30th (Surrey) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery

Last updated

30th (Surrey) Searchlight Regiment
565 (Surrey) Searchlight Regiment
Active1925–1961
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Branch Flag of the British Army.svg Territorial Army
TypeSearchlight Regiment
RoleAir Defence
SizeRegiment
Garrison/HQ Kingston upon Thames
Motto(s)Quae sursum sunt quaerite (Seek the things that are above) [1]
Engagements The Blitz
Tunisian Campaign
Italian Campaign

30th (Surrey) Searchlight Regiment was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army from 1924 until 1961. During World War II it served in The Blitz and later in the Tunisian and Italian Campaigns, while detachments from the regiment served in the Far East and were captured at the Fall of Singapore.

Contents

Origins

Cap badge of the Royal Engineers (cipher of King George VI). RE Badge (GVIR).jpg
Cap badge of the Royal Engineers (cipher of King George VI).

The regiment had its origins in independent Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Companies of the Royal Engineers formed in the Territorial Army (TA) during 1924. In January 1925 those in Surrey were grouped as follows: [2] [3] [4] [5]

Surrey Group Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Companies

In December 1924 the Army Council sought permission from HM Treasury to buy and convert a property in Croydon to serve as HQ for 315 Company (225 all ranks) to be raised by the Surrey TA Association. The Army Council considered that 'the provision of accommodation must precede the call for men in order to ensure success', pointing out that 'The new Anti-Aircraft units are of great importance and recruiting, which is slow at present, is likely to be impossible without adequate headquarters to attract the personnel'. [6]

In the event, 315 AASL Company was accommodated at Mitcham Road Barracks in Croydon, originally built in 1794 as a depot for recruits to the Foot Guards, but used by local Territorial units since at least 1859. The site is still an Army Reserve Centre today. [7] [8] [9] [10]

On 15 December 1935 the Surrey Group was redesignated 30th (Surrey) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers (TA). By then an additional company (323 (Surrey) AA Company) had been formed at Ewell, later based at Lower Ham Road in Kingston (most of its officers coming from 315 Company. The battalion was subordinated to 27th (Home Counties) Anti-Aircraft Group (later termed a Brigade) based at RAF Kenley in Surrey, forming part of 1st AA Division. [2] [3] [11] [12]

World War II

90 cm 'Projector Anti-Aircraft', displayed at Fort Nelson, Portsmouth. 90cm Projector Anti-Aircraft Flickr 8616022073.jpg
90 cm 'Projector Anti-Aircraft', displayed at Fort Nelson, Portsmouth.

Home Defence

By the summer of 1939, 30 Searchlight Bn had been transferred to 47th AA Bde, also based at Kenley. It was part of 5th AA Division, responsible for defending Southern England in Anti-Aircraft Command. 30 Searchlight Bn mobilised on 24 August (10 days before the declaration of war) and moved to its war stations in Hampshire. [3] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

In March 1940 the battalion HQ moved to Market Rasen Racecourse in Lincolnshire as part of 39 AA Bde, whose responsibilities included airfields and other vulnerable points in Lincolnshire and along the Humber. The battalion's searchlights were deployed accordingly. [16] [18] [19] Some of these airfields were attacked during June, some searchlight equipment was damaged by bomb splinters, and one site engaged an enemy aircraft with its Lewis gun. [16]

After a short period (29 April–30 June) under command of Lt-Col F.L Congreve of the Royal Artillery (RA), the Commanding Officer from 1 July 1940 was Lt-Col Valentine Christian Green, a former infantry officer and veteran of the Kamerun campaign in World War I, who had recently transferred to the RA. [16] [20] On 1 August 1940, the AA Battalions RE were transferred to the RA, so the battalion became 30th (Surrey) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery and the companies were termed batteries. [2] [3] [16] [21] [22] [23]

The Blitz

Cap Badge of the Royal Artillery (pre-1953). Koning Soldaat., item 60.jpg
Cap Badge of the Royal Artillery (pre-1953).

In mid-September 1940, S/L layouts had to be thinned out to a 6000-yard spacing due to equipment shortages. 30 S/L Rgt redeployed with RHQ and one bty at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, the other btys at Hatfield, South Yorkshire, and Thrybergh. It took over 12 S/L sites from 306 S/L Bty (27th (London Electrical Engineers) S/L Rgt), which returned to London. [24]

As German night air raids on the UK intensified (The Blitz), 30 S/L Rgt sent detachments to London in September and then to Sheffield in November to assist in their defence. [16]

On 12 January 1941 the newly formed 84th S/L Regt came into 39 AA Bde's area on Humberside. The brigadier's operation order commented that 'These Btys have had little training in practical S/L work' and distributed them to double-man S/L sites alongside the experienced 30th S/L Rgt: [24]

