London Heavy Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery
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The London Heavy Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery was a unit of the British
Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...
formed in 1908. It fought on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
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 ...
, and its successors served in the
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and
North-West Europe Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The region can be defined both geographically and ethnographically. Geographic definitions Geographically, Northw ...
theatres during World War II.


Origin

When the Territorial Force was created in 1908 by the
Haldane Reforms The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the " Childers Reforms" of the ...
, each infantry division was allocated a heavy battery of 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). London provided two divisions, whose heavy batteries were manned by converting the existing 1st London Engineer Volunteer Corps (EVC) into the 1st London Heavy Brigade, RGA. The 1st London EVC had been raised in 1862 as the 1st City of London Engineer Volunteer Corps, nicknamed 'Old Jewry' from the quarter of the
City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
where it was initially based, though the unit moved to the
Barbican A barbican (from fro, barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer fortifications, defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe ...
in 1868 and then to
Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...
in North London in 1877. From 1863 to 1868 it was attached for administrative purposes to the 1st Middlesex EVC based at the South Kensington museums.Litchfield pp. 162–3.''Monthly Army Lists''. The engineer unit sent a detachment of one officer and 25 other ranks to assist the regular REs during the
Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...
in 1900, and a second section the following year. The RGA brigade formed in 1908 was an administrative unit for the 1st and 2nd London Heavy Batteries, assigned to the 1st and 2nd London Divisions respectively. Its drill hall was at Offord Road in Islington.


World War I

The two London divisions had just begun their annual training on
Salisbury Plain Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies wi ...
when war was declared in August 1914: they promptly returned to their drill halls to mobilise. Both London heavy batteries were equipped with four 4.7-inch guns.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 69–75.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 141-7.


1/1st London Heavy Battery

During the autumn of 1914, the 1st London Division sent most of its infantry battalions to relieve Regular troops in Malta or to supplement the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. By January 1915, what remained of the division in the UK was broken up and its support units, including 1st London Heavy Battery, were assigned to a new 2nd Line division (the 2/1st London) that was being organised. The battery organised its own 2nd Line unit, designated 2/1st.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 9–15. The new division, now numbered
58th (2/1st London) Division The 58th (2/1st London) Division was an infantry division created in 1915 as part of the massive expansion of the British Army during the First World War. It was a 2nd Line Territorial Force formation raised as a duplicate of the 56th (1/1st Lo ...
, spent 1915 and the early part of 1916 training around
Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
. On 11 February 1916, the 1/1st London Heavy Battery left the division and moved to
Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...
to prepare for independent service overseas, the 2/1st London Heavy Battery having already joined 58th Division the previous September. The 1/1st Bty disembarked at
Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
on 3 March 1916 and joined XXVII Heavy Artillery Group, RGA. Subsequently, it passed from one mobile or mixed-gun Heavy Artillery Group (HAG) to another, supporting the various armies of the BEF as operations dictated. On 12 February 1917, the four-gun battery was made up to six guns when it was joined by a section from 193rd Heavy Battery, a
New Army The New Armies (Traditional Chinese: 新軍, Simplified Chinese: 新军; Pinyin: Xīnjūn, Manchu: ''Ice cooha''), more fully called the Newly Created Army ( ''Xinjian Lujun''Also translated as "Newly Established Army" ()), was the modernised ar ...
unit that had just arrived from England. By now, the heavy batteries on the Western Front had adopted the 60-pounder in place of the 4.7-inch. The battery was finally posted to 42nd HAG (later 42nd Heavy Brigade) on 23 December 1917 and remained with it (apart from short detachments) for the rest of the war.Farndale, Annex E.Farndale, Annex M.'Allocation of Heavy Batteries RGA' and 'Allocation of HA Groups', The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 95/5494.
/ref>


1/2nd London Heavy Battery

The 2nd London Heavy Battery also formed 1st and 2nd Line units. The 1/2nd Bty landed in France with 2nd London Division (soon afterwards renamed
47th (1/2nd London) Division The 47th (1/2nd London) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force. Formation The Territorial Force (TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of the Territorial and Res ...
) on 15 March 1915. However, artillery policy in the British Expeditionary Force was to withdraw heavy batteries from the divisions and allocate them to HAGs. The 1/2nd Bty therefore transferred from the division to I Group, Heavy Artillery Reserve, on 31 March. It joined the 13th HAG, supporting
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 Army ...
, on 19 April 1915.


