normandy. However, shortly before D Day, it was broken up to reinforce other units that fought in the ensuring campaign.

The 171st Field Regiment was a unit of Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II. Originally formed to man beach defence batteries, it later became field artillery and briefly converted to heavy artillery. It served in Home Forces and supplied trained gunners to the fighting fronts, but saw no active service. It was disbanded after the war.

The 173rd Field Regiment was a unit of Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II. Originally formed to man beach defence batteries, it was later converted to field artillery. It served in Home Forces and supplied trained gunners to the fighting fronts, but saw no active service. It was disbanded after the war.

The 174th Field Regiment was a unit of Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) during the Second World War. Originally formed to man beach defence batteries, it was later converted to field artillery. It served in Home Forces and supplied trained gunners to the fighting fronts, but saw no active service. It was disbanded in 1943.

The 176th Field Regiment was a unit of Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II. Originally formed to man beach defence batteries, it was later converted to field artillery. It served in Home Forces and supplied trained gunners to the fighting fronts, but saw no active service. It was disbanded after the war.

The 177th Field Regiment was a unit of Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II. Originally formed to man beach defence batteries, it was later converted to field artillery. It served in Home Forces in the London defences, but saw no active service. It was converted to reform a unit of the Regular Army in 1944.

The Defence Batteries were units of the Royal Artillery created for beach defence during World War II when the United Kingdom was threatened with invasion after the Dunkirk evacuation. Once they had served their purpose they were disbanded or converted into units of field artillery.

The 51st Field Regiment, was a Royal Artillery unit of Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA) formed after World War I from a Yeomanry Cavalry regiment recruited in Cumbria. One of its batteries served in the Norwegian campaign at the beginning of World War II. The regiment then sailed to the Middle East and took part in the Western Desert campaign, including the Siege of Tobruk and Operation Crusader. It was next transferred to Ceylon and later formed a Chindit column in the Burma Campaign. The regiment continued in the postwar TA until 1961.

The 180th Field Regiment was a unit of the Royal Artillery, formed by the British Army during World War II. First raised in 1940 as infantry of the North Staffordshire Regiment, it was converted to the field artillery role in 1942, serving as a reserve unit in Home Defence. It was disbanded before the end of the war.

References

Collier, Basil (2004). "The Defence of the United Kingdom". In Butler, J. R. M. (ed.). History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Military Series. London: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84574-055-6. OCLC 499176250.

Gen Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, ISBN 1-85753-080-2
J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X
Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6
Col K. W. Maurice-Jones, The History of Coast Artillery in the British Army, London: Royal Artillery Institution, 1959/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2005, ISBN 978-1-845740-31-3

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Farndale, Annex B.

[2] Maurice-Jones, pp. 227–32.

[CollierVIII-3] 1 2 Collier, Chapter VIII.

[4] Farndale, p. 103.

[FarnM-5] 1 2 3 Farndale, Annex M.

[Frederick931-6] 1 2 Frederick, pp. 931–4.

[Frederick538-7] 1 2 3 4 Frederick, pp. 538–9.

[8] Farndale, p. 99.

[Joslen77-9] 1 2 3 Joslen, p. 100.

[Frederick486-10] Frederick, pp. 486, 731.

[Joslen45-11] Joslen, pp. 73–4.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

10th & 12th Defence Regiments, RA 175th Field Regiment, RA
Royal Artillery cap badge
Active	4 October 1940–8 February 1943 8 July 1943–11 April 1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Role	Field artillery
Size	3–4 Batteries
Part of	77th Infantry Division 45th (Holding) Division.