51st (London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment was a volunteer air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army from 1922 until 1955. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

it served in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

The Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

(when detachments defended

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

and

Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...

), and finally in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

until the end of the war in Europe, by which time a proportion of the regiment's personnel were African soldiers, and the guns were engaging ground targets rather than aircraft.

Origin

German air raids by

Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...

airships and

Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...

bombers on London and other British cities during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

had shown the need for strong anti-aircraft (AA) defences in any future war. When the Territorial Army (TA) was reformed in 1922 it included a number of dedicated AA units. The senior of these was 51st (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade,

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of t ...

(RFA), formed on 12 August 1922 at the

Duke of York's Headquarters The Duke of York's Headquarters is a building in Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, England. In 1969 it was declared a listed building at Grade II*, due to its outstanding historic or architectural special interest. History ...

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

with 151st, 152nd and 153rd (London) AA Batteries. On 8 February 1923 it was transferred to the

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) ...

(RGA), which had provided the AA batteries in World War I. However, on 1 June 1924 the RGA and RFA merged to become simply the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

(RA).Frederick, pp. 754, 767.Litchfield, p. 163. The regiment formed part of 26th (London) Air Defence Brigade also headquartered at the Duke of York's Headquarters. The original TA AA units were formed on a low peacetime establishment with a few old 3-inch guns on static mounts. As Britain's AA defences expanded during the 1930s, higher formations became necessary, and the 26th AD Bde (now renamed 26th (London) AA Group), including 51st AA Bde, was assigned to 1st AA Division organised to cover London and the

Home Counties The home counties are the counties of England that surround London. The counties are not precisely defined but Buckinghamshire and Surrey are usually included in definitions and Berkshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent are also often inc ...

. On 1 January 1939 the RA replaced its traditional unit designation 'Brigade' by the modern 'Regiment', and the 'AA Groups' reverted to the more usual formation title of 'Brigades'.

Anti-Aircraft Command Anti-Aircraft Command (AA Command, or "Ack-Ack Command") was a British Army command of the Second World War that controlled the Territorial Army anti-aircraft artillery and searchlight formations and units defending the United Kingdom. Origin ...

was formed in April 1939 to control all the TA's AA units and formations.

Duncan Sandys Edwin Duncan Sandys, Baron Duncan-Sandys (; 24 January 1908 – 26 November 1987), was a British politician and minister in successive Conservative governments in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a son-in-law of Winston Churchill and played a key ro ...

, MP, (son-in-law of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

) was commissioned as a

2nd Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in 151st Bty in 1937.''Monthly Army List'' various dates. In 1938 he raised issues in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

about national defence based on knowledge he had gained from his TA service. He was warned that he risked prosecution under the Official Secrets Act, but the

Committee of Privileges The Commons Select Committee of Privileges is appointed by the House of Commons to consider specific matters relating to privileges referred to it by the House. It came into being on 7 January 2013 as one half of the replacements for the Committ ...

ruled that disclosure to

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

were not subject to the Act. This became known as the 'Duncan Sandys Affair', following which a tighter Official Secrets Act was passed in 1939.Holmes, p. 44.

World War II

When AA Command mobilised on 28 August 1939, 51 AA Regiment was assigned to a newly formed 49th AA Bde in London, still within 1 AA Division. It had the following organisation: * Regimental Headquarters (RHQ),

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

* 151st (London) AA Bty, later HAA Bty * 152nd (London) AA Bty, later HAA Bty * 153rd (London) AA Bty, later HAA Bty

Norway

In April 1940 a new 6th AA Brigade was assembled for service in the Norwegian Campaign. With the bulk of the Regular Army deployed to France in the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), the majority of the units in 6 AA Bde were TA units withdrawn from AA Command, including 51st AA Rgt. These units had to be brought up to war establishment and provided with equipment for mobile warfare. 51 Rgt had 23 3.7-inch guns (out of an establishment of 24), but all the units were short of men and vehicles, and had to make do with some ''ad hoc'' arrangements.Routledge, pp. 109–12. For the projected attack on

Narvik ( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest municipality in Nordland county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Narvik. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Ankenesstranda, Ball ...

by Lt-Gen

Claude Auchinleck Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, (21 June 1884 – 23 March 1981), was a British Army commander during the Second World War. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he rose to become Commander ...