Kitchener's Wood

On 22 April, the battery was camped at 'Kitchener's Wood' en route to
Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
to be attached to the
Indian Corps The I Indian Corps was an army corps of the British Indian Army in the World War I. It was formed at the outbreak of war under the title Indian Corps from troops sent to the Western Front. The British Indian Army did not have a pre-war corps str ...
when the Germans launched a surprise attack (the
2nd Battle of Ypres During the First World War, the Second Battle of Ypres was fought from for control of the tactically important high ground to the east and south of the Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium. The First Battle of Ypres had been fought the pre ...
) behind a gas cloud and broke through the French defenders. Although reportedly armed with only seven rifles, the Londoners fought a stubborn rearguard action as the Germans entered the wood, allowing the gunners to remove the breechblocks and firing pins from their 4.7s before escaping. The guns were recaptured by the
2nd Canadian Division The 2nd Canadian Division (2 Cdn Div; french: 2e Division du Canada) is a formation of the Canadian Army in the province of Quebec, Canada. The present command was created 2013 when Land Force Quebec Area was re-designated. The main unit housed ...
but the position could not be held and the guns were abandoned. The Germans subsequently reported their capture of the guns marked 'London', causing 'considerable anxiety in London, from the impression thereby created that the London Division had been at Ypres in the gas attack, and had been driven back to such an extent as to lose their heavy guns'. The battery was subsequently re-equipped. On 1 March 1917, it was made up to six guns when a section joined from 199th Heavy Battery. Like the 1/1st, the 1/2nd London Heavy Battery moved from one HAG to another as required until 8 July 1917, when it returned to become a permanent part of the mobile 13th HAG (later 13th Heavy Brigade) for the rest of the war.


2/1st London Heavy Battery

Raised in 1914 from volunteers, this battery joined 58th (2/1st London) Division at Ipswich on 24 September 1915, initially serving alongside its 1st Line battery. In July 1916, 2/1st and 2/2nd London Heavy Batteries formed part of 'C' Brigade of RGA heavy batteries attached to Southern Army defending Eastern England. The battery did not accompany 58th Division when it went to France in January 1917. Instead, it joined the newly formed 71st Division on 9 March 1917. On 12 February 1918, it formed part of 226th Mixed Brigade when it was transferred to
67th (2nd Home Counties) Division The 2nd Home Counties Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Force division of the British Army in World War I. The division was formed as a duplicate of the 44th (Home Counties) Division in November 1914. As the name suggests, the division recruit ...
, and the battery served as a training unit with this formation until the end of the war, without leaving the UK.


2/2nd London Heavy Battery

This battery served with
60th (2/2nd London) Division The 60th (2/2nd London) Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised during the First World War. It was the second line-formation of the 47th (1/2nd London) Division, and was the second of two such Territorial Force divisions for ...
from 9 April 1915 until 24 January 1916, when it transferred to 61st (2nd South Midland) Division. It did not accompany the division to France in June 1916 but, like 2/1st Battery, it was part of 'C' Brigade RGA in Southern Army and then joined 71st Division. From then on its career was the same as the 2/1st Battery.