The newly formed 511 Bty of 58th (Middlesex) S/L Rgt, initially attached to 40th (Sherwood Foresters) S/L Rgt, came under command of 30th (Surrey) S/L Rgt from 8 January (when it was considered operationally active) until 12 May 1941, when it was exchanged for 370 Bty of 43rd (5th Duke of Wellington's) S/L Rgt. [2] [16] 370 S/L Battery in turn came under command of 84th S/L Rgt in the summer. [25]

In March 1941, German bombers began dropping mines in the Humber Estuary, and 39 AA Bde ordered 30 Searchlight Regt to establish a mobile detachment to help the defenders engage these raiders. The 'Northern Rovers' and 'Southern Rovers', each of three sections, patrolled the north and south bank of the estuary. [16]

At the end of March the regiment moved to Bristol for fire-watching and fire-fighting duties, particularly at Bristol and Avonmouth Docks. Bristol was heavily blitzed, especially on 11 April. 315 and 316 Batteries were ordered to prepare for deployment overseas, and they left the regiment on 5 June, [16] 567 Battery (organised on 22 April at Shirehampton Transit Camp, Gloucestershire, from the surplus personnel of 315 and 316) later joined in their place. [2] [26] During the summer of 1941 the regiment's batteries were successively relieved from fire duties at Bristol and went to Birmingham for rest and retraining for a mobile role. In October the regiment rejoined 39 AA Bde, deployed along the Humber and in the East Riding of Yorkshire. [16]

On 23 January 1942, 511 Battery returned and became part of the regiment. On 1 February Lt-Col Green was promoted away to command 41 (London) AA Bde. He was replaced by Lt-Col F. Howard Phillips. In the spring of 1942, 318 and 511 batteries were engaged with German raiders over Birmingham, while 323 and 567 were deployed to airfields in East Anglia. [2] [27]

Overseas Service

The Croydon and Kingston Batteries, 315 and 316, had been sent by sea with 18th Infantry Division bound for the Middle East, but were diverted to Malaya, where they were attached to 5th Searchlight Regiment. As Light Anti-Aircraft/Searchlight units equipped with Bofors guns they were involved in the defence of airfields against Japanese attack before retreating to be captured in the Fall of Singapore. The men remained prisoners of war until 1945, many dying in captivity. [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] A new 315 SL Battery was formed in Ceylon and served there in Air Defence Command 1942–44. [31] [34]

30 Searchlight Regiment left AA Command in August 1942 and joined the War Office Reserve. In September it was ordered to mobilise for overseas service: 318 and 511 Batteries were detached to remain in the UK as independent batteries, while 400 Battery (from 50 (Northamptonshire Regiment) Searchlight Regiment) and 568 Independent Battery replaced them. On 2 January 1943 the regiment was assigned to First Army, which had landed in Tunisia in Operation Torch. The regiment's order of battle on the eve of departure was as follows: [2] [27] [35]

30th (Surrey) Searchlight Regiment, RA

Regimental headquarters (RHQ) and leading elements of 30 S/L Rgt embarked at Liverpool aboard the troopship HMS Otranto on 7 January 1943 and landed at Algiers on 17 January. [36] [37] Some of the regiment's lorries and searchlight equipment were lost when a following troopship was torpedoed on 7 February. [38] 567 and 323 Batteries remained in the UK as part of GHQ Reserve until February before they sailed. [35]

30 Regiment was the only British searchlight unit serving with Allied Force Headquarters in North Africa. [39] It was split into two parts: RHQ, 567 and 568 Batteries moved to Bone and came under the command of 66 AA Bde, while 323 and 400 Batteries (collectively known as '30/62 Regiment') moved into Tunisia in February with 62 AA Bde, initially running ammunition columns for the rest of the artillery. [37] [38] [40]

Both detachments saw action, replying to direct air attacks on their sites with light machine-guns, 20 mm Hispano cannon on home-made mounts, and 20 mm Oerlikon cannon manned by 218 Battery, RA. Later, 567 and 568 Batteries' sites were each supplied with a Bofors gun manned by 64 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment for close defence. In April, 567 and 568 Batteries were cooperating with 76 and 79 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, while from March onwards 30/62 Regt had 131 Z Battery under command. [37] [38]

By the final phase of Operation Torch, HQ and one Bty of 30 S/L were at Tunis and Bizerta, under 52nd AA Bde, which held a number of AA units on their wheels and ready to move into the objectives of Tunis and Bizerta immediately behind the leading battle groups. They deployed in Tunis on 7 May before the last German combat groups had been cleared out. [41]