's North Western Expeditionary Force in May, AA guns were landed at

Harstad ( se, Hárstták) is the second-most populated municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is mostly located on the large island of Hinnøya. The municipal center is the Harstad (town), town of Harstad, the most populous town in Centra ...

, an island base just outside

Narvikfjord Ofotfjord ( or ) is a fjord in Nordland county, Norway. It is an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, located about north of the Arctic Circle. The long Ofotfjord is Norway's 12th longest fjord and it is also the 18th deepest, with a maximum depth of . ...

with an anchorage, and an airstrip at Skaanland on the opposite coast. 151 and 152 Batteries were among the AA troops deployed to defend these positions, while other units of 6 AA Bde went to defend the RAF's airfields and provide cover for the advancing British and Allied troops. 153 Bty and its eight guns were embarked to cover a blocking force based at

Bodø Bodø (; smj, Bådåddjo, sv, Bodö) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Bodø (which is also the capital of Nordland count ...

, but never sailed. 6 AA Bde did not start to arrive until 6 May: 'As it came into action its guns were engaging enemy aircraft almost daily as aerial attacks were made in shipping in the fjord. 152nd Battery reports firing barrages and on one occasion firing for four hours without stopping'. With high mountains and low cloud, early warning coverage was poor, with just a single

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

radar post on the

Lofoten Lofoten () is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches and untouched lands. There are two towns, Svolvær ...

Islands, and the Army AA had to rely on radar-equipped warships, which provided most of the AA cover in Narvikfjord. Nevertheless, the guns claimed a number of enemy aircraft destroyed. Narvik was captured on 28 May, but immediately afterwards orders were received to destroy the port and evacuate to the UK. (The BEF was simultaneously being evacuated from

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France. The returning AA units were rapidly reinforced, re-equipped where possible, and redeployed for future integration into existing defence plans. 51st HAA, with 151, 152 and 153 Btys under command, went to

Troon Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with freight services and a yacht marina. Up until January 2016, P&O Ferrie ...

where it re-equipped with 3.7-inch guns. On 1 JUne 1940, along with other AA units equipped with the older 3-inch and newer 3.7-inch AA guns, it was designated a Heavy AA (HAA) regiment. During the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

and the early part of

51st HAA served in 48th AA Bde responsible for the air defence of London.

North Africa

The regiment left the UK again in late 1940 and sailed to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

under the command of Lt-Col Murray McIntyre. The Italian offensive into Cyrenaica had begun on 13 September, preceded by air attacks, and although the Italians halted after just two days, it was clear that the

Western Desert Force The Western Desert Force (WDF) was a British Army formation (military), formation active in Egypt during the Western Desert Campaign of the World War II, Second World War. On 17 June 1940, the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division (United ...

(WDF) required more AA cover. 51st HAA Rgt reached Cairo on 16 October 1940 and came under the command of 4th AA Bde, assembling in the rear area ready to move up in the mobile role to support the WDF. 151 Battery was sent onwards to

, while RHQ, 152 and 153 Batteries each with eight 3.7-inch guns reached the front line at

Mersa Matruh Mersa Matruh ( ar, مرسى مطروح, translit=Marsā Maṭrūḥ, ), also transliterated as ''Marsa Matruh'', is a port in Egypt and the capital of Matrouh Governorate. It is located west of Alexandria and east of Sallum on the main highway ...

by 21 November. After the WDF had defeated the Italians in December 1940 (

Operation Compass Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...

