Has any one any details of the 439 LAA bty/regt, they were involved in airfield defence using 40mm bofors 1942 southern england
Welcome to the forum Ranger, try doing an introduction on the the new members section to tell us a bit about yourself. Do you have anymore information on this Battery? There is a very good site that has alot of unit information but with just the Bty number you'll be on there along time trying to locate the regiment. Cheers Kieron
I've done a trawl through the site Kieron refers to, but cannot find which regiment 439 Battery were part of. However, there are some war diaries at the National Archives which would involve going there in person. The war diaries are:- WO166/7576 for Oct to Dec 1942 WO166/11683 for Jan to Dec 1943 WO166/16761 for Jan to Mar 1945 If you need any pointers on how to do check out the war diaries, I'm sure that Forum members would be more than happy to tell you how. Regards - Robert
Unfortunately 439 LAA battery RA does not get a mention in the index of 'Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914-55' by Brig. Routledge. I did find this while Googling though.. Late 1941 I volunteered for a new unit being formed which where originally the Fourth Battalion Queens. They were being converted to a light anti-aircraft regiment (bofor guns 40mm). The Normandy campaign was over by the end of August 1944. HMS Despatch left for the UK, calling in Portsmouth where the port watch commenced their leave. I remained on ship until Devonport. On arrival I was given seven days leave, with instructions to return to France. It was there my Battery 439 (light anti-aircraft unit) was reformed and we made our way through the rest of France and Belgium and later a cold and wintery period in Holland. Bill Price June 2004 Alas, no mention of the regiment. from the BBC People's War site. People's War Edit: Re 4th Queens 127th (Queens) LAA Regiment RA(TA)
Aha, backtrack from 127th LAA Regt a bit to 63 (Queens) Searchlight Regiment RA(TA) and Robert is your mothers brother. Batteries Sept. 39 are 438, 439, 440. A short passage from Routledge about conversion. LAA defences in the command at the start of 1942 were perhaps the weakest of the lot, partly due to lack of equipment and also to the withdrawal of so many regiments or batteries for overseas. There were still several hundred vital points defended only by light machine guns and 2-inch rockets. In the second half of 1942, 40mm Bofors arrived in growing numbers, which permitted batteries to be re-equipped but showed up the shortfall in the LAA Order of Battle. The War Office decided upon conversion from other roles as the only solution. The process began with a batch of infantry battalions and spread by 1943 to SL regiments. All told, 38 new LAA regiments were created by conversion. 18 from the infantry and 20 from searchlights. Many of these units had already suffered losses of their best men and this latest transformation could hardly be expected to produce Gunners of good technical standard in a short time. As it was, the conversion programme lasted over a year, by which time the Luftwaffe had returned with attacks at low level, thus absorbing much LAA effort.
Nice one Boston I tried backtracking through the LAA regts and struck out. I agree with your answer, 65 Searchligt Regt became 127 LAA Regt. Last time I checked my family tree I am sure I am not his Mother's Brother. Regards - Robert:wink:
