88th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery

Usual request regarding the Batteries and movements of the 88th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery 1940 - 1942 please.

T.I.A. David.

 

88th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
HQ, 281st-283rd Btys: White City

The regiment served under 26th AA Brigade at the outbreak of war in the London area. It mobilized at White City. In February 1941 part of the regiment was under 5th AA Brigade in the Gloucester-Hereford area and part under 45th AA Brigade in the Cardiff/Newport area.
It arrived at Port Tewfik on 23 July and served under British Troops Egypt on arrival under 2nd AA Brigade at Suez with 283th Battery at Alexandria. In November 1941, it came under 12th AA Brigade for the Crusader battles and remained with the brigade until May 1943 in Tunisia. It transferred to 22nd AA Brigade in May 1943 at Tunis. 282nd Battery was reduced to cadre due to losses on 1 August 1942 and placed into suspended animation on 14 March 1944. 276th Battery was added on 3 September 1943.
In mid-September 1943 the regiment came under command of 73rd AA Brigade in Sicily. It then joined 2nd AA Brigade in Italy in October 1943 in the Bari/Foggia area. In July 1944 it transferred to 8th AA Brigade in the Civita Vecchia area. The regiment and batteries were placed into suspended animation on 30 September 1944.

 

Thank you David.

 

David,

A word of caution for movements of the HAA Regts in the Middle East especially the section in David's post:

"It arrived at Port Tewfik on 23 July and served under British Troops Egypt on arrival under 2nd AA Brigade at Suez with 283th Battery at Alexandria. In November 1941, it came under 12th AA Brigade for the Crusader battles..."

I'm just transcribing the war diary of 88 HAA Regt and:

1. I agree that it arrived at Port Tewfik on 23 July 41 with a disembarkation strength:-
R.H.Q. 6 Officers 49 O.R’s
281 Battery 13 Officers 345 O.R’s
282 Battery 11 Officers 346 O.R’s
283 Battery 12 Officers 344 O.R’s
Sig. Sec. 1 Officer 50 O.R.
R.A.S.C. 3 Officers 209 O.R’s
R.A.O.C. 2 Officers 71 O.R’s

2. They did serve under BTE but not, initially in an AA role - for example 283 Bty were tasked with Guard duties in Cairo, 281 Bty had unloading duties at Moascar, the Sig. Sec. was detached to 94th HAA Regt. which it joined.
3. An order was received in late August that the Btys would be mobilised in early Sep to man AA sites in the Tel-el-Kebir and Cairo areas.
4. The first guns were drawn on 27 August by 281 Bty ( 8 x 3.7" mobiles).
5. The next Bty to receive guns was 282 Bty on 6 Sept (7 x 3.7" mobiles).
6. By 16 Sept, 283 Bty were manning static gun positions at Aboukir.
7. This left 88 HAA Regt HQ in command of 43 (NZ) LAA Bty and 155 LAA Bty and on 28 Sept the C.O. of 88 HAA Regt was confirmed as the British AADC in Cairo.

I haven't got as far as November yet but having looked ahead (like a small boy at Xmas!) it seems they moved forward in early November to join 8th Army. Will provide further details when I get there.

So to sum up, David's details were strictly correct but shouldn't be read as indicating that 88 HAA Regt was either all together as a 3 bty HAA Regt or fully equipped with mobile 3.7" AA guns for a considerable time after arriving in Port Tewfik in July 41.

I hope that is all of some interest, I'm not sure if this experience was typical for all HAA regiments in ME in 1941 but hope to find out...

Cheers,

Tom

 

Tom, Thank you, that is more than "of interest" it is very important.

 

[Source: WO169/1582]

88 Hy. A.A. Regt less 282 HAA Bty began to move forward on 10 Nov 41 and arrived in Sidi Barrani area on 14 - 15 Nov 41.

It was then split up with 281 HAA Bty coming under command of 25 LAA Regt RA and 283 HAA Bty coming under command 68 Hy. A.A. Regt.

Very curious - after all the fuss about giving units time to train in the desert here is an HAA Regt being brought forward at the last minute after static duties in Egypt, and then when it turns up it is split up all over the place.

Has anyone heard of last minute demands for extra AA units just before Op 'Crusader' started?

Regards

Tom

 

Tom / All

Is there a way to obtain a copy of the war diaries for this regiment? Or indeed any other information?

I have been trying to source information for the regiment for ages.
My grandfather was quatermaster for the 88th and I would like to further my knowledge on the subject.

Thanks

Martin

 

Martin,

I've got some of the war diary for 1941 (Jul - Dec 41) (WO169/1582). When was your grandfather with the Regiment - I think I might have a copy of one of the Nominal Rolls of Officers for Nov 41.

Regards

Tom

 

Tom

He died in 1942. His war grave states that he was with the regiment then. Buried in Tel El Kebir war cemetry, which fits in with the area of posting. I have his Territorial Efficient Service medal, awarded when he was a Sgt. So minimum of twelve years served, but I have no idea if he was always with the 88th, or when he was promoted.

Thanks

Martin

 

Hi Martin,

The nominal roll of officers for 15 Nov 41 contains the following personnel (note that this was just for Regimental HQ).


Lt. Col. Gregory, T. M.C.

Captain (T/Major) Cotterell, L.E.

Lieut. (T/Capt.) Attenborough, R.J.

2/Lieut. Evans, W.V.J.

Lieut. Q.M. Crocker, F.C.

CWGC indeed records that Lt Federick Charles Crocker died on 17 June 1942 and is buried in the Tel-el-Kebir War Memorial Cemetery.