), 51st HAA followed the advancing troops, being brought up to strength by the addition of 16 Bty from 2nd HAA Rgt. 153 Bty was temporarily attached to 7th Armoured Division from 1 January 1941, until it returned to Egypt to refit. Unfortunately, the situation in the

Greek Campaign The German invasion of Greece, also known as the Battle of Greece or Operation Marita ( de , Unternehmen Marita, links = no), was the attack of Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usu ...

deteriorated and on February 16 2nd Bty was recalled from

Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...

and had to drive back 736 miles to Egypt to embark for Greece. 51st HAA Regiment reached the British forward base at

with only two batteries.

Crete

Before the German invasion of Crete began in May 1941, 151 (London) Battery was deployed with one Troop at the naval base of Suda and the other at the airbase at Maleme. The bases had been regularly dive-bombed in March and April, and the HAA guns at Suda had to be reorganised for close defence against these tactics. In May the ''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

'' began attacking the AA sites directly. When the German airborne assault began on 20 May, some of the paratroopers were specifically tasked with knocking out the AA defences. The troop of 151 Bty at Suda had two 3.7-inch guns knocked out by mortars and the gun detachments were caught up in firefights and overrun. Although German casualties in men and aircraft had been heavy, more than half the AA guns at Maleme were knocked out, and the following day German troop transports were able to use the airfield. On 26 May the Allied forces were ordered to retreat, the remaining AA positions were ordered to destroy their equipment and move by small boats or cross-country for evacuation from the south coast of the island. Many could not be evacuated and became prisoners of war. 151 (London) Battery was so reduced that shortly after the survivors reached Egypt GHQ Middle East ordered its disbandment, which was carried out on 1 July.

Tobruk

The_British_Army_in_North_Africa_1941_E4946

On arrival at Tobruk, 51 HAA's workshop detachment set about restoring some of the captured Italian AA guns to working order, while the two batteries followed the WDF to

. But when German intervention turned the campaign in early 1941, the batteries were recalled, retiring through Derna to Tobruk, in action much of the way. By 7 April the whole regiment (less four guns still withdrawing from Gazala) was within the Tobruk perimeter. The German breakthrough bypassed the port, which was invested from 11 April, beginning the epic Siege of Tobruk lasting 240 days. 4th AA Brigade was a major element of the garrison, and had been reinforced just before the ring closed round Tobruk, with 235 (Kent) Battery of 89th (Cinque Ports) HAA Regiment arriving to replace 151 Bty. Eight static 3.7-inch guns had also been delivered by sea, making a total of 24 guns available (although two were disabled early in the siege by premature bursts), and 152 and 235 Batteries each had an Italian 102mm gun in addition. On 14 April, Regimental HQ and 153 Bty were attacked by Stukas; Lt-Col McIntyre was among those wounded, and later that day RHQ was evacuated by sea to

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

. Thereafter, 152, 153 and 235 HAA Batteries, together with 51st HAA Regiment's workshops and signals, formed part of the Harbour Defended Area under the command of HQ 13th LAA Regiment. Tobruk_air_raid

The ''Official History'' records that the AA artillery in Tobruk was 'incessantly in action against attacks of all kinds, from all heights, but especially by dive-bombers'. The regimental historian notes that these '' Stuka'' attacks concentrated on gun positions, which was a serious threat to HAA sites, whose instruments could not cope with the rapid height changes. The gunners devised a tactic of opening fire with short fuzes just before the dive started, to force the pilots to fly through a ring of bursts. The battery cooks, drivers and clerks then joined in, firing machine-guns and captured 20mm Breda guns. This aggressive method was known as 'Porcupine', and was so effective that the ''

'' changed to high-level bombing. Each mobile HAA troop established at least one alternative site and the guns were regularly switched between them, the empty sites being rigged up as dummies. The two available

gun laying A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washi ...

( GL Mk I) radar sets had to be positioned away from the vulnerable gun sites and used for early warning to supplement the single RAF radar, and a ring of searchlights operated round the harbour at night. Harbour defence was by pre-arranged barrages by five of the six HAA troops, the sixth troop remaining on watch for other raiders. 152 Battery dug in west of the harbour engaged 1000 enemy aircraft in a six-month period. 4th AA Brigade recorded that there was a steady decline in numbers of aircraft attacking as the siege went on, with the attackers switching to high-level and night attacks. In the last two months of the siege, troops of HAA guns took it in turn to move out to the perimeter and take on ground targets under the control of

9th Australian Division The 9th Division was a division of the Australian Army that served during World War II. It was the fourth division raised for the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF). The distinctions of the division include it being: * in front line comb ...

