51st (London) HAA Regt. RA

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by Bourney, Feb 7, 2013.

  1. Bourney

    Bourney Junior Member

    My father served in the 51st HAA in North Africa. Is there anyone out there with any information about the Regiment, particularly concerning 153 Battery.
     
  2. CL1

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

  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  4. bofors

    bofors Senior Member

  5. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

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  6. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    51st (London) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
    HQ, 151st-153rd (London) Btys: Duke of York’s HQ, Chelsea, S.W. 3

    At the outbreak of war, the regiment was serving unter 49th Anti-Aircraft Brigade. The regiment joined 6th Anti-Aircraft Brigade in March 1940 for the Norwegian Campaign. It served from 12 April to 3 June 1940 at Harstad/Skaanland. Upon return from Norway, the regiment moved to Troon for AA defence.
    The regiment arrived in Cairo on 16 October 1940. The regiment, less 151st Battery, moved to Mersa Matruh on 21 November and joined 4th Anti-Aircraft Brigade. The regiment arrived at the front on 28 December and replaced RHQ 2nd Heavy AA Regiment, keeping its 16th HAA Battery. 153rd Battery was detached to 7th Armoured Division on 1 January 1941.
    151st Battery was sent to Crete in December 1940 and served there under HQ 52nd Light AA Regiment. One troop served in the Suda-Canea sector and another two in the Maleme-Galatas sector. It was disbanded on 1 July 1941 after Crete and replaced soon after by 235th Battery.
    In February 1941, the regiment was located in Benghazi. On 1 April, it was ordered to Barce then Derna. It retreated into the Tobruk perimeter on 7 April with 152nd and 153rd Batteries. 235th Battery from 89th Heavy AA Regiment replaced 151st Battery lost on Crete. RHQ of 51st left Tobruk on 14 April for Alexandria and 152nd and 153rd Battery came under command of HQ 13th Light AA Regiment in the Tobruk harbour area.
    On 9 September 1941, RHQ 51st Heavy AA moved to Haifa and took command of 28th Heavy AA Battery, 169th Light AA Battery and 4th Heavy AA Battery, RAA. It joined 1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade in 9th Army until December 1942, when the brigade returned to Egypt and 8th Army. It served in the campaign in North Africa from this time until the end. The regiment was at Benghazi under 1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade in January 1943 and under 12th Anti-Aircraft Brigade under 8th Army in May 1943.
    The regiment went to Sicily on 7 August 1943 under 2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade. 235th Battery left on 12 September 1943. The regiment moved to Italy with 2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade in September 1943 at Reggio and served with the brigade in Italy until the end of the war.
     
  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hello and welcome to the forum. The WO 169 diaries Owen posted cover Africa the WO 170 ones are for Italy.

    Good luck with your search
    Andy
     
  8. phil rich

    phil rich Junior Member

    My father served in the 51st HAA in North Africa. Is there anyone out there with any information about the Regiment, particularly concerning 153 Battery.

    My father, 1436260 Gunner Harvey Rich, served with this battery at Tobruk.
    He was an artificer and because of his trade had been transferred into the regiment before they left for Egypt.
    There are 2 good books on the regiment by an officer who served in the regiment at Tobruk. The author is Kenneth Rankin and they are Top Hats in Tobruk(mainly about 152 battery) and Lest We Forget.
     
  9. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Owen.

    Are there any up to date links to replace the ones that you posted above that ere now broken?

    Regards. David.
     
  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  11. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    Aaah I see! Thanks.
     
  12. hutt

    hutt Member

    Not sure if your interest is only the North African period but if you are also interested in the very early part of the war then the diary for the 49th AA Brigade contains numerous references to the regiment and its batteries from August 39 through to their leaving the Brigade in Feb / March 1940.

    I've attached a page below which may be of interest but there are many others in this particular diary charting movements and which gun sites in London that they occupied.

    WO166-2293 ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMMAND ANTI-AIRCRAFT BRIGADES Headquarters 49 Anti-Aircraft Brigade, General (HQ G) 01 September 1939 - 31 December 1941
     

    Attached Files:

  13. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    hutt.

    Yes, North Africa only for me. But thanks anyway.
     
  14. hutt

    hutt Member

    No problem, once you've broken your back to get these copies you might as well share them!
     
  15. aboode

    aboode Member

    Does someone know if the 51st HAA Regt had a Pipe Band and, if so, who was/were the Pipe Major(s)?
    Aad
     
  16. Hallo, how is the tactical recognition or helmet flash for 51st (London) HAA Regiment? Thanks!
     
  17. adam1981

    adam1981 Member

    Hello,

    Hopefully someone can offer some advice for this research:

    I am researching 1669527 Harold Davenport who is on the CWGC roll as having died 24 December 1946, Casualty

    His unit is recorded as 51 H.A.A. Regt. Royal Artillery.

    Harold is not recorded on the Memorial at St.Lukes, which is shown on the Wikipedia page, 51st (London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - Wikipedia

    Could this be as he is a late casualty?

    he is buried at Stockport, so if he is a native of Stockport, he is likely to have not been with 51 H.A.A. Regt. originally, but to have been serving with them when he died.

    I see the War Diary is available, however I have no experience of war diaries for this period. Are they like WW1 ones where rank and file are very unlikely to be named? before i purchase the one for the period of Harold's death.

    Any assistance of Harold's service would be appreciated, or ideas on where to go next. I know I could request the WW2 service record, however exploring what else is available before the time ad cost involved for this.

    Thanks
     
  18. MikeyT

    MikeyT Member

    My grandfather David Taylor served with this regt. What I would like to learn more about is that he was from Edinburgh as were a lot of his pals, names I remember are Gerald Toolan (his best pal buried at faenza cemetery died Jan 45), tommy Dunn bill fyfe. Would really appreciate if there is any info that could be shared - I have some photos and will upload them later. Also there is a plaque memorializing the casualties in st Luke’s church, Chelsea.
     
  19. JamesMarley

    JamesMarley Member

    My grandfather, Bertie Marley, Served as a Gunner in 153 Battery all the way through from Harstad in Norway through to Italy. I'm beginning to get a lot of his photos from North Africa & Italy scanned in, so happy to share any of the Battery or Regiment as a whole!
     
  20. MikeyT

    MikeyT Member

    2AA9C451-BB71-4FCA-887C-6CF2C9C988C8.jpeg
     

    Attached Files:

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