PXL_20210124_205206994 by Chunty posted Jan 24, 2021 at 8:58 PM PXL_20210124_205153410 by Chunty posted Jan 24, 2021 at 8:58 PM I'm hoping that someone with better knowledge than me might find the time to take a look at these images. They are extracts of two sheets from my Uncle Bill's (Sgt. William Corr) 'Service and Casualty Form'. I can clearly see that he transited through Sierra Leone to the Gold Coast and from there to India, but I'm going around in circles trying to decipher the abbreviations for the units he was with in an effort to trace his movements and the events he may have encountered. Will be grateful for any ideas or direction, thank you.
He was posted to the School of Artillery in the Gold Coast. Whilst in the Gold Coast he had a number of attachments or postings to units then in training for operations. Those units were elements of the two divisions raised in West Africa that were sent to India and who joined Slim's 14th Army fighting the Japenese. Both divisions, the 81st and 82nd (West African) did a good job there. It appears he served in India/Burma with 4th Light Battery, 102 Light Regiment, West African Artillery. ( When it departed the Gold Coast it was part of 82nd Division. )
My recent posting seems to have disappeared. I cant read the records clearly but think I can make valid suggestion. He was possibly trained in a Home Service unit then sent to West Africa where they trained African troops for posting to India then Burma. The TA was split due to excessive numbers of inexperienced recruits in 1939 creating Front Line Service units and Home Service Units. I know of instances where the Second Line lads having trained to qualify as Sergeants were posted to West Africa which was a non combat area to train African Gunners for posting to India to fight in Burma.
Hi Chunty, I saw your email and wanted to offer some explanation of the notes if I may. Your uncle finally disembarked at Takoradi, Gold Coast on 24th February 1943, and was posted to the School of Artillery, Gold Coast (Artillery?) four days later. For one week he was attached to 5th (West Africa) Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, West African Artillery from 2nd to 9th March 1943. This battery had been raised in Takoradi on 22nd June 1942 and regimented with 6th (West Africa) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, West African Artillery (located in Takoradi) on 2nd October 1942. The regiment consisted of 3rd (W.A.) Heavy A.A. Battery, W.A.A., 2nd (W.A.) Light A.A. Battery, W.A.A. and 5th (W.A.) Light A.A. Battery, W.A.A. Strength returns from January 1942 show that 3rd (W.A.) Heavy A.A. Battery was equipped with 10 "heavy" AA guns (probably 3.7" AA guns) and 2nd (W.A.) Light A.A. Battery with 12 "light" AA guns (probably 40mm Bofors guns). When 4 additional "heavy" AA guns arrived in Takoradi in April 1942, one Troop from 2nd (W.A.) Light A.A. Battery (4 guns) was sent to Accra, 140 miles east of Takoradi. 2 of the additional "heavy" AA guns were forwarded to Lagos in May 1942 No further AA guns were disembarked at Takoradi in 1942, so the 5th (W.A.) Light AA Battery probably received its allocation of 12 Bofors 40mm guns in early 1943 (tying in with the week your uncle was attached to it in early March) as the battery would have been organised, trained and ready to test fire weapons at this point. However, by September 1943 the battery was reorganised as a light aa/anti-tank battery because of events listed below. On 10 October 1943 your uncle was posted to 2nd (West Africa) Light AA/Anti-Tank Regiment, WAA. This regiment had been formed in Freetown in August 1943 and incorporated 5th (W.A.) Light AA/A-T Battery, WAA, 64th Light AA/Searchlight Battery, RA and 109th Light AA/Anti-Tank Battery, RA. These were new regiments formed for service in Burma and consisted of two light AA batteries and two anti-tank batteries. The regiment came under command 82nd (West Africa) Division on 9th December 1943 64th Light AA Battery, RA had arrived in Freetown in August 1941 and two Troops were absorbed into 2nd (W.A.) Light AA Battery. The battery came under command 4th (W.A) Heavy AA Regiment, WAA at Bathurst in November 1941 but became independent in December 1942. On 1st June 1943 it was converted to a light AA/searchlight role. 109th Light AA Battery, RA had arrived in Lagos in January 1942 after two Troops were absorbed into 2nd (W.A.) Light AA Battery in September 1941. The battery came under command 5th (W.A) Heavy AA Regiment, WAA at Lagos in January 1942 but later became independent. On 1st June 1943 it was converted to a light AA/anti-tank role. The three batteries in this new regiment formed 64th and 65th Anti-Tank Batteries, WAA from 5th Light AA/A-T Battery and the Royal Artillery batteries converted to Light AA in May 1944. The Division proceeded to India and disembarked at Bombay on 10th July 1944. In December 1943 your uncle was attached to 4th Light Battery, WAA and transferred to it in January 1944. This was conventional artillery and the battery was equipped with four 3.7” howitzers, the same ones used by the mountain batteries in India. The 1st, 2nd and 4th Light Batteries were formed into 102nd Light Regiment, WAA on 1st April 1944 and served in 82nd (W.A.) Division. After he was hospitalised, he arrived in India and appears to have been promoted to full Sergeant and transferred to India Command Hope this helps! RobG
