4 ‘Ulster’ LAA Regiment, RA

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by saintconor, Jun 28, 2019.

  1. saintconor

    saintconor Senior Member

    6FDFC33D-D84D-4B5E-8142-07969640B80D.jpeg Hi,

    A friend, who’s researching a family member, has provided the following photo. Despite it being written on the photo I’m still not exactly sure which Regiment it is? Looks like a composite Regiment (10th and 4th) but this isn’t delivering any hits in online searches. Is anyone able to assist?

    Thanks
     
  2. Derek Barton

    Derek Barton Senior Member

    It is 10 Battery, 4 LAA Rgt. There are plenty of composite Btys but I don't know of any composite Rgts. Composite Btys are usually shown as 10/30 Bty. 10/30 or 10/30 Rgt usually indicates the Bty and Rgt, in this example 10 Bty 30 Rgt. I have very little on 4 LAA:
    Formed Feb 42 from 3 Searchlight Rgt
    Served with the Home Forces
    Joined 2 Army in Mar 44 and went to France with them in June.
    3 Searchlight Rgt adopted the title Ulster and had a 10 Bty so that is where these came from.
    Sorry I can't be of more help but at least you know who you are looking for now.

    Derek
     
  3. saintconor

    saintconor Senior Member

    Thank you Derek. Appreciate the prompt reply.
     
  4. Historic Steve

    Historic Steve Researching 21 Army Group/BAOR post VE day

    Derek is correct the other batteries were 7 + 8, can help with the journey through Europe from VE Day to suspended animation 27 Mar 46 if required
    https://britisharmyingermany.com
     
  5. saintconor

    saintconor Senior Member

    Hi Steve, I’m struggling to find them on your site. What was their parent unit? Thanks
     
  6. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    I canlt find the exact date of their entry into theatre, but 4th Light AA Regiment are not mentioned in accounts of the NW Europe campaign until after the end of August. Routledge's history of AA first mentions the the unit as part of 101 AA Brigade in the defence of Brussels against V1 from 12 September 1944. It mentions the Brigade as having moved from the defence of Cherbourg to Brussels but I canlt find a mention of itys initial deployment to Cherbourg.
     
  7. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    3rd Searchlight Regiment, R.A. (S.R.)
    HQ, 10th, 11th Btys: Belfast
    9th Bty: Clonaver, Strandtown
    12th Bty: Lurgan


    The regiment was formed in Northern Ireland on 1 September 1939 and mobilized at Londonderry. After the outbreak of war, it moved to Portstewart to train. From there it was was called into Belfast under 3rd (Ulster) AA Brigade to operate the searchlights. It left Ulster in November 1939 and was sent to Borden, Hampshire. Itsailed from Southampton on 25 December 1939 for France as part of 2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade. It was retitled 3rd (Ulster) Searchlight Regiment, R.A. (S.R.) on 8 May 1940. It served in France and Belgium in the May 1940 campaign under 5th Searchlight Brigade. At the start of the fighting, 9th Battery was at Lens, 10th at Carvin, 11th at Richarderie and 12th Battery was in the Dunkirk area. After the opening attack, 9th Battery moved to Arras. On 21 May the regiment had 9th-11th Batteries deployed on the canals and defences in the front line from Bergues to Gravelines. 12th Battery remained at Dunkirk. The regiment, as infantry, under ‘Usherforce’ with 6th Green Howards defended Gravelines and then withdrew to Bergues on the 24th. It arrived at the beaches of Dunkirk on 27 May. 12th Battery helped to defend Furnes. The regiment was evacuated from Dunkirk by the end of May. After returning to the United Kingdom, the regiment was deployed in Hampshire and Wiltshire in the air defence of England. It served under 64th AA Brigade in February 1941.

    It was converted to 4th (Ulster) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (S.R.) on 21 January 1942 with 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th Batteries. It was soon designated as a Light AA Regiment. 11th Battery became independent on 19 June 1942. The regiment landed in Normandy under command of 101st AA Brigade in late August 1944. It then moved to Cherbourg. It left Cherbourg under the brigade and deployed at Brussels on 14 September 1944 under the brigade. On 14 April 1945 the brigade left Brussels and moved to take over the Rhine and Maas bridges. 8th Battery was detached under 74th AA Brigade of 1st Canadian Army.
     
