52nd (London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

52nd (London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
Burma Campaign 1944–1945

52nd (London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment was a volunteer air defence unit of Britain's

Burma Campaign
.

Origin

The Duke of York's Headquarters

Territorial Army (TA) was reformed in 1922 it included a number of dedicated AA units of the Royal Artillery (RA). The second of these was 52nd (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA), formed on 16 October 1922 and comprising 154th, 155th and 156th (London) AA Batteries. The Regimental Headquarters, 154 and 155 Batteries were at the Duke of York's Headquarters in Chelsea, London, while 156 Battery was based at Empress Hall, Ripple Lane, Barking. On 8 February 1923 the regiment was transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA), which had provided the AA batteries in World War I. However, on 1 June 1924 the RGA and RFA merged to become simply the Royal Artillery (RA). 156th (London) Bty was redesignated 156th (Barking) Bty in February 1926.[1][2][3] It formed part of 26th (London) Air Defence Brigade also headquartered at the Duke of York's Headquarters.[4] The original TA AA units were formed on a low peacetime establishment with a few old 3-inch guns on static mounts.[5]

Badge of the Royal Artillery above a door at a building of the former Duke of York's Headquarters in Chelsea, London

As Britain's AA defences expanded during the 1930s, higher formations became necessary, and the 26th AD Bde (now renamed 26th (London) AA Group), including 52nd AA Bde, was assigned to

Home Counties. The Royal Garrison Artillery had been absorbed into the Royal Artillery (RA) in 1924; on 1 January 1938 the RA replaced its traditional unit designation 'Brigade' by the modern 'Regiment', and the 'AA Groups' reverted to the more usual formation title of 'Brigades'. Anti-Aircraft Command was formed in April 1939 to control all the TA's AA units and formations.[1][2][3][6]

By 1938, RHQ, 154 and 155 Batteries had moved from Chelsea to Artillery House, Horn Lane, in Acton, and were joined on 1 November 1938 by a new 271 AA Battery based at Brentford, replacing 156 (Barking) AA Battery, which had become part of a new 82nd (Essex) AA Regiment.[1][3][7][8]

Mobilisation

3.7 inch gun in London in 1939.

The TA's AA units were

Munich Crisis. The call-out of key parties by telephone and telegram went well, and they assembled at their drill halls within a few hours. Because the units possessed only a small scale of transport, elaborate plans had been made to requisition civilian vehicles, ranging from heavy lorries to buses and private cars. Equipment was drawn from mobilisation stores, and the detachments ferried out to their war stations. Despite some failures and problems, the emergency positions covering London were manned and most of the equipment was in place within 24 hours. The emergency mobilisation lasted nearly three weeks before the TA units were released on 14 October.[9] The TA was doubled in size after the MunichCrisis, and 313 AA Battery was formed at Brentford and joined the regiment in April 1939.[1]

The deterioration in international relations during 1939 led to a partial mobilisation in June, and a proportion of TA AA units manned their war stations under a rotation system known as 'Couverture'. Full mobilisation of AA Command came on 28 August 1939, ahead of the declaration of war on 3 September 1939.[10]

World War II

4.5-inch gun and crew of 52nd HAA Rgt, London, April 1941

On mobilisation, 52 AA Regiment was assigned to a newly formed

4 HAA Rgt in West Africa[11][12][13]

The Blitz

On 1 June 1940, along with other AA units equipped with the older 3-inch and newer 3.7-inch and 4.5-inch AA guns, the 52nd was designated a Heavy AA Regiment.[1][2] By the time of the Battle of Britain and during The Blitz, 52 HAA Regt had returned to 26 AA Bde in 1 AA Division, defending London.[13][14][15][16][17]

The regiment sent a

Arborfield to provide the basis for a new 424 HAA Bty; this was formed on 24 April 1941 and joined the regiment on 22 July 1941. It had previously sent a cadre to 207th HAA Training Rgt at Devizes, which had formed 385 HAA Bty on 14 November 1940 for 121st HAA Rgt. The regiment sent a third cadre to 209th HAA Training Regiment at Blandford to form 485 (Mixed) Bty on 25 September 1941, which joined 139th (Mixed) HAA Rgt. ('Mixed' units included women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS)).[1]

South Wales

The Blitz ended in May 1941, and in the summer the regiment moved to

5 AA Bde, still in 9 AA Division.[23]

Ceylon

The regiment remained with 9 AA Division until March 1942, when it joined the

Ceylon, arriving at Colombo on 28 May and moving to Trincomalee a month later.[13][15][26] 154 (London) Battery was stationed with East Africa Command in November 1942,[27] and 29 March 1943 joined 56 (Cornwall) HAA Regt in Ceylon. In its place, 52 HAA Regt received 159 (Lloyds) Battery from 53 (City of London) HAA Regt.[1] 52 HAA Regt came under the command of 23 AA Bde, while 155 and 271 Btys were at different times detached to 24 AA Bde[13][15][26][28][29]

Burma

On 23 November 1944, 52 HAA Regt embarked again and crossed to India to take part in the

Palel in Manipur on the Burmese border, where it came under XXXIII Corps in Fourteenth Army to join in the advance across the Chindwin River.[13][15][26][30]

