What was life like in a Light Ack Ack unit ?

Steve,
George Hamlet my neighbour was captured on Crete. He was a Bofors gunner, which was Light Anti aircraft or Ack Ack as they were called. He ended up in a succession of camps but Stalag 3D near Berlin was the main one. Every man will have a different story, but if you grandfather was in the RA then it is almost certain to be very similar to what happened to George. They were located at Suda Bay and 4 batteries of Bofors were deployed around the harbour area to try and keep the Stukas away from the ships as the evacuation of British & Commonwealth troops ( mostly New Zealanders ) was underway. When the last ship left Suda bay, those soldiers remaining were told to make their way to the small village of Sfakia across the island on the southern coast. This involved a 60 mile trek across mountain ranges with very little food or water. When he reached Sfakia it was too late and the last ships had left. Capture by the Germans followed very quickly. They were then marched back the 60 miles across the island and eventually held in a makeshift barbed wire prison for almost 2 months at Suda bay before they were loaded onto an old tramp steamer for the journey to POW camps in Germany & Poland. Conditions on the ship were dreadful with all prisoners locked in a filthy hold with no light, no toilet facilities and hardy any food or water. By the time they were loaded onto railway box cars for the final leg of the journey they were already suffering badly from disease and malnutrition. Most prisoners from Crete went to Spandau and from there they were eventually dispersed in camps all over Germany & Poland, in Georges case he spent alot of time in Stalag 3D near Berlin, and ended up in a place called Zernsdorf. This might give you some picture of what happened after capture Steve, but every man has his own story...
regards Dave

Sorry I haven`t looked at this for a while dave. It sounds a lot like my grandads story. he told me about being rounded up and then about trains etc.

 

Hi Robcod

I realise this is a long time after your query. I read a few days ago a book found in Barnsley Central Library. Called 'The Coleraine Battery'. Published 2006 by the Causeway Museum Service. Irish LAA volunteers. (My Granddad was in 25th LAA Regt. Been researching for several years). Describes the sort of things that you ask about. ISBN 0-9552286-0-3 ISBN 978-0-9552286-0-5. There's a used copy on Amazon at £45 as I type. You could request a copy cheaply through the interlibrary loan service.

Regards

Mike

 

Or you could PM Ronnie who wrote it and posts on this forum.

All the best

Andreas

 

Hi

My later father served with 39th LAA RA is North Africa and Italy before being re-posted to the East Surreys. I too would be interested to know about life as a LAA Gunner. Dad left nothing for me to look at other than photographs. He chose not to speak about his experiences, ever!

Thanks
Ann

 

Hi Ann

Here is a bit on the 39th- RA 1939-45 39 LAA
Do you have his service records? They will tell you a bit more of where he was.
The War Diaries will also help.

regards

Robert

 

Hi,

See Regiment Sqns 2700-2850

"Citation for the award of the Military Medal

"964295 Sergeant George Daniel TOYE, R.A.F.V.R., R.A.F. Regiment.

In January, 1945, Sergeant Toye was in command of a detachment which had been withdrawn from action for airfield patrol duties. The gun had been left in a position ready for action.

At about 09.25 hours another airman, who was on sentry duty, warned Sergeant Toye of the approach of between 36 and 50 enemy aircraft.

Sergeant Toye immediately ordered his men to " take post " and in spite of the automatic loader being filled with A.P. ammunition, got the gun into action with such speed that he was able to engage the first of 6 M.E.l09's which came in to attack a nearby dispersal ground.

Immediately afterwards 4 F.W.190's and 2 M.E.109's attacked Sergeant Toye's gun post. Cannon shells and machine gun bullets struck all around and casualties were sustained.

Undeterred Sergeant Toye continued to instruct his men and engaged the attackers as they dived low to attack; one after another in rapid succession. The deliberate attack against the gun post was temporarily abandoned.

Sergeant Toye then engaged a M.E.109 which was coming in to attack aircraft on the ground; a hit was obtained and the enemy aircraft was observed to go down omitting black smoke. A further 2 F.W.190's then came in to attack the gun post.

Sergeant Toye remained unperturbed and engaged the aircraft as they came in to attack almost simultaneously from different angles. One of the attackers was hit and set on fire.

