67th (The York and Lancaster Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) HQ, 187th-189th, 198th Btys: The Drill Hall,Wharcliffe Street, Rotherham During August and September 1939 the regiment occupied its war stations. For the next twelve months it served in the AA defence of Sheffield under 39th AA Brigade and then Derby under 50th AA Brigade. In the summer of 1940, 188th Battery moved to Weymouth. The regiment moved to Biggin Hill in September 1940 and in the spring of 1941 to Nottingham and Oswestry. 198th Battery left on 14 September 1941. The regiment was sent to Egypt on 28 September 1941. It arrived at Suez on 5 December 1941 and moved to Quassassin. It served in Egypt with 187th Battery at Alexandria and the other two batteries at Tel-el-Kebir. It left the Suez in January 1942 and arrived at Bombay on 6 February 1942 and moved to Calcutta under 1st Indian Anti-Aircraft Brigade. 187th and 188th moved to Manipur Road on 1 and 18 May 1942, respectively. On 4 September 1942, the RHQ moved to Manipur Road and came under command of 9th Anti-Aircraft Brigade. The regiment, less 189th Battery, moved to Imphal under IV Corps on 13 October 1943. 189th Battery stayed with 9th Anti-Aircraft Brigade and rejoined it at Imphal on 27 November. It moved to Seijang under IV Corps on 26 January 1944 and came under command of XXXIII Indian Corps on 18 July 1944. It took on an infantry role under IV Corps on the Imphal Plain from 6 October to 1 January 1945. It moved to Burma with IV Corps on 1 February. It was located at Myitche on 28 February and at Myingyan on 30 April. It came under command of 14th Army on 5 May and under 24th Anti-Aircraft Brigade on 26 May. A cadre of the regiment arrived in Rangoon on 13 June 1945 and remained there for the rest of the war.
Thank you so much David for posting this info which I cooincidentaly recommenced researching this month after several years break. I have been documenting my Father's WW2 Burma service with 189 HAA Battery. I went through the 189 HAA Battery War Diaries at Kew NAPRO about three years ago and the last image (jpg) copy I took away with me took me to 27 March 1945. The last entry indicates the unit was coming under enemy small arms and mortar fire and taking casualties while defending an airstrip and hostile aircraft still flying over the area. I recall the War Diaries for 189 Battery seemed to end on 27 March 1945 (see attached). That last dairy entry does not record a location but I note you place them at Myingyan on 30 April and Google Earth appears to indicates a disused airstrip at Myingyan so I presume that's where they were at the time. This ties in nicely with a paper cutting my father always used to carry with him (see also attached). I wonder if any further research would be possible for this unit to shed even more light on my his activities and locations during this phase of the Mandalay Meiktila link-up, and or the earlier Defence of Imphal / Kohima ? I realise I cannot track him by name being an 'OR' / (1788834 Gunner Benjamin Alexander Gray RA) though I see his Commanding Officer was Major F L Sedgewick RA throughout the preceeding year. I have read most of the prominent books on the subject and Official War History of the campaign. My next plan is to visit the area once I have as much information as I will ever have. I'd appreciate any advice you may have. Alec
For anyone interested I have now prepared a 53 page document with photos maps and all, charting 189 HAA Battery's movements and activities from Calcutta Dimapur, Imphal through to Meiktila.
