Infantry battalions converted to LAA & other RA units

I've been searching through some stuff and I found this list of infantry battalions that were converted to light anti-aircraft regiments in 1941-1942. It was given to me many years back by the Royal Artillery Museum and may be of interest to forum members.


(dbf edit: transcript for search purposes)
11 Battalion Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) = 89 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
7 Battalion South Wales Borderers = 90 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
12 Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment = 91 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
7 Battalion Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) = 92 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
8 Battalion Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) = 93 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
8 Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry = 94 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
14 Battalion Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) = 99 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
18 Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) = 100 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
12 Battalion King's Regiment (Liverpool) = 101 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
7 Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment = 102 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
7 Battalion East Lancashire Regiment = 103 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
13 Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment = 104 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
8 Battalion Worcestershire Regiment = 105 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
14 Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) = 107 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
9 Battalion Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment) = 108 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
7 Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment = 109 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
7 Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment = 110 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
8 Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment = 115 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
12 Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers = 116 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
8 Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles = 117 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
11 Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment = 118 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery
10 Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment = 119 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery

 

Thanks for that Tmac, if you don't mind I will put in on my website

 

Thought this might also be of interest on this thread.
Rob.

ROYAL FUSILIERS – BATTALIONS converted to ROYAL ARTILLERY
WW2 Formed
3rd Battalion - 69th Searchlight Regt RA 1st Nov 1938/40
14th Battalion – 107 LAA Regt RA 1st Jan 1942
16th Battalion - 10th Medium Regt RA 11th Dec 1942
18th Battalion – 100 LAA Regt RA 30th Dec 1941
19th Battalion – 98 Anti-Tank Regt RA 1st Dec 1942
22nd Battalion – 94 Anti-Tank Regt RA 13th Dec 1941

 

Philip,
Thanks for your message. Please feel free to use the list on your website. The same goes for any info you may need from my history of 7th Loyals / 92nd LAA, which is on WW2Talk under Unit Histories.

 

Thanks for that

 

Hi TMac

Your list of Royal Fusilier Rgts. that converted to Royal Artillery caught my eye and solved a long standing mystery for me.

My late brother Mick started his Army career in the 22nd Royal Fusiliers and I'd often wondered what started the change of regiments. I've quoted the relevant piece here and followed it with a link to the original BBC People's War story.

Mick’s Story:
In the early months of the war I was called up to the forces.
I joined the 22nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers in Kirkintilloch, Scotland, and spent the next four years serving all over England, Wales and Northern Ireland, most of this time as Sergeant Instructor; first as an infantry-man, and when the War Office needed more anti-tank units, I took courses on the 2-pounder, 6-pounder and eventually l7-pounder guns. I was selected to work with a Colonel Vaudrey, with whom I devised a miniature range with moving miniature tanks and a specially calibrated .22 rifle fitted on the 2-pounder gun, to simulate battle conditions

BBC - WW2 People's War - Sgt.Major Mick Goldstein, Royal Fusiliers and Jewish Brigade

 

I've been searching through some stuff and I found this list of infantry battalions that were converted to light anti-aircraft regiments in 1941-1942. It was given to me many years back by the Royal Artillery Museum and may be of interest to forum members.

Thanks for posting that list. I note that there are 22 shown. Can't remember where I read it, but I thought 36 had converted to the LAA role.

 

Owen

I only know the impact on my dad's unit. Copy of War Diary from his unit attached. Instruction from 2nd Army issued on 4 August 1944 and men returned to UK for retraining on the 12th August 1944

Reduced from 3 Batteries of 3 Troops each to 3 Batteries of 2 Troops each with the strength of regt dropping by 3 Officers and 200 Other Ranks.

 

Wonder how many of these 'infantrymen-converted-to-gunners' then reverted to PBI when their units were broken up in 44/45 for re-enfocrments?

All the units of the 5AGRA (except 633 Regt) remained as Artillery Regts untill disbanded in1946 but had lost their guns and were performing policeing duties etc.
Sitrep - Sept 45

 

My grandfather was in 90th LAA Regt in Tunisia and Italy, he was a South Wales Borderer along with lots of other Borderers who helped form the Regt. I believe it disbanded in Italy and soldiers were sent to other rgts. I spent many years trying to locate its members with some success.

 

Photo from 2 RUR Regimental Journal November 1944 with inscription "Officers 2nd L.T. A.A. REGT R.A. (2 RUR) 1944"......

 

Just got my dad’s military records, he was in the same unit, his name was Leonard Arthur Howe and was from South Wales.

 

How I wish my grandfather was here to name them. I will check a newsletter of the 90th see if anyone is named.

 

I imagine my grandfather Tommy Moss would know him he was a regular and seemed to know all or be known to all! He started a choir in Africa entertaining troops so maybe your dad heard him singing. Sadly too many left in Africa and Italy.

 

I was recently able to find me great uncle’s tracer card and confirmed that he was also in the 90th LAA. He was transferred from the 7th Btn SWB on 15 November, 1941. I’ve attached a photo taken in Aberystwyth. In it, he is still wearing his SWB cap badge but my initial research indicates they may have been in Aberystwyth for light anti-aircraft training. Is it possible you recognise any of the names on the photograph? My great uncle’s name was John C. Goold but he went by Jack.

 

Cymru_H,

Alisonmallen has not logged on for over a year now. I will drop her an alert.

 

Thank you for the alert! I have a Jerry Goole in my notes did he go to Norway? It might be Goold. It looks like they were very young on that photo. My grandfather had been a regular in 2nd battalion SWB since 1934. However he and some others after Norway were sent to help train some younger ones which could have been some of those on the photo. They went to Aberystwyth and then the train eventually to Southampton I believe. He was in the trench mortar platoon - his good friend was Eddie Killer Richards, posh Price, Dai Edwards and others who would have been around 29 ish at the time. He made friends with other youngsters from Carlisle across to Newcastle and Yorkshire who came into the 90 th and said they were then part of the Artillery Regt during the North African campaign through to Italy. I visited Anzio a couple of years ago which was absolutely incredible and of course the friends he left behind. Sorry I dnt know the names on your photo but I knew plenty who probably would have but sadly all gone now.

 

As ever the Borderers were characters and Gransha told me when they left Aberystwyth they were all drunk going for the train. There were locals who waved them off and the local butcher carried their gun and his wife the ammunition he laughed at recalling that. I wonder if the butchers is still there as they were billeted with them. I think all those youngsters must have had a laugh with the regulars regardless of the seriousness of the situation. I can certainly tell you I did when I met them. They were rogues some and funny but they were amazing blokes whose camaraderie never left them and their humbleness at things they did incredible.

 

8 Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles = 117 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal artillery

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My grandfather followed this route from joining the RURs in June 1940 to June 1944 when the 117s were disbanded. At some point along the way he became a despatch rider with them. Rather than being reassigned to the infantry along with his mates (he wasn't happy about being separated from them apparently) he was selected for tanks and was transferred to 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) in June 1944 and was with them until April 1946.