Dear Forum members, I wonder if anyone could help me with a quandary I am having. I am carrying out some research into a Sgt who served with the 206 Lt. A.A. Indep. Bty during WW2. I know very little about the structure of the RA during the war but I am presuming 206 Lt. A.A. Indep. Bty in full would be 206 Light Anti-Aircraft Independent Battery ? I can find no reference to the 206 Light AA battery only a 206 HAA ? (heavy ? ) The Sgt in question earned the British War Medal and defence medal for his service during the war so I do not believe he had overseas service. The questions I have if I may ask ? Where were the 206 Lt AA based ? What does in mean when a battery is independent ? I am particularly interested in the time period - June July 1944 when the Germans were using the V1 flying bombs on the London area, was this unit involved in the home defence during operation Diver to destroy incoming V1 bombs ? Thank you very much for any help you can offer. My kindest regards Brett
Hi Brett Can you post/upload the documents you have so they can be read in context and perhaps members will read them differently to yourself, its happened before. If the Battery below is the same as the one you are looking for - It would seem they were UK based for the dates shown below: ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMMAND: LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERIES: 206 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery... | The National Archives Reference: WO 166/2938 Description: ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMMAND: LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERIES: 206 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA). Date: 1940 Nov.- 1941 Mar. Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Closure status: Open Document, Open Description Access conditions: Closed For 29 years For the balance of 1942 they were in Burma: Burma 1942: British Artillery: 206 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA Bty) | The National Archives Reference: WO 172/790 Description: Burma 1942: British Artillery: 206 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA Bty) Date: 1942 Mar.- Dec. Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Closure status: Open Document, Open Description Access conditions: Closed For 29 years During the whole of 1943 they are still in Burma: Light Anti-Aircraft Batteries: 206 L.A.A. Bty. | The National Archives Reference: WO 172/2388 Description: Light Anti-Aircraft Batteries: 206 L.A.A. Bty. Date: 1943 Jan.- Dec. Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Closure status: Open Document, Open Description Access conditions: Closed For 29 years Nothing showing for 1944 or 1945 TD There might be a connection from this thread - 69th LAA /206 Batt/14th Indian LAA
Thank you TD, I don't have any more information, only what I have taken from the CWGC - 183908 Sgt Charles Oliver Taylor 206 L.A.A. Indep. Bty. killed 11 July 1944 along with his wife when the house they were in was hit by a V1 - Marion Road Croydon. On the 11th July Serjeant Charles Oliver Taylor, 1833908 of 206 Light Anti Aircraft Independent Battery, Royal Artillery was killed, along with his wife, Winifred Jessie Taylor and 3 others in the following incident at Marion Road, Thornton Heath area. 5 deaths were recorded after a V1 Flying Bomb landed in the South London Suburb near Croydon, Surrey at 17:55 hrs. There appear to be some records on the Forces War Records site but I do not have access. Thanks again for any help. kind regards Brett
if you want his service records you only go via the official link which is Get a copy of military service records
UK, WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939-1945 Name: Winifred Jessie Taylor Estimated Birth Year: abt 1911 Death Date: 11 Jul 1944 Death Place: Croydon, Surrey, England Age at Death: 33 Father: Emily Ada Terlour Spouse: Charles Oliver Taylor TD
Thank you very much CL1, im not sure I can apply though as I am not the direct next of kin. TD Thank you for the Information referance Winifred, very much appreciated. Kind regards Brett
yes you can apply Apply for the records of someone who's deceased You can apply for a copy of someone else’s service records if any of the following apply: you’re their immediate next of kin, for example their spouse or parent you’ve got consent from their immediate next of kin you have a general research interest - you’ll only have access to limited information, unless they died more than 25 years ago regards Clive
1833908 Sergeant Charles Oliver Taylor 206 L.A.A. Independent Battery, Royal Artillery 1909 - 11th July 1944 Enlisted in 1941 First name(s) Charles Oliver Last name Taylor Birth year 1909 Age 35 Death year 1944 Death date 11 Jul 1944 Number 1833908 Rank Sergeant Unit 206 Lt. A.A. Indep. Bty. Regiment Royal Artillery Grave reference Panel 5. Cemetery or Memorial Croydon (Mitcham Road) Crematorium Burial country United Kingdom Additional information Son of Walter Smith Taylor and Emily Fanny Taylor, of Thornton Heath; husband of Winifred Jessie Taylor, who died in the same incident.
There is no mention of 206th Independent Light AA Battery in either the History of AA by Routledge or in Years of Defeat by Farndale. There isn't a definitive Royal Artillery order of battle for the Second World War. About 20 years ago I was trying tof ind one and was told by the senior librarian at the old library in the Woolwich Academy that a civil servant had been appointed to compile the order of battle but had reached retirement age before completing the project! Independent batteries as the name suggests did not have a parent Regiment. It obviously served in the UK and the letters EA in the unit may mean East Anglian - there was an 29th East Anglian AA Group in the 1st AA Division. https://www.britishmilitaryhistory....2017/12/1-Anti-Aircraft-Division-1936-38-.pdf (Note that there was a 206th Battery in the 58th AA Brigade/Regiment but this was the 206th Heavy AA Battery.) I'd have a look at the war diaries of the AA Brigades in SE England.
