40th (Sherwood Foresters) Anti-Aircraft/Searchlight.

Hi All,

I have just recently acquired my Great Uncles service record.

From this I have found out that he served in the 40th (Sherwood Foresters) Anti –Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers, which was later re designated, in 1940, 40th (Sherwood Foresters) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery.

My question is what would be the insignia on his Uniform? I.e. Regimental/Divisional Patches and his cap badge?
I’m not sure whether the cap badge would be the Sherwood Foresters.

I do have a Photograph of him on his wedding day in July 1940, but he is not wearing his Cap and the only insignia I can work out are the Collar badges, which are the same for Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Trp255

 

The 6th (Robin Hood) Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters transferred to the Royal Engineers as the 40th (Sherwood Foresters) Anti-Aircraft
Battalion on December 10th, 1936. At that point it adopted the Royal Engineers badge. These Anti-Aircraft Battalions were transferred to the Royal Artillery on August 1st, 1940. At this point the battalion adopted its former badge, which was that of the Sherwood Foresters. At the start of the war the battalion formed part of 39th Anti-Aircraft Brigade of the 7th Anti-Aircraft Division which had HQ at Newcastle-on-Tyne in Northern Command. On November 11th, 1940, the brigade had switched to 10th Anti-Aircraft Division, with HQ at York, as Anti-Aircraft Command was expanded.

Here is a summary of the unit's service in WWII:

40th (The Sherwood Foresters) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, R.E. (T.A.)
HQ, 358th-361st Coys: Chesterfield

The battalion covered the area of the Humber up to May 1943 forming part of 39th AA Brigade. It transferred to the Royal Artillery on 1 August 1940 as 40th (The Sherwood Foresters) Searchlight Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) with 358th-61st Batteries. 359th Battery left on 20 February 1943.
It moved to Hollywood, Northern Ireland in May 1943 when the brigade was retitled 103rd AA Brigade. The regiment was converted to 149th (Sherwood Foresters) Light AA Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) on 4 June 1943 with 501st-503rd Batteries. In mid-July 1943 the regiment left Northern Ireland and moved to East Anglia and the south-east. 501st and 503rd became independent and 80th Battery joined on 23 February 1944. 283rd Battery joined by 1946. It served under 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division in the United Kingdom from 31 August to 23 December 1943. It was stationed at Colchester, Eastbourne, Bournemouth, Aldershot, Brighton, and Hove until the summer of 1944. It then served in Northwest Europe from 6-19 August 1944 until the end of the war. It moved to Dunkirk under 107th Anti-Aircraft Brigade on 17 September 1944 and was located in the Nijmegen area by 3 October 1944. 504th Battery was detached at Nijmegen under 74th AA Brigade. It moved to Grave on 7 March 1945 under the 107th AA Brigade and to Leer on 5 May.

 

Thank you for the reply.

My Great Uncle enlisted in April 1937 and was a member of 358th company, later in September 1943 he also served with the 42nd Searchlight Regiment, in 369th Battery, which was also Sherwood Foresters. He then transferred to the RASC in February 1944.

I'm putting together a little framed tribute to him, so I would require a Royal Engineers and Sherwood Foresters Cap badge to go with the RASC badge I already have?