. Their long-range harassing fire made up for the shortage of medium artillery. In September 1941, the batteries of 51st HAA Rgt were relieved and left Tobruk by sea to rejoin RHQ for rest and refit in

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

Tripolitania

Meanwhile, RHQ of 51st HAA, now under Lt-Col C.L. Harrison, had moved to Haifa in Palestine, where it became part of Ninth Army. On 8 September it took temporary command of 28th HAA Bty, 4th HAA Bty

Royal Australian Artillery The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, normally referred to as the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA), is a Regiment of the Australian Army descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australia's federation. Australia's first ...

, and 169 LAA Bty of 57th (KOYLI) LAA Rgt until its own batteries returned from Tobruk. The regiment returned to Egypt in late 1942 to join Eighth Army for the advance across North Africa after the

Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian Railway station, railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa ...

. 235 (Kent) Battery having returned to its parent regiment, 51st HAA now comprised 152 and 153 (London) Batteries and 242 (Glamorgan) Bty from 77th (Welsh) HAA Rgt. (The rest of 77th HAA Regiment had been diverted from its journey to the Middle East and been sent on to the Far East where it was captured on Java.) 51st HAA Regiment was assigned to 1st AA Bde in the rear of Eighth Army, guarding Benghazi and Agedabia and the landing strips nearby. However, Eighth Army's supply base at Tripoli was badly bombed in March 1943 and 51st HAA was sent up to strengthen the air defences there under 2nd AA Bde. By May 1943, 51st HAA had moved forward again, into Tunisia, and was part of 12th AA Bde, charged with defending advanced RAF airstrips, sometime only 2000 yards behind the front line and under regular air attack. This was done by mobile groups of HAA and LAA batteries moving forward to new landing grounds and taking up positions to defend against ground attack as well as air attack. At the end of the

Tunisian Campaign The Tunisian campaign (also known as the Battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces from 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943. The ...

, 2nd AA Bde was able to rest and refit for the next phase of the war.

Italy

The regiment remained under Middle East Forces during the Allied landings on Sicily, but it rejoined Eighth Army for the Italian Campaign from September 1943 until the end of the war in Europe. The regiment was assigned to 2nd AA Bde on Sicily to protect

Operation Baytown Operation Baytown was an Allied amphibious landing on the mainland of Italy that took place on 3 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy, itself part of the Italian Campaign, during the Second World War. Planning The attack was ...

, the amphibious landing of XIII Corps on the Italian mainland. On 18 August, the day after

Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...

fell, two batteries of 51st HAA went forward to cover the assembly areas, ferry sites and harbours around Messina and

Milazzo Milazzo ( Sicilian: ''Milazzu''; la, Mylae; ) is a town (''comune'') in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, southern Italy; it is the largest commune in the Metropolitan City after Messina and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. The town has a p ...

. The regiment then embarked on 3 September, the first day of Baytown, to deploy at the port of Reggio (242 Bty) and its airfield (152 and 153 Btys). As the campaign developed, XIII Corps crossed to Bari on Italy's east coast, and then advanced to capture the airfield complex around

Foggia Foggia (, , ; nap, label= Foggiano, Fògge ) is a city and former ''comune'' of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known ...

. 2nd AA Brigade moved out of Bari on 2 October to take up the defence of these important airfields. The brigade remained in this area for three weeks, and then moved up to defend other airfields and the railhead in support of

1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re Division du Canada'' ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short ...

