Guys, I am seriously confused by this unit, and its changing designation, it makes tracking it very difficult. I am looking for any time it spent in North Africa inbetween 1940 & 1942. Which batteries were in it, and what they were equipped with. What info I have is confusing, fragmented and incomplete. So I am hoping that you can all come good again! Thanks so much, David.
Derek Barton's site will tell all! Start with RHA then click on the links as they convert to, field, A/T, the last tells the Bty's. Best Rob RA 1939-45 Units
Here is what I have on the 149th RHA: 149th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (Lancashire Yeomanry) (T.A.) HQ, 432nd, 433rd Btys: Hoylake The regiment was converted to a field regiment on 1 June 1940. It was sent to Egypt in March 1941 and arrived there on 20 June 1941. It was converted to 149th Anti-Tank Regiment on 1 July 1941 at Mena Camp with 432nd, 433rd, ‘X’/432nd, and ‘Z’/433rd Batteries and 36 2-pounders. It was under command of BTE from July to November 1941. It entered Tobruk in November 1941 and fought at El Duda during the breakout through 9 December. It then served with 8th Army in the desert until 12 July 1942. In January 1942, Z/433rd Battery was retitled 513th Anti-Tank Battery. The regiment was converted to a field regiment on 30 May 1942 and X/432nd Battery was interspersed throughout the regiment. It was reconverted to an anti-tank regiment on 4 July 1942. It came under command of 5th Indian Infantry Division in Egypt from 12 July until 9 September 1942. ‘S’ Anti-Tank Battery joined on 24 September 1942. The regiment served under command of 4th Indian Infantry Division from 9 September 1942 until 31 August 1945. It was in North Africa until 8 September 1943, in Palestine until 16 October 1943, in Syria until 9 November 1943, in Egypt until 2 December 1943, at sea until 9 December 1943, in Italy until 10 December 1944 and then Greece. ‘S’ Battery was numbered 318th on 1 May 1943 and 320th Battery joined on being formed on 10 May 1943. 318th Battery left on 26 May 1943.
After Tobruk the regiment was rebuilding in Cirene, with most personnel staying in a hotel. The Germans believed this hotel housed a higher level staff (either 8 Army or 13 Corps) and had it bombed the morning of 21 Jan 42 when the counter-offensive started. Three or four Ju 88 of LG1 operating from Athens were dispatched, only the last one (which was delayed on take off) managing to hit the hotel due to weather, causing 50 casualties to 149 A/T Rgt. All the best Andreas
My father was at the hotel in Cirene, fortunately in a chalet in the grounds. He has described the bombing in some detail, and remembers lost comrades. If anyone is researching this and needs more, I can ask him some questions. alec
Also, they trained on 25 pounders, my father tells me the main reason it became anti-tank was that the 25 pounders were sunk en-route... alec
Drew. Does the War Diary mention the Deacons at all? I would suspect that they would have arrived between August & October 1942. Thanks, and Merry Christmas.
Alec I would be very interested in hearing a bit more about his experience, in particular while they were in Tobruk, and the fighting of the breakout. All the best, and have a good Christmas Andreas
Junior priests, in the Royal Artillery. Thanks for taking the time to post the WD! All the best Andreas
Andreas, sorry to be slow just chanced upon this, I'm not a regular here. I'll ask him about the breakout. He was in 149th Regimental HQ, just a Bombardier in the stores. But he picked up gossip. He remembers going into Tobruk on a destroyer on a cold moonless night from Alexandria. He also remembers hearing about a big argument at some senior officers meeting where the Poles demanded repeatedly to be allowed the honour of defending the most exposed and dangerous part of the perimeter. Alec
I've only just found this site, and I just want to say thank you. I've been trying to find out how my Grandfather died and I think this thread has given me the answer. My grandfather was James McGowan Aitken. His pay book lists him as 149 RA Field Rgt. Obviously the book wasn't altered when the regiment converted to A/T. He was killed 21-1-42, according to the diary page above, he must have been one of the casualties in the hotel.
Hi Jim Almost certainly. It was probably the blackest day in the regiment's history. All the best Andreas
