2nd Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft Battery RA (TA) War Diary

Commanding Officer: Major. W.A.H. Rowat, R.A.

Month and Year: February 1944.

Place: Bulford.

1^st February 1944.
01.00 hrs. Battery completed mobilisation under authority 79/MOB/5774/597 (AG. 5 MOB). dtd 4. Jan 44.
 

Place: Stoneycross.

18^th February 1944.
14.00 hrs. Battery was allocated 7 Horsa gliders. Six were utilised to take 3 complete 40mm gun detachments and was used for Bty H.Q. No.1 load. Airborne at Stoneycross aerodrome. General route was South over the English Channel; North West, crossing the coast near Lyme Regis; landing at Silk Hill O.S. Sheet 122/6267. Those gliders on landing overshot into a wood and were seriously damaged. Losses to personnel and carried equipment was nil.

Month and Year: March 1944.
Place: Clacton-on-Sea.

8^th March 1944.
Battery allotted period 8-21 March at 16th R.A. Practice Camp (A.A.) Clacton-on-Sea. Intention was to fire 20 x 40mm detachments each with an allocation of 180 rds, and 60 x 20m.m. Hispano detachments each with 360 rds.

Firing with 20mm. Hispano showed a marked improvement, but considerable stoppages was still too frequent. 40 mm firing results were as follows:-

 

Total Rounds Fired: 3295.

Line of Sight: 487.

Rounds Hits: 19.

21^st March 1944.
Battery returned to Bulford, leaving one troop behind for additional firing.
 

Place: Bulford.

26^th March 1944.
01.10 hrs. Battery took part in 6th Airborne Divisional exercises. “Bizz II”. The Battery had two tasks i.e. (1) the defence of Radisk Bridge (OS 104/7319) and (2) the defence of Faringdon (OS 104/7315) in support of British invasion troops.
 

29^th March 1944.
08.30 hrs. Advanced party leaves to take over accommodation at Boston (Lincs).
 

30^th March 1944.
‘A’ Troop leave for Clacton-on-Sea to relieve ‘C’ Troop who had been left there for additional firing. One officer and 46 OR’s detailed for specialised training in enemy equipment. 20mm Polsten equipment arrive to replace the 20mm Hispano guns.

Month and Year: April 1944.
Place: Bulford to Boston, LINCS.

1^st April 1944.
08.00 hrs. Main Battery party leaves by road for Boston (Lincs). Arrives there 1900hrs.
19.00 hrs. ‘C’ Troop arrives at Boston from Clacton-on-Sea
 

Place: Boston.

5^th April 1944.
23.59 hrs. All leave stopped until further notice
 

8^th April 1944.
06.15 hrs. ‘B’ Troop go to Clacton-on-Sea to return ‘A’ Troop
 

9^th April 1944.
02.00 hrs. ‘A’ Troop return to Boston from Clacton-on-Sea
 

10^th – 12^th April 1944.
Successful experiments in (1) use of glider landing troughs for bridging small dykes and in (2) utilising trailers 10 cwt for floating jeeps and personnel etc across rivers.
 

17^th April 1944.
07.00 hrs. ‘C’ Troop proceed by road to Clacton-on-Sea to return ‘B’ Troop. 40mm firing results since 21 March are as follows:

Total Rounds Fired: 980.

Line of Sight: 205.

Rounds Hits: 5.
23^rd April 1944.
Battery returns by road to Bulford.
 

Place: Bulford.

26^th April 1944.
‘A’ Troop leave for Clacton-on-Sea to return ‘C’ Troop. 20mm Polsten practice ammunition is now available and the new equipment is being fired at Clacton. First reports are excellent.

Month and Year: May 1944.

Place: Bulford.

4^th May 1944.
‘A’ Troop return from a period on detachment at Clacton-on-Sea, firing 20mm Polsten and 40mm guns. ‘B’ Troop leave for Clacton-on-Sea to relieve ‘A’ Troop.
 

