2 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment HKS RA -looking for details

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by John Ruthven, Jan 10, 2022.

  1. John Ruthven

    John Ruthven Member

    My father was a Lt. in the 2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment HKS RA (Honk Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery) from 1941. After training at Llandrindod Wells he was transferred from a London anti aircraft regiment (I have those details somewhere) and, after a few months was in Singapore mid 1941 (I think) and was in charge of a number of 3.7 inch AA in Singapore, being taken prisoner on the 15th February 1942 and spending three and a half years on the Burma railway, with many near death experiences. I have some of his notes and POW records but to find detail about his time in 1941-42 in Singapore is proving difficult. His service number 160436.

    I'd like to know any more information about this unit - where his battery was in 1941 / 42 in Singapore. Indeed the number of his battery - I think it must have been the 12th or 13th as there were three in the 2nd HKSRA but the 11th was already formed prior to 1941. Also how many 3.7 inch guns it would have had and how many a Lt would have overseen? There is a map of the artillery in Singapore in 1941 from this book: History of the RA series by Gen Sir M Farndale and is in the volume The Far East 1941-46 - but it only shows the AA as blue dots without regiment labels. There are about twenty or so locations where he could have been - how could I find out the exact movements (if it was the mobile 3.7s not the static ones) and placements of his battery during the months from August 1941-Feb 1942?

    Some time around of after the 6th February, when the Japanese began shelling Singapore from Johor Bahru, my dad was hit by a 6 inch piece of shrapnel in the left leg and was sent to the Alexandra hospital, where he was on the 14th February during the massacre there, and described to me how he hobbled out of the front door and made it to the HQ at Fort Canning.

    He died in 1993 - how simple it would have been just to ask him but he was reluctant to talk about it and I was less interested in the details back then! I have about five or so short anecdotes from his time there - he was most impressed at seeing a river of whiskey flowing down the hill at Fort Canning on the 15th February as they smashed up the bar to prevent it getting into Japanese hands.
     
    timuk and dbf like this.
  2. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

  3. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Welcome to the forum

    Would you like to share your Fathers name?
    Also post any docs you have on here if you can

    It would help forum members help you

    Regards
    Clive
     
  4. John Ruthven

    John Ruthven Member


    Hi Clive - sorry only just stumbled across this again - my father was Archie Ruthven 2nd Lt. full name - Archibald StClair Ruthven HKSRA - thanks for your interest. John
     
  5. John Ruthven

    John Ruthven Member

  6. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Sorry missed this thread first time round.
    Farndale (with which I have often found errors) has:

    Page 35
    13th Battery of 2nd HAA Regt HKSRA had 8 x 3.7in guns at Sungei Patani and 2x 3in guns at Gong Kedah.

    Pages 328 & 373
    2nd HAA Regt HKSRA
    12th Battery at Nee Soon and Singapore City with 8 x 3.7in guns.
    13th Battery at Singapore City with 4 x 3.7in and 4 x 3in guns.
    No mention of 11th Battery.

    The definitive answer would be the Regt's War Diary. Quite a few RA War Diaries, up to 31 Jan 42, did survive but I'm unable to find one for 2 HKSRA.

    Tim
     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2024

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