Royal Artillery Unit Information

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by Kieron Hill, May 5, 2005.

  1. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Hi all...me again

    This is another collection of photos
    that come in today. They relate to
    a Royal Artillery Light Anti Aircraft
    Battery...I think. The pictures cover
    North Africa and Italy.

    What I would like to know is the
    following:

    1/ With light anti aircraft batteries
    could these units be mobile?

    2/Could a unit like this be attached
    to an Armoured Div, say 6th?

    3/Would they use their own drivers
    or would a unit from the RASC be
    attached to them?

    In picture 1 you have what looks
    like to me to be a LAA battery.
    Sandbags piled high with camo
    netting and you can just make
    out the gun peering over the top.
    What do you think?

    In picture 2 you have the unit
    itself.

    In picture 3 you have the soldier
    that the collection relates to in
    his jeep. This picture can probably
    tell a story if you knew all the
    divisional signs etc... On the jeeps
    bulkhead you have the sign of
    the 8th Army and a few others.
    Also on his shoulder you have
    a formation badge of the 6th
    Armoured Division, the white
    fist/gauntlet on black background.
    (taken in Salerno)

    If you've got any views on the
    above I would like to hear them.

    Cheers foir looking

    Regards
    Kieron
     
  2. Gerry Chester

    Gerry Chester WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Keiron,

    During the early days in Italy divisions, both Infantry and Armoured, had an
    Anti Aircraft Regiment attached, deploying fifty four 40 mm guns in three Batteries, each of three Troops of six guns. The regiments had their own transport.

    The gun in the photo appears to be a Bofors.

    As the Allies gradually achieved air supremacy, many regiments were detached to serve under Army command defending towns and cities such as Naples. Later still, many were converted to serve as infantry and/or infantry replacement units.

    Cheers, Gerry

    PS You seem to have a wonderful source for photographs. Whence come they?
     
  3. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Cheers Gerry,

    So my man could have been attached to
    the 6th Armoured Division. the reason
    I asked about the transport side of things
    is that on the reverse of one of the photos
    it say MT (Motor transport) section.

    I get a lot of my photos by searching
    various local auction houses, house
    clearence shops, ebay and people contacting
    me through my site and donating the
    photos.

    Cheers again for your help

    Regards
    Kieron
     
  4. Gerry Chester

    Gerry Chester WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Kieron,

    Additional to the driver wearing an RA cap badge, two clues confirm the jeep being an RA vehicle. In the centre is the Battery sign, the position of the smaller square denoting its number, in this case Battery No.1. To its left, the typical four-digit Regiment tactical sign.

    The MT reference probably indicates that the jeep is from the B Echelon.

    Gerry
     

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