During the Italian Campaign, 30 Regiment was once again the only British searchlight unit operating under AFHQ, but on 7 December 1943 it was placed in suspended animation and its personnel dispersed to other units. [22] [42] 567 and 568 Batteries continued as independent units in 1944, serving with British Land Forces Adriatic; they were disbanded on 15 February 1946 and 7 November 1945 respectively. [2] [43] and 89th HAA Rgt/AA Defence Command Brindisi [44] [45] respectively

Postwar

When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947 the regiment reformed as 565 Searchlight Regiment, RA (Surrey), with its HQ once more at Kingston. It formed part of 106 AA Bde, also based at Kingston. On 16 March 1949 the regiment's role was partly changed and it was redesignated 565 (Mixed) Light Anti-Aircraft/Searchlight Regiment (Surrey), 'Mixed' indicating that some of the personnel were from the Women's Royal Army Corps. [2] [22] [23] [46] [47] [48] [49]

When AA Command was disbanded on 10 March 1955, 565 LAA regiment absorbed two other Surrey AA units: 566 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (City of London Rifles), based at Sutton, and 598 LAA Regiment (4th Bn, The Queen's Regiment), at Croydon, the original 565 personnel becoming R Battery in the merged regiment: [22] [46] [49] [50]

In 1961 a further reorganisation saw 565 Regiment converted to infantry and merged with 6th Battalion The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) to form 3rd (V) Battalion The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment, when the RE and RA lineage ended. [22] [46] [49] [51] [52]

First-hand account

To hear an Imperial War Museum interview with Sergeant Percy Mutimer on his experiences with 316 Searchlight Battery in peacetime Kingston, in the Malayan campaign, and as a Japanese POW, visit http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80004760.

Honorary Colonel

Richard Onslow, 5th Earl of Onslow (1876–1945) was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Surrey Group of AA Companies in 1927 and continued in the role for 30th (Surrey). [12] [53]

Notes

  1. ↑ In Lt-Col Green's Special Order of the Day to 315 & 316 S/L Batteries, 4 June 1941, TNA file WO 166/3044.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Frederick, pp. 858, 861–2, 864.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Watson & Rinaldi, pp. 108, 112.
  4. ↑ Monthly Army List 1924–25.
  5. ↑ Titles and Designations, 1927.
  6. ↑ The National Archives (TNA), Kew, Treasury file T 161/32/24.
  7. ↑ Croydon at Drill Hall Project.
  8. ↑ Westlake, p. 228.
  9. ↑ Parachute Regiment Locations at Army website.
  10. ↑ Croydon Regiments at Croydon Council website.
  11. ↑ "1 AA Division 1936–38 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  12. 1 2 Monthly Army List, 1939.
  13. ↑ AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files
  14. ↑ "5 AA Division 1939 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  15. ↑ "5 AA Division 1940 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 30 Searchlight Regiment War Diary, 24 August 1939–31 December 1941, TNA War Office file WO 166/3044.
  17. ↑ Routledge, Table LX, p. 378.
  18. ↑ "10 AA Division 1940 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  19. ↑ 10 AA Div at RA 39–45
  20. ↑ Gradation List, Army List, January 1939.
  21. ↑ "30 SL Rgt at RA 39–45".
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 Litchfield, p. 226.
  23. 1 2 Farndale, Years of Defeat, Annex M, p. 339.
  24. 1 2 39 AA Bde War Diary 1939–41, TNA file WO 166/2272.
  25. ↑ 39 AA Bde War Diary June–December 1941, TNA file WO 166/2273.
  26. ↑ Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, TNA file WO 212/80.
  27. 1 2 30 Searchlight Regiment War Diary, 1 January–31 December 1942, TNA file WO 166/7780.
  28. ↑ "18 Infantry Division 1942 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  29. ↑ "Malaya Command 1941–42 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  30. ↑ "5 SL Rgt at RA 39–45".
  31. 1 2 Farndale, Far East, Annex A, p. 328.
  32. ↑ "Imperial War Museum Document 8917". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  33. ↑ Imperial War Museum Document 11206
  34. ↑ Farndale, Annex H, pp. 347–8.
  35. 1 2 Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional Units), 22 November 1942, TNA file WO 212/8
  36. ↑ Routledge, p. 184.
  37. 1 2 3 30 S/L Rgt War Diary 1943, TNA file WO 175/479.
  38. 1 2 3 30/62 Searchlight Regiment War Diary 1943, TNA file WO 175/480.
  39. ↑ Joslen, p. 465.
  40. ↑ Routledge, Table XXXI, p. 189.
  41. ↑ Routledge, pp. 185–6; Table XXXII, p. 190.
  42. ↑ Joslen, p. 467.
  43. ↑ Molony, Table VI, pp. 407–8.
  44. ↑ Routledge, p. 289–92.
  45. ↑ 89 HAA Rgt War Diary, 1944, TNA file WO 170/1152.
  46. 1 2 3 Frederick, p. 1022.
  47. ↑ Litchfield, Appendix 5.
  48. ↑ Watson, TA 1947.
  49. 1 2 3 564–591 Regiments at British Army units 1945 on.
  50. ↑ 592–638 Regiments at British Army units 1945 on
  51. ↑ Frederick, p. 197.
  52. ↑ 4th Bn Queen's at Regiments.org
  53. ↑ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 100th Edn, London, 1953.

