I'm trying to research the 27thLAA but nothing ever really comes up! I mentioned this on an artillery group the other day and got sent links to the 27 Fld Regiment and the 27th home counties anti aircraft brigade. I know the 27th was part of XXX corps, it was made up of 4 batteries, the 6th (Information can be found here for them http://coleraine-battery.tripod.com) the 107th, the 113th and the 149th. I've found multiple websites such as http://www.107laabty.co.uk/ that just, aren't websites. Does anyone have any more information or links I can follow? I'd be very grateful!
There are about half a dozen diaries for the Regiment and I get other hits for the battery diaries at Kew. They look quite well covered if you want to do some serious digging.
Hello Joseph, Only a few scraps I'm afraid, but here is a summary Steve 27th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) R.H.Q. formed at Newark on 28th August 1939, with 107th and 149th Batteries. The 113th Battery joined in early 1940. On 18th January 1944, the 6th Battery joined from the 28th L.A.A. Regiment. The Regiment served with the 8th Army from at least 1st December 1941 until at least 29th May 1943. At the start of the Battle of El Alamein, on 23rd October 1942, the 27th Regiment was under the command of the 12th A.A. Brigade. On 10th July 1943, the Regiment is listed as being in the Middle East Forces area but has left by 1st January 1944. The 27th Regiment served with 21st Army Group in North West Europe, being listed on 23rd May 1944, 1st November 1944 and 15th May 1945. Sources: Frederick; Joslen
I’ll post the diary references this evening. I’m afraid they will be your best source of information and can only be sourced from the national archives once they re open. I’ll add the names of 2 members who do a copying service. I’m afraid the regiment is outside my sphere of interest although I do have 27 AA brigade diaries but there is no connection except the coincidental number. Having said that the regiment diary will almost certainly indicate that it will have been part of a higher brigade and once you know that you will have another slightly more ‘strategic’ avenue to explore.
Hi. Not much to add...... I have the unit arriving in North Africa at Port Tewfik 10th November 1941. 107th,113th & 149th Btys with 12x Bofors each.
HI Joseph Perhaps not so mysterious after all! There are a lot of diaries covering the Regiment and batteries plus if you were interested, its signals and even its RASC supply platoon. The WO166 and WO169 codes are Home Forces and Middle East and the dates that they change are consistent with them the post bu DavidW above. Interesting nothing seemed to come up for North West Europe but I may have missed something in the search. There is a lot here. If you can get to Kew you can view / copy these yourself or these two members can do it for a modest fee Drew5233 PsyWar.Org WO 166/2698 ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMMAND: LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT REGIMENTS: 27 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (LAA). 1939 Oct.- 1941 Apr., June – July WO 169/1637 27 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (LAA Regt RA) 1941 Aug.- Dec. WO 169/4884 27 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (RA LAA) 1942 Jan.- Dec. WO 169/9976 27 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (RA LAA) 1943 Jan.- Nov WO 169/11215 Royal Signals: Signals Section attached 27 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Sigs LAA) 1943 Jan.- June WO 169/2147 Royal Army Service Corps: sections attached to Royal Artillery: 27 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RASC Section (LAA Regt RA) 1941 Oct.- Dec. WO 169/5855 Royal Army Service Corps: 27 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RASC Platoon 1942 Jan.- Dec. WO 169/1670 107 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA Bty RA) 1941 Oct.- Dec. WO 166/2850 ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMMAND: LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERIES: 107 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA). 1939 Dec.-1941 July WO 169/4937 107 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (RA LAA) 1942 Jan.- May WO 166/2857 ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMMAND: LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERIES: 113 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA) 1939 Aug.-1941 July WO 169/1671 113 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA Bty RA) 1941 Oct. Dec. WO 169/4938 113 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (RA LAA) 1942 Jan.- Dec WO 169/10058 113 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (RA LAA) 1943 Jan.- June WO 169/331 6 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA Bty) 1940 Sept.- Dec. WO 169/1652 6 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA Bty RA) 1941 Jan.- Dec. WO 169/4913 6 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (RA LAA) 1942 Jan.- Dec. WO 169/10028 6 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (RA LAA) 1943 Jan.- Oct. WO 166/2890 ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMMAND: LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERIES: 149 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA) 1939 Oct.-1941 July WO 169/1680 149 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA Bty RA) 1941 Oct.- Nov WO 169/4953 149 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (RA LAA) 1942 Feb.- Dec WO 169/10076 149 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (RA LAA) 1943 Jan.- June
27th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA – Corps Commander RA 30th Corps 27 May 45 – 105th Anti-Aircraft Brigade 4 Jun 45 – 50th Anti-Aircraft Brigade 20 Feb 46 – suspended animation https://britisharmyingermany.com (under construction)
This board is a phone a friend option for someone with a question about British and Commonwealth forces in WW2. However there is an alternative, which is to get the Regimental history. Routledge's Anti aircraft artillery 1914-55 is available via Amazon or ABEBooks if you really need the information urgently and will be in various libraries if you can wait until the libraries open. (Yeah go on. Spend some of the money saved on not going to the pub on a good book. Keep small businesses going, buy a second hand book. Anyway that is what I tell myself) This unit has quite a warry history which is not reflected in the orbat related websites. It was in 12 AA Brigade on formation as the controlling HQ for the AA defences for the 8th Army from Nov 1941-42, and took part in the big desert battles. 12 AA Brigade become the army's last reserves and man the El Alamein line ina ground and AA role. They are responsible for defending landing grounds in the advance to Tunis and are back under command 12 AA Brigade by May 1943. They return to the UK to become 30 Corps Light AA Regiment, probably picked as one of the most experienced Light AA Regiments in the army experienced in all phases of war. Reading the book will give you a better idea of what AA did and how it all fitted together