This was the first occasion on which the detachment had been under enemy fire. Sergeant Toye's outstanding courage, initiative and leadership inspired his comrades and contributed largely to the success achieved."

(London Gazette - 13 April 1945)"

Quote

"in spite of the automatic loader being filled with A.P"

AP = Armour Piercing, so the gun was prepared for use in the ground anti Armour role.


There are other reports of LAA actions in the RAF Regiment section of this site.


I hope this helps.


Regards, Mick D.

 

In response to a recent pm asking if I could define a Sergeant's role in Light Ack Ack I need to make a confession.

Despite serving in LAA Rgts between December 1942 and December 1944 I never spent a minute in the company of a Bofor detachment crew during the whole of that time other than a brief contact with a crew in action in Brighton in March '43.

You need to understand that as a fighting force we were pretty insular and usually doing only the job for which we were trained, in my case a Driver/Wireless Operator.

I have learnt more about life in Ack Ack Rgts since I left the service than I ever did whilst with them !

May I suggest that you use that wonderful service that GOOGLE provides, starting with this link.

http://www.frankthomas.co.uk/world_war_two_activities.html

Good luck with your research !

Ron

 

Thanks for the links Ron.

 

This is an interesting book ''In the prison of his days'' by G.Norman Davison.
The memoirs of a captured WWII gunner. who was in the 37/13 Light A.A. attached to the 2nd Armoured Division
He was captured at HQ headquarters Michele 8th April 1941 where he tells of his days in the AA in North Africa, the camps in Italy and the help from one family and the ''contadini'' like many, many more, with his eventual escape into Switzerland and then being interned in Adelboden the same as my father

 

Does anyone know if Larry is still around? His last post was 2013. Looks like he may have been in the same Bty as my grandfather. Ron do you still have the contact details of the Ashley mentioned in your post in this thread?

 

JamieC

You will be pleased to learn that Larry is still around and I have just drawn his attention to this thread

With regards to the link to Ashley this will take time to find but I will have a shot at finding this.

Ron

 

thanks Ron!

 

Hi
Larry is still here at 93! You can give me a call direct at 02089587921/07762815924 or email me on lewisfox@btinternet.com

 

Larry,

Nice to make contact with you! I sent you an email.

Cheers,

Jamie

 

In Post 15 on 11/1/2010 by Mike Leonard he referred to:

This puzzled me - as the 81 Battery 25th LAA was present @ Deir el Shein - and I have found a match for the 2nd Lt. story. From ’In Monty's Northern Legions: 50th Northumbrian and 15th Scottish Divisions at War 1939–1945’ by Patrick Delaforce, published 2004 (cited in 2017 edition), which names of 2nd Lt. Farmiloe, of ‘F’ Troop of 286 Battery, 25th Light AA; in the action of the 150th Northumbrian Brigade @ ‘The Cauldron’.
From: Monty's Northern Legions

Or: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Montys-Northern-Legions-Northumbrian-Divisions/dp/1781553998

Context history: 150th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia

There is a 4 pgs. intelligence report 21/9/1942 that refers to the use of Bofors guns in the anti-tank role, best firing at sides and if head on hold fire till 300m. See Post 35 129th Battery 15th (Isle of man) Regt LAA Royal Artillery Crete 1941

 

Research today id'd the officer involved (above) as Leslie Brian Farmiloe, b. 1915,d. 1999, No. 158592, died from cancer caused by the from asbestos injuries when manning a gun position alone in 1942 in the battle for Tobruk and awarded the Military Cross on 8/11/45. From: Leslie Brian Farmiloe b. 1915 d. 25 Dec 1994 Petersfield, Hampshire: Farmiloe one-name study and https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37340/supplement/5432/data.pdf

A grim read the Coroners Inquest reported by The Times:

From: Leslie Brian Farmiloe b. 1915 d. 25 Dec 1994 Petersfield, Hampshire: Farmiloe one-name study

 

Here is a link to
265th Bty/45th LAA Regt RA North Africa & Italy 1942 -1945
265th Bty/45th LAA Regt RA North Africa & Italy 1942 -1945

 

What was life like in a Light Ack Ack unit ?

Fairly relaxed at times I would guess, at least in September in Normandy, judging by this pic:

Source: https://www.mirrorpix.com/id/01179716

Michel