| 93rd Searchlight Regiment, RA | |
|---|---|
 Cap Badge of the Auxiliary Territorial Service | |
| Active | 25 October 1942 – 1 July 1945 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Searchlight regiment |
| Role | Air defence |
| Part of | Anti-Aircraft Command |
93rd Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was an all-female British air defence unit during World War II, formed in October 1942 and disbanded in July 1945. [1]
Searchlights were of great importance in the Second World War as they were needed to illuminate the German Bombers flying over Britain, so that the men operating the anti-aircraft guns could shoot them down before they had a chance to drop any bombs on the British towns and cities. A plan in 1935 anticipated 100 searchlight companies, with 2334 searchlights lights and 43,500 men. [2]
However, by 1941 men were increasingly needed for deployment elsewhere and there was a risk that the number of anti-aircraft units might have to be reduced. The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Anti-Aircraft Command 1939–1945, General Sir Frederick Pile, supported the employment of women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) to these operational roles. They were first deployed to heavy anti-aircraft (HAA) gun units to work the AA instruments, radars and command posts. These 'Mixed' batteries were a success, but the replacement of men by women in searchlight (S/L) units was less easy to settle. The women would be scattered in small detachments in isolated conditions suffering hardship and few amenities. S/L sites were subject to enemy attack and usually had light machine guns for self-defence, but Defence Regulations prohibited women from firing them. [3] [4]
In 1941 a secret trial called the Newark experiment was carried out in AA Command to find out if women would be able to carry out the duties required in searchlight regiments. [5] Fifty-four members of the ATS were sent for training at Rhyl to see if they could cope with working in isolated places and if they would have the strength and the ability to operate the searchlights. The experiment proved successful and General Pile later wrote that: "They showed themselves more effective, more horror inspiring and more blood-thirsty with their pick-helves than many a male sentry with his gun, as several luckless gentlemen found to their cost". [6] General Pile was also to write later, "The girls lived like men, fought their lights like men and, alas, some of them died like men". [2] General Pile also proposed that the women should have a more practical uniform for this work, and should be given the same rates of pay as the men if they were doing the same job. On 2 December 1941, the Under Secretary of State in the War Office wrote a letter recommending that members of the ATS be deployed in searchlight duties. In July 1942 the first seven searchlight troops were formed with ATS members and these were posted to 26th Searchlight Regiment (London Electrical Engineers), which became the first Mixed searchlight regiment. [1] [5]
On 25 October 1942 the 93rd (Mixed) Searchlight Regiment was formed at Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire with 301, 342 and 495 Searchlight Batteries. The batteries came from 26th (Mixed) S/L Rgt, 79th S/L Rgt and 77th S/L Rgt, respectively. Apart from 301 Bty, which was already an all-female battery, the regiment was still 50 percent male when formed, but the wholesale transfer of ATS in, and male gunners out, started immediately: A and B (male) Troops of 495 S/L Bty were exchanged for A & B Trps of 339 Bty of 26th (Mixed) S/L Rgt. On 1 June 1943 C & D Trps of 495 S/L Bty were disbanded and replaced by ATS personnel, and finally 23 August 1943 D/342 Trp disbanded and was replaced by an ATS troop. By the time the regiment was fully converted in August 1943 there were approximately 1500 women in the regiment, apart from the Commanding Officer and the Battery OCs. [3] [4] [5] [7] [8] [9]
The regiment was deployed in 38th Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade, [10] which was part of the defences of London. [11] Later it moved to 47th AA Brigade defending Southampton. [11] [12]
Members of the ATS on the posted strength of Royal Artillery units wore the RA's 'grenade' collar badge above the left breast pocket of their uniform jacket. [13]
93 (M) SL Regt RA commenced disbandment at The Copse, Hamble, near Southampton, on 1 Jul 1945, and was completed by 29 July. [5] [8] [9]
A reunion was organised at the Artillery Centre, Larkhill in 2005 to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the disbandment of the Regiment. Forty-four women and two men from the Regiment attended together with the special guest, Dame Vera Lynn. [5] [7]
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.