Related Research Articles

27th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an Air Defence formation of the British Army in the Second World War that served in The Blitz and later converted to infantry.

The 28th (Essex) Searchlight Regiment was a volunteer air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) from 1935 until 1961, at first as part of the Royal Engineers, later in the Royal Artillery. During the Second World War it defended the approaches to London in The Blitz and Operation Diver before becoming a garrison unit in the liberation of Norway.

The 29th (Kent) Searchlight Regiment was a volunteer air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) from 1935 until 1955, at first as part of the Royal Engineers (RE), later in the Royal Artillery (RA). It served during The Blitz, defended South West England, Orkney and Shetland before becoming garrison troops in North West Europe.

The 38th Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army formed just before the Second World War, which protected London and Southern England during the Blitz and later converted into an infantry formation for the liberation of Europe.

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 31st Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army from 1936 until 1948. During the Second World War it defended West Yorkshire and later participated in the North West Europe campaign.

The 32nd (Midland) Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Anti-Aircraft Command in Britain's Territorial Army (TA) from 1936 to 1955, charged with defending the East Midlands of England.

58th (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) raised just before World War II. It defended the East Midlands of England during The Blitz, and later served as infantry in North West Europe at the end of the war, converting to the anti-aircraft (AA) artillery role postwar.

The 33rd (Western) Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Anti-Aircraft Command of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army, formed shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. It defended Merseyside and West Lancashire during The Blitz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">51st (Highland) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

The 51st (Highland) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was a Scottish unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed for air defence just before World War II. It later served as an anti-aircraft (AA) artillery unit in the North West Europe Campaign 1944–45, and continued in the postwar TA into the 1950s.

The 54th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed immediately before the outbreak of the Second World War. It was engaged in defending the West Midlands of England during the war. It comprised a varying number of searchlight (S/L) battalions and later included light anti-aircraft units. It was disbanded at the end of 1943. When the TA was reconstituted in 1947, the former 54th AA Bde was reformed as 80 Anti-Aircraft Brigade but was disbanded on 9 September 1948.

The 41st (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Anti-Aircraft Command in the British Territorial Army, formed shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. Its role was to defend East Anglia.

The 37th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed just before the outbreak of the Second World War. It was engaged in defending the Thames Estuary during the war, and continued to form part of Anti-Aircraft Command in the postwar era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">71st (East Lancashire) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

The 71st Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA), which was raised just before the outbreak of World War II and served as part of Anti-Aircraft Command during and after the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">72nd (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

72nd (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) raised just before the outbreak of World War II, which served as part of Anti-Aircraft Command during and after the war.

39th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) during the Second World War. It was responsible under Anti-Aircraft Command for protecting industry along the Humber Estuary and airfields in Lincolnshire during The Blitz. Later it defended the coast of East Anglia against Luftwaffe 'hit-and-run' attacks. It was later converted to a field force formation, covered the embarkation ports for Operation Overlord and defended London against V-1 flying bombs. It served in the campaign in North West Europe, defending Antwerp against V-1s and supervising the clean-up of the notorious Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

43rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army (TA). Formed in 1938, it was responsible for protecting Teesside in North East England during the early part of the Second World War, and later defended South East England from V-1 flying bombs. It was reformed postwar and survived under different titles until 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">133rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> WWII British Army military unit

The 133rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, was an air defence unit of Britain's Royal Artillery during World War II. It saw action during the campaign in North West Europe, defending the vital port of Antwerp against V-1 flying bombs and supporting the advance into Germany.

50th Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) during the Second World War. It defended the North Midlands of England during The Blitz and later helped to protect Brussels from V-1 flying bombs during the Campaign in North West Europe.

3rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade was a Supplementary Reserve air defence formation of the British Army formed in Northern Ireland in 1938. On the outbreak of the Second World War it saw active service with the British Expeditionary Force during the Battle of France and Operation Aerial. It then returned to Northern Ireland and defended the Province for the next two years. Postwar, it was reformed in the Territorial Army and served until the disbandment of Anti-Aircraft Command in 1955.

References

External sources

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.