    Derek Barton likes this.
  8. Historic Steve

    Historic Steve Researching 21 Army Group/BAOR post VE day

    On VE Day they were 101st Anti-Aircraft Brigade then later 75th Anti-Aircraft Brigade

    4th (Ulster) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery
    Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Colonel RL Heard MC
    Regimental Headquarters: Nijmegen-NL north-west of Xanten

    10 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery: Major AW Allen
    Emmerich north-east of Kleve
    17 May 45 – Regiment to Lembeke-B north-west of St Nicholas-B with all batteries
    19 May 45 – to 75th Anti-Aircraft Brigade Royal Artillery

    10 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery: Major AW Allen by 9 Sep 45 Major WL Brand by 8 Nov 45 Major RH Atkins
    Chateau Beirvelde south-east of Kleine Gand-B
    9 Sep 45 – Ruisbeek-B north-east of Brussels-B

    3 Nov 45 – Regiment to Caprivi Kaserne later Scarborough Barracks, Stadtkreis Onsabrück with all batteries relieving 639th (Essex Regiment) Infantry Regiment Royal Artillery
    Responsibility for Landkreis Osnabruck North – Stadtkreis Onsabrück
    2 Feb 46 – one battery to 214th Infantry Brigade of 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division returns 25 Feb 46
    22 Mar 46 – suspended animation order issued
    27 Mar 46 – suspended animation

    Hope this helps
     
  9. GunnerSon

    GunnerSon New Member

    According to the back of my late fathers Frontline Britain medal he served as BSM in the 8/4 (Ulster) LAA Regt but I am having trouble finding any record of his regiment.
    Even putting his service number into Forces War Record sites come back negative.
    Can anyone offer any info or help?
    Many thanks
     
  10. Historic Steve

    Historic Steve Researching 21 Army Group/BAOR post VE day

    Last edited: May 5, 2020
  11. GunnerSon

    GunnerSon New Member

    My dad never mentioned being overseas. He told me he was on AA guns in Hyde Park until end of the war and was demobbed
     
  12. Dermot Martin

    Dermot Martin New Member

    My father Stephen Martin (RIP) was a member of the 3rd Ulster Searchlight Regiment RA later renamed 4th Ulster Light Anti Aircraft Regiment RA under Lt Col Heard MC. In his sixties he wrote an interesting memoir about his six years as a soldier and his experiences at Dunkirk and later post D-Day. Would it be of interest to your group? I can give you my personal e-mail address if you were interested. Kind regards etc
     
  13. David Lindsay

    David Lindsay Member

    Hi Dermot,
    My dad was in 12th Battery 3rd Ulster Searchlight Regiment RA at Dunkirk so would really like to have a copy of your father's memoirs. Can you email to Mr_David_Lindsay@msn.com?
    Thanks in advance.
     
  14. ww2ni

    ww2ni Senior Member

    Cracking Post!

    I am always interested in Information and pictures relating to the involvement of people from Northern Ireland and others in "Ulster" or "Irish" Regiments, Units etc.
    Great to see this post.
    Andy
     
  15. Stuart Young

    Stuart Young Member

    I have a bit of a family mystery. My grandfather, Charlie Stewart, was with 11 Bty 3rd ‘Ulster’ LAA Regiment, RA. Wikipedial says that 9, 10 and 11 batteries were deployed between Lille and Bethine as a screen and then conducted a fighting retreat through Gravelines to Dunkirk. The problem is I remember my grandfather telling me that he was at Abbeville and was almost captured, and that they couldn't make it to Dunkirk. I know that Abbeville had fallen on the 19th, before the main evacuation began at Dunkirk. He and his comrades from 11 bty were evacuated from somewhere along that coastline, but they were later initially refused the Dunkirk medal because they weren't evacuated from the town and environs. The War Diar doesn't shed any light. Would anyone have any idea why some of 11 bty were in Abbevile and where they were evacuated from? Thanks
     
  16. Stuart Young

    Stuart Young Member

  17. David Lindsay

    David Lindsay Member

    I think you have the unit wrong, it was the 3rd (Ulster) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery later the 4th (Ulster) LAA Regt of Britain's part-time force the Supplementary Reserve. I am presuming it was 3rd (Ulster) Searchlight Regiment from the details you provide.
    Cannot answer your question currently, but as I work through the research on my father in 12 BTY if I come across anything I will let you know. It might simply be the total confusion at that time with troops being told to go to wherever the latest crisis was occurring.
     
  18. Stuart Young

    Stuart Young Member

    David. You are absolutely right, it was the Searchlight Regiment. My grandfather finished the war as a War Sergeant and went on to become heavily involved in the NI branch of the RA Old Comrades Association. I know after Dunkirk he was in Richmond for the defence of London and then spent a couple of years in the Faroes to protect the Atlantic convoys.
     
  19. David Lindsay

    David Lindsay Member

    My father was a sergeant as well but his battery ended up in Cotswolds and then he ended up in different batteries, currently for some unknow reason and 12th BTY seems to have disappeared from the records at about the time they became 4th (Ulster) LAA Regt.
     
  20. Joe Cassells

    Joe Cassells New Member

    Dermot Martin, I would like to read your fathers memories. My father was in the 3rd Ulster Searchlights and was at Dunkirk, I have a number of his records including his paybook but don’t have a lot of other information about his time in France
     

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