28th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of the British Territorial Army created in 1925 to command anti-aircraft units in Kent and around the militarily important Medway Towns, which it defended during the Second World War. In 1940 the brigade was responsible for the defences on the south side of the Thames Estuary including the Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham and the Port of Dover. The brigade was heavily engaged throughout the Battle of Britain, in the summer of 1940, and The Blitz, from autumn 1940 to spring 1941, operating a total of 70 heavy anti-aircraft (HAA) guns controlled from a gun operations room (GOR) at Chatham. During 1942 many of the brigade's experienced units were transferred to active theatres overseas. Increasingly the brigade included women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS).
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 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.
35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Anti-Aircraft Command in the British Territorial Army (TA) formed shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. It defended the important naval base of Portsmouth during The Blitz.
48th (Hampshire) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed just before the outbreak of World War II from existing searchlight companies of the Royal Engineers. It served in Anti-Aircraft Command until 1944, including the Portsmouth Blitz and Operation Diver. At the end of the war it formed an infantry unit for garrison duties in liberated Europe. It continued in the postwar TA until AA Command was disbanded in 1955.
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 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 Cornwall Fortress Royal Engineers, was a volunteer unit of Britain's Royal Engineers formed in 1908. It helped to defend the coastal towns of Cornwall and sent engineer units to work on the Western Front. Converted to an air defence role before World War I, it served as a searchlight unit during the Battle of Britain, the Blitz, then, as a light anti-aircraft gun unit, it served in the most heavily attacked part of the South Coast of England throughout 1942–44, including the V-1 flying bomb campaign.
70th (Sussex) 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.
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.
6th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of the British Army formed during the Second World War. It served in the disastrous Norwegian Campaign in 1940 and then defended East Anglia during the Battle of Britain and The Blitz. It was reorganised to take part in the invasion of Normandy, but instead was diverted to defending Southern England against V-1 flying bombs. It was briefly recreated in the postwar Regular Army.
The 5th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed as a searchlight brigade to protect the British Expeditionary Force's bases just before the Battle of France. After the Dunkirk evacuation it was reformed as a conventional anti-aircraft (AA) brigade and served through the rest of the war in Anti-Aircraft Command, defending various parts of the United Kingdom against bombing raids and V-1 flying bombs. It continued to serve in the Regular Army during the early postwar years.
The 77th Searchlight Regiment was an anti-aircraft (AA) unit of Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) formed during World War II. After serving in Anti-Aircraft Command during the Blitz it was converted into a Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) gun unit. Although assigned to 21st Army Group for Operation Overlord, it did not go overseas and was disbanded in June 1944.
143rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment was an air defence unit of Britain's Royal Artillery formed during World War II. It started out as a 'Mixed' regiment with around two-thirds of its personnel being women from the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). The regiment defended the West of England from 1942 to the end of the war when it moved to South East England. The regiment continued in the postwar British Army.
79th Searchlight Regiment, was an air defence unit of Britain's Royal Artillery during World War II. It protected London and South East England as part of Anti-Aircraft Command from the Blitz of 1940 until Operation Diver in 1944, after which it was disbanded.
The 92nd Searchlight Regiment was an air defence unit of Britain's Royal Artillery during World War II. The regiment was formed in May 1941 as part of the rapid expansion of Anti-Aircraft (AA) defences during The Blitz. It served in AA Command until disbandment in 1943.
The 3rd (Ulster) Searchlight Regiment was a Supplementary Reserve (SR) unit of the Royal Artillery raised in Northern Ireland just before the outbreak of World War II. It distinguished itself in the Battle of France before being evacuated from Dunkirk. It then served in Anti-Aircraft Command, converting into the 4th (Ulster) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment in 1942. In that role it served in the campaign in North West Europe, defending Brussels against V-1 flying bombs. It was reformed postwar and its successor units continued to serve in the Territorial Army (TA) until 1993.