14^th May 1944.
‘B’ Troop return to Bulford. ‘C’ Troop proceed to Clacton-on-Sea.
 

17^th May 1944.
Three subalterns posted to this unit from the 53rd Air Landing Light Regt R.A. and attached for all purposes to this Battery’s S.S. detachment. The S.S. detachment, comprising 4 officers and 46 OR’s, leaves for marshalling area.
 

19^th May 1944.
H.M. the King accompanied by the Queen and Princess Elizabeth inspected the Battery on a Divisional parade.
 

26^th May 1944.
‘A’ Troop proceed to Clacton-on-Sea.
‘C’ Troop leave Clacton-on-Sea and bivouac for two nights on return journey to Bulford.
 

28^th May 1944.
During night 27/28 ‘C’ Troops attached in bivouac area by a detachment of ‘B’ Troop.
 

29^th May 1944.
Notification of new W/E for REME Wksp Section. S/Sgt (armament artificer) and Craftsmen (armourer) have arrived. (Notified in ACI’s 5th April ’44)

Month and Year: June 1944

Place: Bulford.

8^th June 1944.
‘B’ Troop proceed to Clacton-on-Sea for 20mm and 40mm firing practice.

11^th June 1944.
‘A’ Troop return to Bulford from Clacton-on-Sea.
 

20^th June 1944.
Firing finishes for the Battery at Clacton-on-Sea with a competition shoot between the best detachments.

25^th June 1944.
29 O.R’s attached to the 1st Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery R.A. and 31 O.R’s attached to the 2nd Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery R.A. for training as anti-tank gunners.

Month and Year: July 1944.

Place: Bulford.

10^th July 1944.
An intensive course of physical training starts under the supervision of the A.P.T.C as a preliminary to parachute training.
 

28^th July 1944.
14 O.R. reinforcements posted in from 41st R.H.U. Aldershot.
 

29^th July 1944.

6 Officers and 150 O.R’s proceed to Ringway for parachute training.
 

Month and Year: August 1944.

Place: Bulford.

11^th August 1944.

Completion of parachute training course at Ringway. 6 officers and 92 OR’s qualified as parachutists.
 

28^th August 1944.
W/Sgt. Ingleton. H. promoted W.O. II and B.S.M. of this Battery.
 

29^th August 1944.
W/B.S.M. Knight. D.J. posted from this Battery to 41st R.H.U.
Amendment to W/E allows for three Troop Sergeants to be promoted to W.O.II
 

30^th August 1944.
Lieut. M.W. Jude R.A. posted to this Battery.
 

31^st August 1944.
T/Capt: D.E. Swayne R.A. posted to Home Details in rank of W/Lieut pending posting.

Month and Year: September 1944.

Place: Gosport.

1^st September 1944.
Seaborne party consisting of 3 officers and 125 O.R’s, heavy vehicles and 6 x 40mm guns, embarked U.K for the Arnhem operation.
 

Place: Courselles.

2^nd September 1944.
Disembarked Courseulles and harboured north of Caen.
 

3^rd September 1944.
Proceed in convoy, with objective Holland, via Gison, Croisy, Port Nouval, Hal, Overijse.
 

Place: Overijse.

10^th – 16^th September 1944.
Remained in harbour at Overijse awaiting commencement of the airborne operation.
 

Place: Harwell.

17^th September 1944.
Battery commander and Battery clerk, as recce: party, left by glider from Harwell aerodrome attached to British Airborne Corps H.Q., and landed at Groesbeek. Battery commander slightly wounded in left arm by strafing M.E. 109.
 

Place: Overijse.

17^th September 1944.
Sea-party leaves Overijse and proceeds via Helchtchen and Eindhoven to Veghel.
 

Place: Veghel.

21^st September 1944.
Enemy tanks cut the road East of Veghel. Guns deployed in an anti-tank role. Orders to space out and return to Eindhoven.
 

Place: Nijmegen

22^nd September 1944.
Sea party proceed to Nijmegen via Grave.
 