Interwar

The brigade reformed at Offord Road in 1920 as 14th (London) Medium Brigade, RGA, soon being renumbered as 53rd (London) Medium Brigade, in the Territorial Army. The reformed brigade now had four batteries, having absorbed the pre-war III London 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 ...
, (numbered CCLXXXII, or 282 Brigade during the war), which had been founded as the
2nd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers The 2nd Middlesex Artillery was a Volunteer unit of Britain's Royal Artillery. First raised in the Victorian era among Customs officers in the Port of London, it later became the 3rd London Brigade, Royal Field Artillery in the Territorial Force a ...
in 1861. It served as 'Army Troops' in 47th (2nd London) Divisional Area with the following composition: * 209 (London) Battery * 210 (London) Battery (Howitzer) * 211 (London) Battery (Howitzer) * 212 (London) Battery (Howitzer) There were minor changes in designation, in 1924 when the RGA was absorbed by 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), and in 1938 when RA brigades were redesignated as regiments. Just before the outbreak of war in 1939, 211 and 212 (London) Batteries were split off to form a duplicate regiment, numbered "64th Medium Regiment".


World War II


53rd (London) Medium Regiment

On the outbreak of war in September 1939, the regiment formed part of London District.British London District on 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files
/ref>London District 1939 at British Military History
/ref>53 Med Rgt at RA 39–45.
/ref> Once again, orders to mobilise arrived during the regiment's annual summer camp. The regiment was to be included in the first contingent of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to go to France, so it returned to Offord Road for mobilisation. On the day war was declared (3 September), it moved to
Kempton Park Racecourse Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track together with a licensed entertainment and conference venue in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, 16 miles south-west of Charing Cross, London and on a border of Greater London. The site has of ...
, where drafts of reservists arrived to replace the men who were under-age or unfit for overseas service. It embarked on 2 October.Chronology at 53rd Regt website.
/ref>


Dunkirk

The regiment formed part of
II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...
of the BEF. The BEF was deployed along the Franco-Belgian border during the months of the
Phoney War The Phoney War (french: Drôle de guerre; german: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germ ...
, but when the Germans attacked Belgium on 10 May 1940 it began a carefully planned advance to the line of the
River Dyle The Dyle (french: Dyle ; nl, Dijle ) is a river in central Belgium, left tributary of the Rupel. It is long. It flows through the Belgian provinces of Walloon Brabant, Flemish Brabant and Antwerp. Its source is in Houtain-le-Val, near Nivelles ...
. 53rd Medium Regiment was in position behind this line by 15 May, firing its first shots in support of 7th Guards Brigade. But the Germans had penetrated the French line on the
River Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a ...
on the night of 12/13 May, and on 16 May the BEF began retiring to avoid being cut off. By 21 May, II Corps artillery, including 53rd Medium Regt, was in position to support the infantry dug in along the
River Escaut The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...
and attempting to hold off the Germans. However, because of pressure elsewhere, the Escaut line could not be held and the BEF continued its retreat to the Ypres–Comines Canal where it halted again. The 53rd Regiment reached Marcq on 26 May. By now, German troops had broken through to the coast to the south on 20 May, and the BEF was encircled. It began a withdrawal to the seaports. The British artillery put down harassing fire to delay the German forces following up, but ammunition was running short. On the night of 26 May the Corps Commander RA (CRA) ordered the 53rd to fire off as much ammunition as possible and then put its guns out of action. The regiment joined the retreat the following day. II Corps' flank was now threatened by the retreat and later surrender of Belgian forces and on 28 May the Germans reached the extreme left of the BEF's perimeter at Nieuwpoort. Brigadier Hon E.F. Lawson, the CRA of
48th (South Midland) Division The 48th (South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army. Part of the Territorial Force (TF) and raised in 1908, the division was originally called the South Midland Division, and was redesignated as the 48th (South Midland ...
was given the task of shoring up the perimeter. Lawson seized on the gunners of 53rd Medium Regiment who were marching that way. Fighting as infantry alongside other II Corps artillery and engineer units and some French detachments, they were the only troops available to defend the line. They endured heavy mortar and machine-gun fire, and the Germans established a bridgehead in Nieuwpoort, but the gunners repulsed all subsequent attacks that day until relieved by 4th Division. This prevented a German breakthrough to the beaches east of Dunkirk where General Headquarters was positioned and where the evacuation of the BEF (
Operation Dynamo Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
) was proceeding. II Corps withdrew for evacuation on the night of 31 May/1 June, destroying and abandoning all its guns, transport and equipment.