I've come across some information on the 67th which may be of interest through my research on the 88th H.A.A. Regiment. The 88th had remained a mobile unit after their abandoned move to France after Dunkirk. During late February 1941 they received orders to hand over their motor transport to the 67th H.A.A. at Derby. Duly on the 22nd Feb much of their transport - lorries, cars, water trucks and all their gun towing Matadors were convoyed to Derby. The drivers were also left in Derby - my father being one of them - and he transferred to the 67th - 189 Battery.. The story then becomes rather comical. On the 3rd March the 88th were informed that all 123 Drivers transferred to the 67th would report back, a particularly important issue as the Regiment had been sent for "mobile" training in Oswestry. On the 29th March 114 Drivers arrived - but they were all from the 67th, not those who had convoyed to Derby. On April 1st (no I'm not making this up) the 88th were told that their drivers would not be returned and so to continue their mobile training they had to borrow drivers from other Regiments; meanwhile 98 of the drivers who had arrived from the 67th were sent back as "... they were found to be useless..." Following the training at Oswestry and exercises in Yorkshire the 88th were posted into North London, but with quickly following orders to prepare for overseas duties; they were shipped to North Africa in June 1941. The squabble over the missing drivers must have then been quickly dealt with as my father was posted back into the 88th on 22nd April, a week after his 281 Battery had arrived in London. My next step is to get hold of the 67th (189 Battery) war diary to see why their need for drivers was greater than the 88th's. Any assistance greatly appreciated.
Hello wow ive been searching for such a long time now as to my fathers ww2 footsteps, i will send a copy to show his posting to 67 Heavy A.A. Regiment, im wondering f you would have any more info please, thanks very much Hugh
hi any chance of a copy of what you have to date. My father was a part of this unit and as I am trying to research his history in India from 1942 until the end of the war it would be of great help. kenbaines7@gmail.com many thanks ken
hi any chance of a copy of what you have to date. My father was a part of this unit and as I am trying to research his history in India from 1942 until the end of the war it would be of great help. kenbaines7@gmail.com many thanks ken
Hi Ken - You may need to send Farthing a message as he posted that back in 2013. He's not logged on to the forum since August 2016. Good luck Andy
Hi Copy of my original document attached. Another member (Ken) and I are currently adding to our combined research of 67 / 189 HAA Battery so watch this space.. ....woops... alas the file is just over 2 Mb so please send me an email to alecogray@gmail.com Alec
I'm researching my late father in law's military history, he was in RA 189/67. We've got a few photos but little background information re where they were stationed or fought - any info really welcome. With thanks
My father also served with 189 HAA BATT RA India Command. His name was Tom Scott and he was a rather large man who worked in the cookhouse (so may or may not have been popular!). Recently letters he wrote to his parents have come to light (June 41 - June 45) From these letter I have discovered that he sailed from Glasgow in Sept 1940 to Freetown, Sierra Leone (10 days cold with heavy seas, but warmed up). Had one week in Freetown, then sailed to Durban and had a few days there, then on to Aden. They anchored for a week in Aden, then up the Red Sea to Port Sudan. Spent a day in Port Sudan spoilt with torrential rain, then to Suez. From Suez by train to camp not far from Cairo. Not sure how long they stayed at camp, but assume it was several weeks. Then back to Suez for a week (3 day sand storm). Suez to Aden, Aden to Bombay, then 3 days by train to Calcutta and spent some time there (plenty of picture houses & lovely swimming baths in city). Calcutta to Asansol, 130 miles by road. I know Dad was in Asansol June 1941 and spent Christmas 1940 in desert in Egypt. This is as far as I have got so far, but will try to piece together what happened next. Would it be possible for Farthing to send he a copy of his research. It would be much appreciated.
Hi there everyone, I'm not sure who will still be active on this thread but I am looking for any information on the 189th/67th in India. The other day my Grandma gave me letters from a family friend (but seemed a bit more than this to me as she got very emotional) whom she had been writing to during the war but had lost in India, I believe he died in 1944 (potentially to a land mine?) and he was in the 189th/ 67th A.A Regt. She’s asked me if I could research him as she has no idea what happened to him during his time in India and she hasn’t been able to face it since the last letter in 1944. She want’s to close this door in her life as she’s old herself. I couldn’t believe it but the letters are incredible from 1944 and I couldn’t say no to helping her. His name was G T Cutler. Thanks for any information, my email is v.flintoff@gmail.com.
Thank you, that's good to know. I had thought this as found a record but just wondered if anyone had any other information as mentioned above, thank you all for your time. Take care x
