Can anyone tell me when the 76th Anti Tank Regiment R.A The Welsh Royal Fusiliers (T.A) were first equipped with Deacons? A date in December 1941 when they arrived in North Africa. Thank you.
You need to wait for the next volume of the history of the Royal; artillery in WW2 - the Mediterranean theatre from 1942. According to Joselin, the Regiment was part of the 1`st Support group until Feb 1942 and then part of 1st Armoured Division from 22/9/42 to 31/3/44 when it was merged with 60 Atk Regt. I haven't yet found which formation it was part of during the sping and summer of 1942. Nigel Evans says its GHQ Troops, but it is not listed under that headig in Joslin for June 1942. . At El Alemein it should have had a Battery of Deacons. You would need the battery war diary from Firepower or maybe the NA. .
Here is what I have on the 76th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA (previously 60th Anti-Tank Regiment and later 60th Anti-Tank Regiment). Deacons are mentioned: 60th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) HQ, 237th-240th Btys: Flint At the outbreak of the war the regiment was spread over the county. It then concentrated at Rhyl and moved to Lille Barracks, Aldershot and then to Fleet where the regiment came under command of 1st Support Group in the United Kingdom on 22 December 1939. It served with it until 29 January 1942. It moved to Dorset in February 1940. The regiment was reformed as 101st Light AA/Anti-Tank Regiment, RA (T.A.) on 15 February 1940 with 237th and 239th Anti-Tank Batteries and 43rd (City of London Yeomanry)(Rough Riders) and 44th (Finsbury Rifles) Light AA Batteries. The regiment was inspected by the King at Blandford on 1 4 May and sailed for France on 16 May. On arrival in France, the regiment was ordered to seize the crossings over the Seine and hold them until the armour arrived. On the arrival of 2nd Armoured Brigade, the regiment was placed under command for an attack across the Somme. It fought the Germans at Abbeville on 1 June. It left France on 16 June. On return to the United Kingdom from France the regiment move to Aldershot to reform. It then moved to Camberley and then south of Guildford at Godalming. It was redesignated 76th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Anti-Tank Regiment, RA (TA) at Godalming on 1 November 1940 with 237th and 239th Batteries. A third battery, ‘C’/76th was posted on 13 November 1940. From June 1940 until September 1941 it formed a mobile unit in Southern Command. It was in the United Kingdom until 30 September 1941, when it embarked at Mersey. It was at sea until 20 November 1941, when it landed at Suez.It was located in Egypt until 20 December 1941, then in Libya under 1st Support Group. The regiment moved to the front line on 18 January 1942 and fought in the retreat to Gazala. 237th Battery was associated with the Queen’s Bays, 239th with 9th Lancers and ‘C’ Battery with 10th Hussars. In May 1942 in the Delta the regiment was temporarily broken up to provide field regiments with an anti-tank battery. 237th Battery joined 104th Royal Horse Artillery and ‘C’ Battery joined 3rd Royal Horse Artillery. 239th Battery stayed in the desert under 11th (HAC) Royal Horse Artillery from March to December 1942 and fought at Gazala. 237th Battery under 104th RHA also fought during the defence of Alamein. The regiment was reformed at Khatatba and joined 1st Armoured Division on 22 September 1942 in Egypt. It served under the division until 26 September 1944. ‘C’/76th Battery was renamed 310th Battery on 24 June 1942. ‘ZZ’ Battery joined on 8 September 1942 to man Deacons. On 10 May 1943, 239th Battery left and was replaced by 199th Battery. The regiment was retitled 60th Anti-Tank Regiment on 1 April 1944. The regiment left Egypt on 14 November 1942 for Libya. It left Libya on 13 March 1943 and served in North Africa until 24 May 1943, when it returned to Tripoli, Libya for training. It returned to North Africa on 2 August 1943 at Sousse and moved ot Algiers in October 1943. It landed in Italy on 27 May 1944. In Italy 310th and ‘ZZ’ Batteries had M-10s and 237th and 239th Battery had 17-pounders. After if left the division on 26 September 1944 it served as Corps Troops in Italy under V Corps until it was placed on suspended animation on 1 April 1945, except for 237th Battery which remained in support of 27th Lancers south of Ravenna.
According to the Royal Welch Fusiliers regimental history, after Alma Halfa the regiment was to reform as 76th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA (RWF) and rejoin 1st Armoured Division. All three batteries were equipped with towed 6-pounders and also heavily armoured 6-pounders mounted with an all-around traverse on the rear of 10-ton lorries. This mobile, but conspicuous, equipment was known as 'Deacon'. To man the Deacons, 'ZZ' Battery of 1st Regiment RHA under Major R.L. Couch was posted in complete.
Are you certain its not Royal Welch Fusiliers? (Fairly sure that is the case) According to PK Kemp and John Graves (Red Dragon), 60 ATR: Early May 6 Pdr appears - 237 Battery does practice shoot at dawn. After Alam Halfa 60 ATR is told to reform as 76 ATR RA (RWF) and rejoin 1 AD. "All three batteries were equipped with towed 6-pounders, and also with heavily armoured 6-pounders, mounted on all-round traverse on the rear of 10-ton lorries." "To many the Deacons, ZZ Battery of 1st Regiment RHA under Major RL Crouch, was posted in complete. The inclusion of this battery, which was allowed to retain the title and badges of the RHA." [EDIT] Drylan... clearly posts on 60/76ATR are like busses!
Thanks to everyone! Swiper, you are of course correct, I don't know how I transposed the names in the title.
