12 LAA/SL whereabouts in 1945

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by australian connection, Jul 28, 2016.

  1. Hi all, I am researching my father's war service (he served in the regular British Army between 1940 and 1946). I have a copy of his service history from MOD UK, which I'm coming to grips with deciphering! In March 1945 he embarked UK for BLA (which I have figure means British liberation Army - yes?), reference X(IV) list. He was then 'TOS from Depot RA (Draft RESMS) to 12 LAA/SL'. It appears he was overseas from March to July 1945. He told me he'd served in France and our family has a wooden box given to him with 'souvenir de France Avril 1945' so I guess that's correct. What I'm trying to find out is where in France he would have been. I have only found one website that refers to 12 LAA at all and minimal information there. Can anyone tell me (or point me to help) to find where his unit would have travelled during that time overseas? My Dad's Army number was 1475987, looks like 471st Bty, 75th Middx S/L Regt. R.A. and during his service it appears he moved between LAA and HAA several times, but I can't find anything online? Many thanks
     
  2. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Both 12th Light AA Regiment, RA and 75th Searchlight Regiment, RA served in Italy. Here are two short summaries:

    75th Searchlight Regiment, R.A. (Middlesex)(T.A.)
    HQ and 3 Btys: Cowley

    The regiment formed part of 38th AA Brigade in September 1939 and in February 1941. It was converted to 73rd Light AA Regiment, R.A. (Middlesex)(T.A.) on 15 February 1941 with 232nd-234th Batteries at Hangar Hill, Ealing. This was renumbered 75th on 26 February. 303rd Battery joined on 9 December 1941 to replace the departing 232nd Battery. 467th Battery served under command from 19 February to 10 July 1942. The regiment landed in Sicily by 15 July 1943 and on 7 August 1943 it had one battery at Cassible and two batteries at Pachino under 62nd AA Brigade. It was used to reinforce 8th AA Brigade in the Taranto-Brindisi area at the end of 1943. It remained there until it was placed in suspended animation on 8 September 1944.

    12th (Finsbury Rifles) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
    HQ, 34th-36th, 44th Btys: Pentonville N. 1

    The regiment formed part of 56th Anti-Aircraft Brigade at the outbreak of war. 44th Battery joined 101st Light AA/Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A. on 15 February 1940. In February 1941the regiment was serving under 6th AA Brigade in the Essex airfields. The regiment embarked on 31 July 1941 and sailed on 2 August for India. It arrived at Bombay on 20 September 1941 and left there on 24 September. It arrived at Basra on 1 October 1941.
    On arrival in Iraq, it joined 8th AA Brigade as part of 10th Army in Iraq. It remained in Iraq until after March 1943, when it moved to North Africa to prepare for the invasion of Sicily. The regiment landed on Sicily on 10-11 July 1943 and formed part of the beach defences of XXX Corps. It formed part of 62nd AA Brigade at Catania in mid-September 1943 with 36th Battery at Messina. By the start of August, it was serving under 73rd AA Brigade at Catania less 34th Battery under 62nd AA Brigade at Pachino. It was serving under the brigade on 1 October 1943 at Messina and in January 1944 at Catania, less 34th Battery at Palermo.
    In January 1944 it joined 66th AA Brigade in Italy in the Salerno area and remained with it until the end of the campaign.
     

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