. Two batteries of 51st HAA were allotted to the Canadians in the ground role, the others defending airstrips. The_British_Army_in_Italy_1943_NA9841

The crossing of the

Sangro The Sangro is a river in eastern central Italy, known in ancient times as Sagrus from the Greek ''Sagros'' or ''Isagros'', ''Ισαγρος''. It rises in the middle of Abruzzo National Park near Pescasseroli in the Apennine Mountains. It flows ...

and

Biferno The Biferno is a river of Molise, in southern Italy. Its source is in the ''comune'' of Bojano and during the first few kilometres of its course, it receives the waters of numerous streams which flow from the Matese mountains. It runs through sev ...

rivers involved long artillery fire programmes at the end of November, for which 51st HAA was assigned to

6th Army Group Royal Artillery 6th Army Group Royal Artillery (6 AGRA), was one of number of Army Group Royal Artillery units developed by the British Army to add weight of fire and increased artillery flexibility to the battlefield. It was one of the main AGRAs to fight in th ...

, after which it switched to protecting the assembly and bridgehead areas for the actual assault. 2nd AA Brigade's commander (51st HAA's former CO, Murray McIntyre, now a brigadier), was an enthusiast for using the versatile 3.7-inch HAA guns for ground support tasks, even wire-cutting. During the winter of 1943–44 he disposed two-thirds of his HAA guns in the forward area, the rest at landing grounds as far back as Foggia, and he rotated batteries between the tasks. When the Adriatic campaign began moving again in May, 2nd AA Bde moved up with

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...

and in July it reached

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

.Routledge, p. 282. By August 1944 2nd AA Bde made a long march from Ancona to

Anzio Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a Port, fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine I ...

for refitting and training, but when the brigade returned to the front, 51 HAA was left behind to absorb African Other Ranks, who were replacing a proportion of the British personnel in a process known at the time as 'dilution'.''2 AA Brigade History of the Italian Campaign for the period August 1944–April 1945'', TNA file WO 204/7240. After training at Anzio, the regiment resumed its place in the brigade in October 1944. Due to the decline of the ''

'', there was little air activity, and from Autumn 1944 the brigade's HAA guns were entirely committed to medium artillery tasks, engaging enemy ground positions with their 3.7-inch High Explosive ammunition. These were mainly HF (harassing fire), CB (counter-battery) and CM (counter-mortar) shoots. The HAA units in this brigade also developed a technique known as 'Honey Combing': firing accurate air bursts over enemy AA positions to suppress them and enable Allied aircraft to operate safely in the area. During the battle of the

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...

, the two HAA regiments fired over 22,000 rounds in ground support. For this work the AA units were subdivided to support infantry formations. For example, in November 1944, 51 HAA had two batteries providing AA defence for

Arezzo Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...

, and one operating in the field role with

British XIII Corps XIII Corps was a corps-sized formation of the British Army that fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First World War and was reformed for service during the World War II, Second World War, serving in ...

US Fifth Army The United States Army North (ARNORTH) is a formation of the United States Army. An Army Service Component Command (ASCC) subordinate to United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM), ARNORTH is the joint force land component of NORTHCOM.

. At New Year 1945 one battery was still defending the Arezzo rail head while the other two were in the AA/Field role supporting 6th Armoured Division (two troops), 1st Division (one troop) and 78th Division (one troop). In January 1945, XIII Corps reverted to Eighth Army command. In April 51 HAA took part in the

Spring 1945 offensive in Italy The spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the final Allied attack during the Italian Campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. The attack into the Lombard Plain by the 15th Allied Army Group started on 6 ...

, frequently supporting the ''Friuli'' Combat Group and ''Folgore'' Combat Group of the Italian Co-Belligerent Army operating in XIII Corps. As well as supporting these attacks, the regiment fired various tasks, including CM and bridge demolition, and against infantry formations, but found that the speed of the enemy withdrawal made it difficult to stay in range, and frequent moves forward were required. The regiment was in the

Forlì Forlì ( , ; rgn, Furlè ; la, Forum Livii) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna. The city is situated along the Via E ...

area when the German forces in Italy signed the instrument of surrender on 29 April. At the end of the campaign, 2nd AA Bde's regiments were reorganised as a motor transport group.