23rd September 1944.
In harbour near Nijmegen. Battery clerk from recce: party contacts the sea party.
 

24^th September 1944.
Battery commander contacts the sea party.
 

Place: Bulford.

24^th September 1944.
Air party of 8 officers and 148 O.R’s leaves for Saltby aerodrome.
 

Place: Grave.

26^th September 1944.
Sea party moves up from Nijmegen to defend airstrip near Grave. Air party leaves Saltby Aerodrome at 11.15 hrs by C.47. A/C and touches down on this landing strip at approximately 13.30 hrs.
 

Place: Bulford.

26^th September 1944.
Remaining 12 x 40mm guns with detachment commanders under command Captain S.G.A. Main, R.A. move to transit camp at Tarrant Rushton Aerodrome.
 

Place: Grave.

27^th September 1944.
6 x 40mm guns defend landing strip.
 

30^th September 1944.
6 guns pulled out and moved to defend British Airborne Corps H.Q. at Nijmegen. All personnel surplus to gun detachments move to harbour at Wijchen.
 

Month and Year: October 1944

Place: Bulford.

1^st October 1944.

Party returns from Tarrant Rushton transit camp to Bulford, their part in the operation being cancelled.

Place: Nijmegen.

4^th October 1944.
Personnel surplus to gun detachments move from Wijchen to defend Airborne Corps HQ. in an infantry role.

6^th October 1944.
Battery Commander’s driver wounded in leg by German anti-personnel mine.
 

9^th October 1944.

Battery commences return journey to U.K. in a Corps convoy, staying for the night at Tirelesmark, Belgium.

Place: Tirelesmark.

10^th October 1944.
Convoy continues via Brussels to Ostend. Battery Captain emplaned for U.K. at Brussels, landing at Northolt Aerodrome.
 

Place: Ostend.

13^th October 1944.
Main party embarked for U.K.
 

Place: Tilbury.

14^th October 1944.
Disembarked.

Place: Bulford.

17^th October.
Battery proceeded on 10 days disembarkation leave.
 

Month and Year: November 1944.

Place: Bulford.

1^st November 1944.

Battery returns from 14 days disembarkation leave.

Place: Monkton-Farleigh.

24^th November 1944.
Battery vacates Bulford camp and moves to new quarters at Monkton-Farleigh in Corsham Garrison (Wiltshire).

Month and Year: December 1944.

Place: Monkton-Farleigh.

6^th December 1944.
Battery proceeds on 10 days bulk leave on orders from 6th Airborne Division.
 

14^th December 1944.
6 x 6 pdr 7 cwk equipments delivered to assist in training prior to conversion from Light A.A. to Anti-Tank.

20^th December 1944.
Battery placed at 48hrs notice to proceed to B.L.A. as a L.A.A. Bty and as part of the 6th A/B Division.

26^th December 1944.
48 hours stand-by order cancelled by H.Q. British Airborne Corps.
An Anti-Tank A.I.G. attached from the School of Artillery to the Battery for training.
 

28^th December 1944.
8 officers and all senior N.C.O’s proceed on a 14 day L.A.A – A/TK conversion course to the School of Artillery.

Month and Year: January 1945.

Place: Monkton-Farleigh.

12^th January 1945.
8 officers and the junior NCO’s of the Battery proceed on 14 days L.A.A – A/Tk conversion course at the School of Artillery.

16^th January 1945.
Lieut A. J. Bain R.A. attached to the Battery as an anti-tank instructor.
 

21^st January 1945.
Receipt of S.P. & D. District T.P.M. reference D.999 reverting 2 A/L L.A.A. Bty R.A. to War Office Control W.E.F.
 

23^rd January 1945.
Receipt of War Office 20/Misc/2371 (AG6a) disbanding 2A/L L.A.A. Bty R.A. and converting it into 5th A/L A/Tk Bty R.A. and 6th A/L A/TK Bty R.A. 22/Jan/45. Authority SD1 G141 of 24 Jan 45. T.P.M. received 29/Jan/45.