Home defence

For the next four years, 53 Medium Regiment served in Home Forces, initially in Southern Command to defend the British Isles, later preparing for the liberation of Continental Europe as part of 4th
Army Group Royal Artillery An Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) was a British Commonwealth military formation during the Second World War and shortly thereafter. Generally assigned to Army corps, an AGRA provided the medium and heavy artillery to higher formations within the ...
(AGRA) in I Corps.British Artillery in World War 2.
/ref> The regiment supplied 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 ...
of experienced officers and gunners when the infantry of 8th Battalion, Buffs, were converted into 9th Medium Regiment on 1 December 1942.


D-Day

In May 1944, the regiment was assigned to
21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...
for
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
. For D-Day itself, the Regimental HQ of 53 Medium Regiment was attached to 3rd Division in
I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...
, assaulting
Sword Beach Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord. The Allied invasion of German-occupied Fra ...
, making it the leading medium artillery unit of Second Army. It supported
6th Airborne Division The 6th Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. Despite its name, the 6th was actually the second of two airborne divisions raised by the British Army during the war, the other being t ...
in the fighting on the Orne Canal. The regiment then served in 4th AGRA during the campaign in North West Europe.Joslen, p. 463. In the first week of December, single guns were being used to knock down windmills and church towers that might have been used as enemy observation posts. In late January 1945, the regiment fired in support of Operation Elephant, an attack to flatten out an enemy bridgehead across the
River Maas The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
. On 15 April, it supported
49th (West Riding) Division The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division fought in the First World War in the trenches of the Western Front, in the fields of France and Flanders. During the Second World War, the divis ...
's attack on Arnhem. The regiment was in Germany on
VE-day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
. 53rd Medium Regiment was placed in suspended animation in 1946.


64th (London) Medium Regiment

This regiment (the 'London' was added to the title in 1942) was created in London District just before the outbreak of war from two batteries (211 and 212 (London)) of 53rd Medium Regiment. By July 1940, the regiment had been assigned to IV Corps, first at
Tetbury Tetbury is a town and civil parish inside the Cotswold district in England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in ...
, later at
High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, south-southeast of Ayl ...
. Initially, it was equipped with iron-tyred 6-inch howitzers, but in August it re-equipped with the 4.5-inch Gun Mk I (relined 60-pounders on Carriage Mk4P) for 211 Bty, and 6-inch howitzers on Carriage Mk1P for 212 Bty. By the end of August, 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 ...
, it was placed on aerodrome defence, with RHQ at Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, 211 Bty less B Trp at Herringswell, Suffolk, B Trp at Hardwick, Cambridgeshire, and 212 Bty at St Ives, Cambridgeshire. The regiment reassembled at High Wycombe at the end of September.64 Med Rgt at RA 39–45


Capture of Tobruk

In late 1940, the regiment sailed for Egypt, joining British Troops Egypt (BTE) in January 1941 before moving out into Libya as part of XIII Corps during the capture of
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 ...
.