Postwar

The TA regiment was officially placed in suspended animation on 1 January 1947 and was concurrently reformed at home. Meanwhile, the war service personnel temporarily continued in Libya under the old regimental and battery numbers as 51 HAA Rgt, joined on 19 March 1947 by 242 HAA Bty. Then on 1 April 1947 51 HAA Rgt was redesignated 71 HAA Regiment, as a Regular Army unit, while 152, 153 and 242 Btys were disbanded to resuscitate 75, 76 and 79 Field Btys of the Regular Army, which were immediately redesignated as 86, 187 and 190 HAA Btys. 71 HAA Regiment began to be broken up on 1 December 1954, when 186 and 187 Btys joined 80th LAA Rgt. On 31 December RHQ was reduced to a

cadre Cadre may refer to: *Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff *Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...

and the remaining battery was placed in suspended animation (finally being disbanded on 1 January 1962). RHQ of 71 HAA Rgt was then disbanded on 1 February 1955.Frederick, p. 956. The TA regiment was reconstituted in the TA in 1947 as 451 HAA Regiment (London) at the Duke of York's HQ in 64 AA Bde, forming part of 1st AA Group defending London and the ports of South East England.Frederick, p. 1015.444–473 Regiments at British Army units 1945 on
/ref> In 1952 it was adopted by the

Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea The Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea was a metropolitan borough of the County of London between 1900 and 1965. It was created by the London Government Act 1899 from most of the ancient parish of Chelsea. It was amalgamated in 1965 under the Lon ...

and was renamed 451 (Chelsea) HAA Regiment, but it was disbanded in 1955 when AA Command was abolished.

Honorary Colonel

Major

Lionel Tennyson, 3rd Baron Tennyson Lionel Hallam Tennyson, 3rd Baron Tennyson (7 November 1889 – 6 June 1951) was known principally as a first-class cricketer who captained Hampshire and England. The grandson of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson and the son of the Governor-Genera ...

, the former England cricket captain, was appointed Honorary Colonel of the regiment on 9 August 1931 and held the position until 1947.

Prominent members

Edward

(''see above'') was wounded in Norway with 151st Bty and retired from the TA as a Lieutenant-Colonel in 1946. He served as junior minister in his father-in-law's government 1941–45, and as

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from coun ...

1957–8. He was created Baron Duncan-Sandys in 1974.

Memorial

There is a memorial plaque to 51 HAA Regiment in

St Luke's Church, Chelsea The Parish Church of St Luke, Chelsea, is an Anglican church, on Sydney Street, Chelsea, London SW3, just off the King's Road. Ecclesiastically it is in the Deanery of Chelsea, part of the Diocese of London. It was designed by James Savage in 1 ...

, carrying 96 names of men who died on service during World War II.UKNIWM Ref 12118.
/ref>

Notes

References

* ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage,'' 100th Edn, London, 1953. * T.K. Derry, ''History of the Second World War: The Campaign in Norway'', London, HM Stationery Office, 1952

* Gen Sir Martin Farndale, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941'', Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, . * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol II, Wakefield, Microform Academic, 1984, . * Richard Holmes, ''Soldiers: Army Lives and Loyalties from Redcoats to Dusty Warriors'', London: HarperPress, 2011, . * * Norman E.H. Litchfield, ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, . * Maj-Gen I.S.O. Playfair, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol 2: ''The Germans come to the aid of their Ally (1941)'', London: HMSO 1956

* Brig N.W. Routledge, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, {{ISBN, 1-85753-099-3. * ''Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army'', London: War Office, 7 November 1927 (RA units also listed in Litchfield, Appendix IV).

External sources

British Army units from 1945 on

British Military History

Orders of Battle at Patriot Files

Rats of Tobruk Association of Victoria

The Royal Artillery 1939–45

UK National Inventory of War Memorials
Military units and formations established in 1922 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 51 Military units and formations in London Military units and formations in Chelsea, London