I am looking to do some research on this Regiment and have managed to identify its War Diary references at Kew in advance of a planned trip. Can anyone point me in the direction of an OOB for this unit as those I've found seem to end with details of units doing the shooting not the lighting! The Regiment spent the war in Kent & Sussex Many thanks Jim
Jim, not a lot, but a bit more info. RA 1939-45 34 SL Rgt you can also try emailing the museum @ qorwkmuseum@maidstone.gov.uk Army Museums Ogilby Trust In 1935 the battalion converted from infantry to a Royal Engineers searchlight unit, in 1936 losing the reference to "The London Regiment" from its title, becoming the 34th (The Queen's Own Royal West Kent) Anti-Arcraft Battalion, RE. In 1937 a fourth company, No. 302 Company RE joined the battalion, but retained its RE cap badge instead of adopting the battalions white horse of Kent badge. In 1940 the battalion became The 34th (Queen's Own Royal West Kent) Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery, 302 Company becoming 302 Battery & adopting the RA cap badge although the white horse badge continued in wear by the remander of the unit. The unit participated in The Battle of Britain & was credited with the destruction of 7 x German aircraft by small arms fire, remaining deployed in Kent & Sussex until 1944, beng disbanded in January 1945. Source Photos of My Father & Uncles During WWII. - Gentleman's Military Interest Club 6th Anti-Aircraft Division: HQ Uxbridge - London District 27th Anti-Aircraft Brigade: Lingfield - Home Counties Area, Eastern Command (Raised 15 December 1935 at Kenley, Whyteleafe, Surrey) 31st (City of London Rifles) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, R.E. (T.A.) - Home Counties Area, Eastern Command HQ, 324th, 325th Coys: Sutton, Surrey 326th Coy: Merton S.W. 19 327th Coy: Hackbridge, Carshalton 34th (The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, R.E. (T.A.) - London District HQ, 336th, 337th Coys: Blackheath S.E. 10 302nd Coy: Greenwich S.E. 10 338th Coy: Eltham S.E. 9 70th (Sussex) Searchlight Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - Home Counties Area, Eastern Command HQ, 459th-461st Btys: Brighton 28th (Thames and Medway) Anti-Aircraft Brigade: Kitchener Barracks, Chatham - Chatham Area, Eastern Command (Raised 15 December 1935 at Chatham) 55th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - Chatham Area, Eastern Command HQ, 166th (City of Rochester), 308th Btys: Rochester 163rd (Kent) Bty: Chatham 307th Bty: Tunbridge Wells 58th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - Chatham Area, Eastern Command HQ, 206th, 207th (Erith) Btys: Erith 208th (Bromley) Bty: Penge 264th (Dartford) Bty: Dartford 75th (Home Counties)(Cinque Ports) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - Home Counties Area, Eastern Command HQ, 233rd (Kent) Bty: Dover 223rd (Cinque Ports) Bty: Folkstone 306th Bty: Ashford, Kent 89th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - Home Counties Area, Eastern Command HQ, 205th (Kent) Bty: Sittingbourne 234th (Kent) Bty: Deal 235th (Kent) Bty: Margate 29th (East Anglian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade: South Kensington - London District (Raised 8 January 1936 at Chelsea) 28th (Essex) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, R.E. (T.A.) - East Anglia Area, Eastern Command HQ, 311th (Essex) Coy: Brentwood 309th (Essex) Coy: Harlow 312th (Essex) Coy: Upminster 29th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, R.E. (T.A.) - Chatham Area, Eastern Command HQ, 313th (Kent) Coy: Gillingham 314th (Kent) Coy: Tonbridge 468th Coy: Dover 73rd (Kent Fortress) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, R.E. (T.A.) - Home Counties Area, Eastern Command HQ, 331st Coy: Bexleyheath 322nd Coy: Horns Cross, Greenhithe 347th (Kent) Coy: Sidcup 74th (Essex Fortress) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, R.E. (T.A.) - East Anglia Area, Eastern Command HQ, 335th Coy: Tottenham N. 17 310th (Essex) Coy: Epping 469th Coy: Chelmsford 37th Anti-Aircraft Brigade: Hendon NW9 - London District (Raised 1 May 1938 at Edmonton) 59th (The Essex Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - East Anglia Area, Eastern Command HQ, 164th, 167th Btys: Walthamstow 265th Bty: Whipp’s Cross 61st (Middlesex) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - London District HQ, 171st Bty: Pentonville N 1 170th, 195th Btys: Finchley N.W. 11 79th (Hertfordshire Yeomany) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - East Anglia Area, Eastern Command HQ, 246th (1st Watford), 247th (2nd Watford) Btys: Watford 248th (Welwyn) Bty: Welwyn Gdn C. 82nd (Essex) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - Chatham Area, Eastern Command HQ, 156th, 256th (Barking) Btys: Barking 193rd Bty: Leight-on-Sea 90th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - East Anglia Area, Eastern Command HQ, 272nd, 284th, 285th Btys: Southgate 56th Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade: Uxbridge - London District (Raised 30 September 1939 at Chelmsford and Rochester) 11th (City of London Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - London District HQ, 31st-33rd, 43rd Btys: Bunhill Road, London E.C. 1 12th (Finsbury Rifles) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - London District HQ, 34th-36th, 44th Btys: Pentonville N. 1 16th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - Home Counties Area, Eastern Command HQ: Maidstone 46th Bty: Sittingbourne 45th Bty: Tovil, Maidstone 47th Bty: Crayford 83rd Bty: Sevenoaks 17th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - London District HQ: Stanford Le Hope 48th Bty: Chelsea 49th Bty: Purfleet 50th Bty: Shellhaven Source : http://web.me.com/dryan671/ordersofbattle/September_1939_files/United%20Kingdom%2039_09_03%20(AA).doc
Thanks very much - a great deal more than I had. I was under the impression that the 302 Battery joined after they left the RE to the RA. Now I just have to find out which battery the Grandad of my Son's other half was in. Maybe strike gold at the Archives Thanks again Jim
Hi Auditman. I thought I'd mention that it is 302 Company, not battery mentioned in England Phil's post. Cheers - Robert
Hi Auditman. I thought I'd mention that it is 302 Company, not battery mentioned in England Phil's post. Cheers - Robert Robert, the order of battle is from 1939, 302 coy became 302 Bty in 1940 In 1940 the battalion became The 34th (Queen's Own Royal West Kent) Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery, 302 Company becoming 302 Battery & adopting the RA cap badge although the white horse badge continued in wear by the remander of the unit.
Robert, the order of battle is from 1939, 302 coy became 302 Bty in 1940 In 1940 the battalion became The 34th (Queen's Own Royal West Kent) Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery, 302 Company becoming 302 Battery & adopting the RA cap badge although the white horse badge continued in wear by the remander of the unit. Your highlighted items caught my eye, because they mention 336, 337 and 338 Companies as well. The unit mentioned above my avatar had 336, 337 and 338 Batteries under command. They were formed from the 7th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment on 1 December 1941. Thanks - Robert
Hello: Are there any photos of the 34 Searchlight Regiment (The Queen's Own) and does anyone know if they trained in Northern Ireland? Grateful for any information. Thanks. Elle
Could you tell me which war diary references you found? I will be going to the archives next month, and am also interested in this regiment, but just can't get the right combination to find them on Discovery.