Greece

In March 1941, the 64th was one of two medium regiments sent to Greece with I Australian Corps as part of 'W Force' in
Operation Lustre Operation Lustre was an action during the Second World War: the movement of British and other Allied troops (Australian, New Zealand and Polish) from Egypt to Greece in March and April 1941, in response to the failed Italian invasion and the loom ...
to support the Greek Army in the
Greco-Italian War The Greco-Italian War (Greek language, Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdom ...
. Before it sailed, 64th Medium Rgt exchanged 212 Bty with 234 Bty from 68th (4th West Lancashire) Medium Rgt, so that the whole regiment was equipped with 4.5-inch guns. (212 (London) Bty served with 68 Medium Rgt in
Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...
.) The Germans invaded Greece and Yugoslavia at dawn on 6 April, beginning the
Battle of Greece 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 ...
. The Commonwealth commander, Lt-Gen
Henry Maitland Wilson Field Marshal Henry Maitland Wilson, 1st Baron Wilson, (5 September 1881 – 31 December 1964), also known as Jumbo Wilson, was a senior British Army officer of the 20th century. He saw active service in the Second Boer War and then during the ...
, had anticipated the German advance through Yugoslavia, and had placed a force to protect this dangerous flank. Known as the
Amyntaion Amyntaio ( el, Αμύνταιο, before 1928: Σόροβιτς - ''Sorovits''; Bulgarian/ Macedonian: Суровичево, Сорович), is a town and municipality in the Florina regional unit of Macedonia, Greece. The population of Amyntaio p ...
detachment, it included 64 Medium Regiment (less one Troop) alongside
3rd Royal Tank Regiment The 3rd Royal Tank Regiment (3 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army in existence from 1917 until 1992. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as C Battalion, Tank Corp ...
, 27th New Zealand Machine-Gun Battalion and 1st Australian Anti-Tank Regiment (less one battery), initially under the commander of the Corps medium artillery, Brig E.A. Lee. As the campaign developed, Wilson expanded the Amyntaion detachment to cover the Greek retreat: on 10 April it shelled the advancing ''Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler'' Brigade. But within days 'Force W' was withdrawing to the
Thermopylae Thermopylae (; Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: (''Thermopylai'') , Demotic Greek (Greek): , (''Thermopyles'') ; "hot gates") is a place in Greece where a narrow coastal passage existed in antiquity. It derives its name from its hot sulphur ...
position. The roads over the
Pindus The Pindus (also Pindos or Pindhos; el, Πίνδος, Píndos; sq, Pindet; rup, Pindu) is a mountain range located in Northern Greece and Southern Albania. It is roughly 160 km (100 miles) long, with a maximum elevation of 2,637 metres ...
mountains were entrusted to Brig
Stanley Savige Lieutenant General Sir Stanley George Savige, (26 June 1890 – 15 May 1954) was an Australian Army soldier and officer who served in the First World War and Second World War. In March 1915, after the outbreak of the First World War, Savi ...
of 17th Australian Infantry Brigade, whose 'Savige Force' included 64th Medium Regiment as well as New Zealand field guns and Australian anti-tank guns. On the night of 17/18 April Savige Force withdrew towards
Larissa Larissa (; el, Λάρισα, , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 144,651 according to the 2011 census. It is also capital of the Larissa regiona ...
. Germans tanks appeared in front of the New Zealand rearguard at mid-day on 18 April, and were engaged for the rest of the day by a troop of 64th Medium Regiment. The decision to withdraw the Commonwealth forces was made on 21 April and evacuation was carried out over the following week. When ordered to evacuate, most of the regiment was taken off the beaches at
Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
by HMS ''Carlisle'' and landed at
Suda Bay Souda Bay is a bay and natural harbour near the town of Souda on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the Akrotiri p ...
, Crete, but some were taken by other ships back to Egypt. The guns were lost.


Crete

On Crete, 234 (West Lancashire) Bty and A Trp of 211 (London) Bty were equipped with captured Italian 100 mm howitzers and 72 mm guns to defend Heraklion airfield. The rest of the regiment was stationed near Canea as infantry. The Germans launched an airborne attack on Crete on 20 May 1941, launching the
Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (german: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, el, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (german: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island ...
, and after fierce fighting the Commonwealth forces were once again forced to evacuate. The gun party of 64 Medium Rgt from Heraklion were evacuated on the night of 29/30 May, while the remainder marched over the mountains to Sphakia, where they were evacuated the following night.


Middle East

After the regiment had been evacuated to Egypt, 234 Bty rejoined 68 Medium Rgt. 212 (London) Bty, which had participated in the campaign in Eritrea, returned, and 64th Medium Rgt re-assembled in Syria under the command of I Australian Corps when it was re-equipped with 6-inch howitzers. In October, the regiment returned to Egypt, where it joined Eighth Army in December, with 211 Bty attached to
2nd South African Division The South African 2nd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the army of the Union of South Africa during World War II. The division was formed on 23 October 1940 and served in the Western Desert Campaign and was captured (save for one ...
during the capture of Bardia.