Assigned to

Kalemyo. 11th EA Division with its AA support then moved north up the Chindwin to Kalewa, an important ferry centre which was to be the crossing site for XXXIII Corps. A bridgehead was secured and the engineers began building a 1100-foot Bailey bridge on pontoons. Japanese air attacks had been slight up to this point, but now their aircraft made a determined attempt to knock out the bridge. Intense concentrations of fire by 52nd and the other AA units broke up the attacks, destroyed six aircraft, and ensured that the bridge remained intact.[31]

As XXXIII Corps launched its main drive from Kalewa in December, 52 HAA Rgt remained behind to defend the bridgehead area, later moving up to guard the line of communications as the Corps advanced towards

7.2-inch howitzers to operate in this role, for which it had to find the detachments, command posts and observation post parties for this unfamiliar duty.[32]

The important airfield at Meiktila was captured by IV Corps on 20 February and turned into a defended 'box' against enemy counter-attacks, and 52nd HAA Rgt was transferred from XXXIII to IV Corps, with 271 Bty moving in to reinforce the box.[33]

As the British advance gained momentum, IV Corps' two divisions, 5th and

Sittang River
required AA cover, for which 271 Bty was deployed against small and scattered air raids. [34]

When Rangoon fell in early May, 24th AA Bde took over responsibility for its air defence, and 52nd HAA Rgt deployed its 24 3.7-inch guns to defend the docks, airfield and oil installations. It remained there when 24 AA Bde was replaced by 3 Indian AA Bde in June. The AA defence role at Rangoon ended in September 1945 and 52nd HAA Rgt was withdrawn. All the British regiments were on their way home by October.[26][35]

The regiment's former 154 (London) HAA Battery had been converted into Medium Artillery (as part of

87 Medium Regt. It remained in Burma when the rest of 87 Medium Regt returned to India, and on 17 August 1945 it rejoined 52 HAA Regt.[1][36] It was apparently placed in suspended animation by 1946; the whole regiment with 155, 159 and 271 Btys followed it into suspended animation in the UK on 17 February 1946, completing the process by 10 March.[1]

Postwar

The regiment was reconstituted in the TA in 1947 as 452 (London) HAA Regiment at Acton in 67 AA Bde (the prewar 41 AA Bde). In 1954 it absorbed 454 (City of London) HAA Regiment, and the following year amalgamated with 453/488 (City of London) and 497 (Hammersmith) HAA Regiments in 33 AA Bde. The combined regiment retained the number 452, with the following organisation:[1][2][3][37][38]

  • RHQ Battery – from 453/488 HAA
  • P (Middlesex) Battery – from 452 HAA
  • Q (Lloyds City of London Battery) – from 454 HAA
  • R (Hammersmith) Battery – from 497 HAA

In 1961 the regiment amalgamated again with

264 (7th London) Field Regiment, 290 (City of London) Field Regiment and 353 (London) Medium Regiment to form 254 (City of London) Field Regiment, when the 52nd Anti-Aircraft lineage ended.[2][37][38]

Honorary Colonel

The motor manufacturer and philanthropist William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield was appointed Honorary Colonel of 52 (London) AA Regiment on 4 June 1937 and continued that role with 452 HAA Regiment.[8][39]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Frederick, pp. 754–9, 768.
  2. ^ a b c d e Litchfield, p. 164.
  3. ^ a b c d "1 AA Division 1936–39 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  4. ^ Titles and Designations 1927.
  5. ^ Routledge, p. 40.
  6. ^ "AA Command at British Military History". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  7. ^ Frederick, p. 776.
  8. ^ a b Monthly Army List January 1938.
  9. ^ Routledge, pp. 62–3.
  10. ^ Routledge, p. 65.
  11. ^ AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files
  12. ^ "1 AA Division 1939 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  13. ^ a b c d e 52 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45
  14. ^ 1 AA Div at RA 39–45
  15. ^ a b c d "1 AA Division 1940 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  16. ^ Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.
  17. ^ Farndale, Annex D, p. 257.
  18. ^ Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, with amendments, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 212/79.
  19. ^ Sainsbury, pp. 88–89.
  20. ^ Joslen, p. 490.
  21. ^ Frederick, p. 992.
  22. ^ Farndale, Far East, Annex P.
  23. ^ Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/80.
  24. ^ Farndale, Annex H, p. 281.
  25. ^ Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional units), 22 October 1941, 17 March 1942 Amendments, TNA files WO 212/6 and WO 33/1883.
  26. ^ a b c d Joslen, p. 519.
  27. ^ Joslen, p. 491.
  28. ^ "56 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45".
  29. ^ Routledge, Table XXXVIII, pp. 253–4.
  30. ^ Routledge, Table XXXIX, p. 255.
  31. ^ Routledge, pp. 245–7.
  32. ^ Routledge, pp. 244, 247–8.
  33. ^ Routledge, p. 248, Table XL, p. 255.
  34. ^ Routledge, p. 250.
  35. ^ Routledge, pp. 250–1.
  36. ^ Joslen, pp. 512, 519.
  37. ^ a b Frederick, p. 1015.
  38. ^ a b 444–473 Regiments at British Army units from 1945 on
  39. ^ Burke's.

References

External sources
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=52nd_(London)_Heavy_Anti-Aircraft_Regiment,_Royal_Artillery&oldid=1084239687"