Morning all, Does anyone happen to have WO 172/2351 or any other diairies relating to 154? SWMBO's great grandad was a sergeant with them. Any other info/direction outside of wikipedia would be appreciated. Thanks
Hello Mark, Please find below a summary of the history of the 154th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. This is taken from the war diaries of the three H.A.A. Regiments with which the Battery served. The 154th Battery, R.A. converted to become a medium artillery battery in India in August 1944. This was the 63rd Medium Battery, R.A. This unit appears to have left India for Burma in April 1945. The unit's war diary for the period April - August 1945 is WO 172/7491. Steve 154th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, R.A. The 52nd (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, R.A. (T.A.) was re-designated as an anti-aircraft regiment on 1st January 1939. On 12th June 1940, the Regiment was redesignated as a heavy anti-aircraft regiment. The 154th, 155th and 156th Batteries were regimented. The Commanding Officer from 10th March 1939 was Lt. Colonel F. Hevey, R.A. On 19th March 1942, the Regiment arrived at Liverpool from Leeds and boarded the S.S. Oronsay. The Oronsay joined convoy WS17 which sailed on 23rd March 1942. At Durban, on 24th April 1942, the majority of the Regiment disembarked and went by train to the Clairwood Transit Camp. However, the 154th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. remained on board to become detached as part of Force 121 for the invasion of Madagascar. The Oronsay, with the 154th H.A.A. Battery on board, sailed from Durban on 28th April.[ii] On 1st April 1943, the 154th H.A.A. Battery, previously detached for operations in Madagascar and now recently arrived in India, was formally regimented with the 56th H.A.A. Regiment, R.A., with effect from 21st March. The 154th Battery was at that time located at Arkonam and on 14th April, the Battery H.Q. and one troop left Arkonam for Madras and were complete there by the beginning of May. On or around 14th July 1943, the 154th H.A.A. Battery, less ‘A’ Troop, went to Kolar for special training. ‘A’ Troop followed the Battery to Kolar on 7th August. The 154th H.A.A. Battery returned to Madras on 11th September 1943, swapping places with the 201st H.A.A. Battery which went to Kolar for mobile training.[iii] On 17th March, the 56th H.A.A. Regiment, with the 154th and 201st Batteries, left by road for Gulunche where it arrived on 29th March to come under the command of the Anti-Aircraft Brigade, XXXIII Indian Corps. Training in combined operations began immediately. The 201st Battery moved to Mahabaleshwar for jungle training on 16th April. The 165th Battery returned to the Regiment on 26th April, having spent four weeks at Mahabaleshwar. The Regimental Headquarters with the Workshop Section took their turn at Mahabaleshwar, leaving Gulunche on 28th April. They were followed two days later by the 154th Battery. The Regiment and Batteries at Mahabaleshwar left on 3rd June for Juhu, arriving the next day, while the 165th Battery moved to Ahmednagar, arriving on 4th June. The 165th Battery went to Pashan Camp, Poona on 16th June where it was joined the next day by the remainder of the Regiment.[iv] On 1st July 1944, the 154th Battery left to be re-regimented with the 53rd H.A.A. Regiment, R.A.[v] On 30th June, orders were received that the 53rd H.A.A. Regiment, R.A. was to convert to become a medium artillery regiment, known as ‘A’ Medium Regiment, R.A., pending the allocation of a new regimental number. This was subsequently confirmed, and the unit became the 85th Medium Regiment, R.A. The 154th Battery however, joined ‘C’ Medium Regiment, R.A., which later became the 87th Medium Regiment, R.A. The 154th Battery appears to have become the 63rd Medium Battery, R.A. which left India for Burma on 5th April 1945.[vi] Lineage Book of the British Army; Mounted Corps and Infantry, 1660-1968", Frederick J.B.M., Hope Farm Press (1969); War diary 52nd H.A.A. Regiment, R.A., WO 172/1535 [ii] WO 172/1535 [iii] War diary 52nd H.A.A. Regiment, R.A., WO 172/3827; War diary, 56th H.A.A. Regiment, R.A., WO 172/2340 [iv] War diary, 56th H.A.A. Regiment, R.A., WO 172/4693 [v] WO 172/4693 [vi] War diary 53rd H.A.A. Regiment, R.A., WO 172/4692; Frederick