North Africa

In February 1942, the regiment was re-equipped with 16 French-built 155mm howitzers obtained from the US under
Lend-Lease Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
and its first two of the new Mk 2 4.5-inch guns.8th Army Medium Artillery stats at the Crusader Project.
/ref> It was with
X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to: France * 10th Army Corps (France) * X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * X ...
in June 1942 and fought with the
2nd New Zealand Division The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry Division (military), division of the New Zealand Army, New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the World War II, Second World War. The division was ...
at the Battle of Mersa Matruh, when the division was surrounded and had to break out. 211 Bty was reduced to five guns and 212 to four guns; the regiment lost over 250 men during the withdrawal. At
Ruweisat Ridge Ruweisat Ridge is a geographical feature in the Western Egyptian desert, midway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Qattara Depression. During World War II was a prominent part of the defence line in the First and Second Battle of El Alamein ...
, 211 Bty had received three new 4.5-inch guns, but 212 lost two more to air attack and was withdrawn to Cairo to refit, where it was issued with the new 5.5-inch gun. In August, 212 Bty was with 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division at the Battle of Alam Halfa 64th Medium Rgt was attached to XXX Corps for 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 ...
, by which time it had been fully re-equipped with eight 4.5-inch and eight 5.5-inch guns. During the pursuit after Alamein, 211 Bty operated with 2nd New Zealand Division during November, detaching B Trp to 4th Light Armoured Brigade. The regiment then fought its way across North Africa and into
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
under Eighth Army, including the
Battle of the Mareth Line The Battle of the Mareth Line or the Battle of Mareth was an attack in the Second World War by the British Eighth Army (General Bernard Montgomery) in Tunisia, against the Mareth Line held by the Italo-German 1st Army (General Giovanni Messe). ...
. By now, Eighth Army was forming its medium artillery into
Army Groups Royal Artillery An Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) was a British Commonwealth military formation during the Second World War and shortly thereafter. Generally assigned to Army corps, an AGRA provided the medium and heavy artillery to higher formations within the ...
(AGRAs). In Tunisia, 64th Medium Rgt joined 5th AGRA, and remained with this headquarters for the rest of the war apart from a short spell with 1st AGRA in May 1943.


Sicily

For the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, 5th AGRA supported
51st (Highland) Division The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...
, attacking towards the Gerbini airfields and Randazzo. At the close of the campaign, XXX Corps did not participate in the invasion of mainland Italy, but was withdrawn to prepare for
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
. 64th Medium Rgt handed over its heavy equipment and embarked on 9 November for Algeria, re-embarking on 29 November for the UK and landing at
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
on 9 December.


Normandy

When the Normandy landings took place in June 1944, there were only two batteries of 4.5-inch guns in
21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...
: 211 Bty of 64th Medium Rgt, and one battery of 7th Medium Rgt. The gun had a lighter shell but longer range than the 5.5-inch, and XXX Corps wanted both batteries landed first. 211 Battery was therefore exchanged with 25/26 Bty of 7th Medium for the assault phase, returning to 64th by 11 June. As part of 5th AGRA, 64th Medium Rgt supported 21st Army Group throughout the Normandy campaign and the advance across Belgium.


Arnhem

On 20 September 1944, the regiment was ordered to move up behind the advancing troops of XXX Corps, and the following day it assembled four miles south of
Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...
. Here it picked up wireless transmissions from the RA of 1st Airborne Division, which was isolated at Arnhem with few working radios. The regiment responded to appeals for fire support with the 4.5-inch battery, firing at extreme range. The battery moved up about 4000 yards about midday to shorten the range, while a 155 mm battery was being hurried up the road and attached to 64 Medium Rgt about 16.00, while an officer was sent out with a relay wireless as far forward as possible. The following day the regiment engaged 31 targets for 1st Airborne, and the regiment's 5.5-inch battery, which had been supporting the advance of XXX Corps, was brought up and positioned with the 4.5s by first light on 23 September. A battery of 3.7 inch Heavy Anti-Aircraft guns and a further 4.5-inch battery came under command, but the road behind them had been cut, so ammunition supply became a problem, as 25 targets were engaged. By the night of 25 September, 1st Airborne could hold out no longer, and the remnants were evacuated across the
Nederrijn 300px, Course of the Nederrijn Nederrijn (; "Lower Rhine"; not to be confused with the section called Lower Rhine further upstream) is the name of the Dutch part of the Rhine from the confluence at the town of Angeren of the cut-off Rhine bend ...
under cover of a heavy barrage from 64 Medium Rgt and its attached guns.