As I said, I only have the regimental war diary up to the end of 1941, but I would be happy to obtain a copy of the June 42 diary next time I'm up at Kew if you would like to see a copy.

Regards

Tom

 

I have the diary for the 26th AA Brigade for August 39 to Dec 40 and would be happy to copy and forward if its likely to be of interest.

There are some references to the 88th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment which might help with a narrative of their time in London in early 1940

WO166-2244 ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMMAND ANTI-AIRCRAFT BRIGADES Headquarters 26 Anti-Aircraft Brigade, General HQ G 01 01 August 1939 - 31 December 1940

 

I'm interested to see you have possible access to some 88HAA references for 1939, and wonder whether, if it's no trouble, you could have a look to see where the Regt was based from Sept through to November? I believe that 282/88 HAA were at Hurlingham Polo Ground in September, having relieved 157/53 HAA on Sept 2. A following reference shows the person who I am following then subsequently being based at Chingford (also identified as Freezy Water) in November 1939 - would you know if is this an/near an 88 HAA site? Thank you in advance if you can assist!

 

Hi, HAARA
Apologies for completely missing your last post.
Looking through the 26th AA Brigade diary it looks like it may have some of the information you seek.
I would be happy to send a copy on CD if you were interested which might be quicker than trying to précis from (and risk errors) the diary entries.
I've attached one page from October that might be of interest but there are other entries scattered about.
Look at the entry on this page for the 9th October. Waltham Abbey and Enfield are not a million miles from Chingford.
Graham

 

Hi

2 pages with references to 282 Bty 88th HAA after 20 11 39 are attached. Also, if you put the grid references (L66212) into

http://www.echodelta.net/mbs/eng-translation.php

You get directly to what looks to be a classic WW2 AA gun site!

Do you, or anyone else, have a full list of AA sites, with Grid References, possibly in Excel or similar?

Graham

 

Not in Excel, but they are listed in AA Command by Dobinson

 

Thanks for this, and sorry for the delay in replying as I've been ploughing through other diaries!

The only sources that I sue for UK gun sites are these, but not Excel, I'm afraid.
http://www.anti-aircraft.co.uk/HAA_gun_sites_map.html
http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/adgb/sites.html

Regrettably the latter, whilst naming the sites, is incomplete. After that it's Google and searching maps.
I have current day photos of a couple of existing sites, Gordano in Bristol, in amazing condition, and also Farthingloe near Dover, a bit messed about by vandals, (plus Citadel coastal gun battery), these relating to 76th HAA RA Regt occupation during early years of WW2.

Hope this helps.

 

Hi Graham,
Thanks so much for posting these items - very helpful indeed! These would appear to confirm that the person I'm following swapped regiments from 53rd to 88th - he may have been in charge of the 'under 19s' that the diary refers to, although there is a discrepancy in dates, he being known from a letter to be at Royal Forest Hotel, Chingford on 7 Nov 39

It's typical, isn't it, that you can go for weeks attempting to trace something, and after making a post like this above (now edited!) that one can come across a key fact immediately afterwards! Since writing first para, have by chance come across a note in 46 AA Bde War Diary (I have copy for July-Dec 40, if of interest) that 5A.A. Div takes over, amongst others, 88th HAA, in July 1940, and seems to be based around Bristol. Would you have a copy of War Diary 5.A.A. by any chance? Does your 88th diary cover 1940?

 

Hi<br />Apologies for the late and short reply but very busy but I will try and give this some more research in the next week or so although away for half term. Unfortunately I don't have anything for 5th AA Division and (apologies if I've mislead you) I don't have the diaries for the 88th but only the 26th AA Brigade and its RASC Companies which do however, have numerous references to them either directly recording battery movements or by implication, ie a document has them listed in the cc section or similar. Anyway, I'am more than happy to see what else I can find and if you can bear with me, I'll update this post in due course.<br /><br />Quick reply to op-ack. I've been thinking of getting that book but cost is a factor. I've contacted the publishers and apparently there should be a paper back reprint in June 14 at a much more (family friendly) price of £19.00! so I think I've sorted my next birthday present to self!<br />Graham

 

I hope this thread has not gone cold?.
My Father - Gunner. L. Vaughan joined 281 Battery 88th HAA on 17th May 1940. He was a driver/mechanic. My childhood memories of his stories suggest he joined a group of "pen-pushers" who were mainly TA's from the civil service and as a young South Wales valleys boy he found it hard to integrate - but us Welsh never let that spoil the party and he remained close to many of his colleagues long after the war ended. He had transferred from 256 Battery 82nd HAA. He talked of leaving the North East (Hartlepool) for Norway but was never disembarked. He also talked about being left in France after Dunkirk and being evacuated on a French vessel out of Cherbourg(?) to Portsmouth after France surrendered - being disembarked into lifeboats off the coast of Plymouth as the ship did not want to enter UK waters. If this was the case then 281, 88th HAA must have been sent fairly late into France since he was on the way to Norway first with 256. 82nd HAA and only joined 281, 88th HAA on the 17th May.
Does anyone have information that could help confirm the stories please?.
Dad stayed with 281, 88th HAA right through to 30th September 1944 when he transferred ( as so many did) to driving/repairing tanks for the Royal Armoured Corp. Fortunately we often talked of his exploits and I wished I had made him write these down - but I'm trying to fill this gap so that his grandchildren will have more than a few photos to remember him by.
Thanks

 

Hi Fychan1, welcome to the forum. Good luck with your research. Hope you enjoy being on the forum and look forward to your posts.

David