I found a 206th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, RA under 69th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment: 69th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) RHQ, 199th, 206th, 207th Raised: 20 December 1940 at St. Agnes Practice Camp 267th Battery replaced 199th Battery on 4 September 1941. 462nd Battery served under command from 19 February to 12 March 1942. The regiment arrived in India on 20 May 1942 and moved to Delhi. On 14 June 1942, it was sent to Gauhati, Assam and came under IV Corps. It joined 9th AA Brigade on 10 August 1942. It moved to Tinsukia under the brigade on 12 July 1943. The regiment joined 3rd Indian AA Brigade in Assam on 26 April 1944. It moved to Imphal on 16 July 1944 and came under command of XXXIII Indian Corps on 29 July 1944. It joined 14th (West Africa) AA Brigade on 9 September 1944. It left Burma on 30 March 1945 and moved to the Ranchi area, coming under 101st LOC Area on 4 April 1945. It then joined 59th AGRA on 21 May 1945 and then came under R.A. Training No. 40 on 19 July 1945. It embarked for the United Kingdom from Madras on 21 August 1945. By March 1944, the regiment formed ‘W’, ‘X’, ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ Troops each of three officers, 74 men and six 40mm guns to serve under Special Force. ‘W’ Troop flew into Broadway base on 6-8 March 1944. ‘X’, ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ Troops flew into Aberdeen base on 24-26 March 1944. ‘X’ Troop had 10 5-inch Machine-Guns. ‘X’ Troop moved to the Irrawaddy at White City base on 4 April 1944. Byu 18-19 May 1944, ‘W’ and ‘X’ Troops moved to Myitkyina. After the operation, all the troops returned to the regiment in Assam.
Thank you very much for all your help gents, A man could get very very confused by all these numbers and units ! Im a bit confused now if Charles served in India or remained in the UK. It would appear Charles was off duty at the time and possibly visiting his parents in Thornton Heath, would the Light anti aircraft batteries have been involved in attempting to shoot down the VI's ? Kind regards Brett
Oh sorry I meant to ask, what do the red numbers mean in the "For War Office Use" box on the death's entry form kindly added by Guy ? thank you
I would say he was at home visiting his wife UK, WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939-1945 Name: Winifred Jessie Taylor Estimated Birth Year: abt 1911 Death Date: 11 Jul 1944 Death Place: Croydon, Surrey, England A bit unlucky as well - from this link it seems V1'a only hit Thornton Heath during July 1944 - FlyingBombsandRockets,V1 & V2 Thornton Heath CR7 TD UK, WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939-1945 - 11th July 1944, Croydon Trevor John French abt 1901 11 Jul 1944 Croydon, Surrey, England Clifford James Pearce abt 1878 11 Jul 1944 Croydon, Surrey, England Edith Mountain Piearce abt 1900 11 Jul 1944 Croydon, Surrey, England Winifred Jessie Taylor abt 1911 11 Jul 1944 Croydon, Surrey, England Also from the UK, Memorial Books WWI and WWII, 1914-1945 for Croydon
he was possibly at home on leave Civilian TAYLOR, WINIFRED JESSIE Died 11/07/1944 Aged 33 Civilian War Dead of 3 Kechill Gardens, Hayes, Kent. Daughter of Emily Ada Terlour, of 5 Natal Road, Thornton Heath; wife of Sjt. Charles Oliver Taylor, R.A. (killed in same incident). Died at 2 Marion Road. Serjeant TAYLOR, CHARLES OLIVER Service Number 1833908 Died 11/07/1944 Aged 35 206 Lt. A.A. Indep. Bty. Royal Artillery Son of Walter Smith Taylor and Emily Fanny Taylor, of Thornton Heath; husband of Winifred Jessie Taylor, who died in the same incident. Civilian FRENCH, TREVOR JOHN Died 11/07/1944 Aged 11 Civilian War Dead of 4 Marion Road, Thornton Heath. Son of Edith Mountain Pearce (formerly French). Died at 4 Marion Road. Civilian PEARCE, EDITH MOUNTAIN Died 11/07/1944 Aged 44 Civilian War Dead of 4 Marion Road, Thornton Heath. Wife of Clifford James Pearce. Died at 4 Marion Road. Civilian PEARCE, CLIFFORD JAMES Died 11/07/1944 Aged 66 Civilian War Dead of 4 Marion Road, Thornton Heath. Husband of Edith Mountain Pearce. Died at 4 Marion Road.
to be fair it might be worth you sending off for his service records it will give you a clearer picture
Winifred Jessie Hughes b 1911 F:James Hughes - died 1916 M:Emily Ada Brown Emily's second husband was William Terlour Winifred married Charles Oliver Taylor June 1938 So it would appear that Winifred and Charles were visiting her mother Emily and her stepfather William when the rocket struck TD
It is possible that 206 Light AA Battery was detached from 69th Light AA Regiment before it deployed overseas, which is why it might have become an Independent battery. Lots of Light AA was employed against V1s - a peak strength of 911 40mm guns. The V1 was a fast low flying target.
Thanks again gents for all your help. I will try and get Charles's service records and see what they show. I have managed to have a look at the rear of the casualty slip that was with Charles's medals. In the number of medals awarded is a typed number 2. The two medals are the Defence medal and the War medal so it would appear Charles did not serve oversea's. Also in the Croyden roll of Honour that TD very kindly added it says under Charles entry Res, 2 Marion road could that be resided ? Kind regards Brett
Hi Brett I wonder if I could trouble you on a different matter. I'm looking for the military medal for my grandfather William McKerron, Gordon Highlanders which you had back in 2008. Wondered if you still had this?