Rhineland

64th Medium Rgt continued to support 21st Army Group as part of 5th AGRA until the end of the war in Europe. For example, it was part of XXX Corps' artillery concentration for the clearance of the
Reichswald A or imperial forest was an area of historic woodland which existed in the Holy Roman Empire and was under direct imperial control, protection and usage. may refer to: * , a nature reserve near Nuremberg ** , a section of the Nuremberg , which ...
(
Operation Veritable Operation Veritable (also known as the Battle of the Reichswald) was the northern part of an Allies of World War II, Allied pincer movement that took place between 8 February and 11 March 1945 during the final stages of the World War II, Second ...
), After
VE Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
, the regiment handed in its guns and undertook occupation duties in Germany. 64th Medium Regiment was placed in suspended animation on 1 April 1946 and was formally disbanded in 1947.


Postwar

When the TA was reformed in 1947, 53 Medium Regiment was reconstituted at Islington as 353 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (London), and was adopted by the
Borough of Islington The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough in Inner London. Whilst the majority of the district is located in north London, the borough also includes a significant area to the south which forms part of central London. Islington has ...
. It formed part of 97 (AA) AGRA based at Chelsea. The regiment returned to the medium artillery role in 1954 as 353 (London) Medium Regiment, and in 1956 it absorbed the
Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
batteries of 415 (Thames & Medway) Coast Regiment. Finally, in 1961, the regiment (less one Essex battery) merged with 264 (7th London) Field Regiment, 290 (City of London) Field Regiment, and 452 (London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment to form
254 (City of London) Field Regiment Year 254 ( CCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Gallienus (or, less frequently, year 1007 ''Ab urbe c ...
. The remaining battery at
Canvey Island Canvey Island is a town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary, near Southend-on-Sea, in the Castle Point district, in the county of Essex, England. It has an area of and a population of 38,170.Office ...
and
Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
joined 304 (
Essex Yeomanry The Essex Yeomanry was a Reserve unit of the British Army that originated in 1797 as local Yeomanry Cavalry Troops in Essex. Reformed after the experience gained in the Second Boer War, it saw active service as cavalry in World War I and as ar ...
RHA) Field Regiment.


Memorials

The 1st and 2nd Heavy Batteries RGA are listed on the
City and County of London Troops Memorial A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in front of the Royal Exchange, with architectural design by
Sir Aston Webb Sir Aston Webb (22 May 1849 – 21 August 1930) was a British architect who designed the principal facade of Buckingham Palace and the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum, among other major works around England, many of them in par ...
and sculpture by Alfred Drury. The left-hand (northern) bronze figure flanking this memorial depicts a Royal Artilleryman representative of the various London Artillery units. All the units listed on the London Troops Memorial received a small bronze representation of the memorial. In the case of the London Heavy Artillery, this is now in
St Mary Magdalene Church, Holloway Road St Mary Magdalene Church is one of Hope Church Islington's places of worship, an Anglican church (building), church on Holloway Road in north London dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene. It is located in St Mary Magdalene Gardens opposite ...
, on the north interior wall of the nave. It is mounted on a wooden board, surmounted by the RA badge and flanked by bronze panels listing the men of the 1st and 2nd batteries (32 and 35 names respectively) who died during World War I. On the wall, flanking this board, are two further bronze panels listing the dead of 53rd and 64th Medium Regiments during World War II. Underneath is a brass plate bearing the inscription:Cherry & Pevsner, p. 658. ::IN MEMORY OF ALL RANKS/ OF THE/ 53RD (LONDON) MEDIUM REGIMENT RA (T.A.)/ 1/1ST AND 1/2ND LONDON HEAVY BATTERIES R.G.A./ 64TH MEDIUM REGIMENT RA (TA) WHO DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE./ FORMED AS THE 2ND MIDDLESEX ARTILLERY VOLUNTEERS ON 9TH APRIL 1861 THE 53RD (LONDON) MEDIUM REGIMENT WAS FINALLY DISBANDED/ ON 31ST MARCH 1967. THIS MEMORIAL, FIRST ERECTED IN THE REGIMENT'S DRILL HALL AT OFFORD ROAD, BARNSBURY, N1 WAS ADOPTED BY THIS CHURCH/ AND RE-DEDICATED BY THE REV. W A CURTIS HCF ON REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY 12TH NOVEMBER 1967. "NULLI SECUNDUS" Note that in 1967 the regiment laid claim to the foundation date of the 2nd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers and to their motto ''Nulli secundus'' ('Second to None').


Honorary Colonels

Brevet-Col A.E. Marnham, MC, TD, was appointed Honorary Colonel of the regiment on 17 June 1931.


Footnotes


Notes


References

* Maj R. Money Barnes, ''The Soldiers of London'', London: Seeley Service, 1963. * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * Maj A.F. Becke, ''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions,'' London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * Ian F. W. Beckett, ''Riflemen Form: A study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908'', Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, 1982, . *
Sir Arthur Bryant Sir Arthur Wynne Morgan Bryant, (18 February 1899 – 22 January 1985) was an English historian, columnist for ''The Illustrated London News'' and man of affairs. His books included studies of Samuel Pepys, accounts of English eighteenth- and ...
, ''The Turn of the Tide, 1939–1943'', London: Collins, 1957. * Lt-Col Ewan Butler and Maj J.S. Bradford, ''The Story of Dunkirk'', London: Hutchinson/Arrow, nd. * Bridget Cherry & Nikolaus Pevsner, ''The Buildings of England: London 4: North'', new edn, London: Yale University Press, 1999, . * Major L. F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1954. (Online a

) * Major L. F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West'', Vol I: ''The Battle of Normandy'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1962/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, . * Major L. F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West'', Vol II: ''The Defeat of Germany'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, . * Gen Sir
Martin Farndale General Sir Martin Baker Farndale, (6 January 1929 – 10 May 2000) was a British Army officer who reached high office in the 1980s. Military career Educated at Yorebridge Grammar School, Askrigg, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Farnda ...
, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Western Front 1914–18'', Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1986, . * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X. * * Norman E.H. Litchfield, ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, . * Alan H. Maude (ed.), ''The History of the 47th (London) Division 1914–1919'', London: Amalgamated Press, 1922/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2002, . * J. McWilliams & R.J. Steel, ''Gas! The Battle for Ypres, 1915'', St Catherines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing, 1985, . * Mark Quinlan, ''Sculptors and Architects of Remembrance'', Sandy: Authors Online, 2007, . * ''Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army'', London: War Office, 7 November 1927. (RA units reprinted as Appendix 4 in Litchfield). * Col Sir Charles M. Watson, ''History of the Corps of Royal Engineers'', Vol III, Chatham: Institution of Royal Engineers, reprint 1954. * R.A. Westlake, ''Royal Engineers (Volunteers) 1859–1908'', Wembley: R.A. Westlake, 1983, .


External links


53rd London Medium Regiment website



Crusader Project

FirstWorldWar.com Primary Sources

Imperial War Museum War Memorials Archive

The Long, Long Trail

Orders of Battle at Patriot Files



The Royal Artillery 1939–45

Royal Artillery Netherlands 1944–45

A Youtube tribute to men of 64th Medium Regiment
{{refend Royal Garrison Artillery units Military units and formations in London Military units and formations in Islington Military units and formations established in 1908 Military units and formations disestablished in 1961 Artillery units and formations of World War I