The Manx Regiment – the 15th (Isle of Man) Light Anti Aircraft Regiment,
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 ...
– was raised in 1938 as a
Territorial Army (TA) unit of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
. It recruited on the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
and formed part of
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
...
at the outbreak of
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 opposing ...
. The regiment was posted to the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
in November 1940, serving in the
Western Desert,
East Africa and
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, ...
(where one of its batteries was lost). In August 1942 it became the air defence regiment for the
7th Armoured Division (the 'Desert Rats'). It served with the division through the
North African
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 t ...
,
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
North West European campaigns. It was reformed in the postwar TA as 515 (Isle of Man) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment before being reduced to a staff troop in
42nd (Lancashire) Division in 1955.
Origin
In 1938, during the period of international tension preceding World War II, the TA began to raise specialist Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) regiments of the Royal Artillery (RA), to supplement the existing Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) units. The 15th (Isle of Man) Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Royal Artillery, was formed at
Douglas, IoM, on 1 July 1938. It was organised with two batteries that were numbered 41 and 42 in December, and on 1 January 1939 it was redesignated as a regiment rather than a brigade, in line with the RA's modernisation of its terminology.
[Frederick, pp. 800–1, 822.][Litchfield, p. 105.] At this stage light anti-aircraft (LAA) units were armed with
Light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the sa ...
s (AALMGs), but the new
Bofors 40 mm gun Bofors 40 mm gun is a name or designation given to two models of 40 mm calibre anti-aircraft guns designed and developed by the Swedish company Bofors:
*Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun - developed in the 1930s, widely used in World War II and into the 1990s
...
was on order.
World War II
Mobilisation
![The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H1967](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H1967.jpg)
In February 1939 the existing AA defences came under the control of a new
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
...
. In June, as the international situation worsened, a partial mobilisation of the TA was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA gun and searchlight positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised and moved to its war stations, with LAA units distributed to defend Vulnerable Points (VPs) such as factories, docks and airfields. During this mobilisation the regiment formed a third battery, numbered 129, on 26 August.
[ 15th (IoM) LAA Regiment sailed to ]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 populat ...
to take up air defence of the River Mersey
The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed par ...
and war was declared on 3 September.
15th LAA Regiment formed part of a new 53rd Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade that was forming in 4th Anti-Aircraft Division
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
, which was responsible for defending the industrial areas of North West England. During the period 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 Germa ...
the AA defences of NW England were not tested in action, and the time was spent in equipping and training the TA units.
After the entry of Italy into the war in June 1940 there was an urgent need to reinforce British forces in the Middle East, and a series of convoys began shipping troops (including AA units) on the six-week journey via the Cape of Good Hope and the Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
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 Medit ...
.[Farndale, pp. 117–9.] 15th LAA Regiment was one of the first units selected (leaving the UK as 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 ...
was starting) and arrived in January 1941. It initially joined GHQ Reserve with 122 LAA Bty detached from 13th LAA Rgt also under its command. By then the Italian invasion of Egypt had been defeated, but the commitments of Middle East Forces were widening, including campaigns in East Africa and Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
. The regiment was split up, with each battery being detached to a different campaign.[Farndale, p. 168.][Routledge, Table XIX, p. 141.]
Egypt
By 31 January 1941 Regimental HQ (RHQ) and 42 LAA Bty formed part of 2nd AA Brigade in the Nile Delta area, with 42 Bty deployed at Ismailia
Ismailia ( ar, الإسماعيلية ', ) is a city in north-eastern Egypt. Situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, it is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate. The city has a population of 1,406,699 (or approximately 750,000, includi ...
.[ Towards the end of January 1941 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 ...
'' had begun attacking the Suez Canal from Italian bases on Rhodes
Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...
, dropping magnetic and acoustic mines at night to disrupt shipping in the canal. Most of the vital supplies and reinforcements therefore had to be landed at Suez
Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same bou ...
rather than passing through the canal. Defending against these attacks was an obvious role for searchlights (S/Ls) and LAA guns, but the numbers required for complete coverage were excessive. The compromise plan involved siting single S/Ls on either side of the canal at intervals, with additional rows on the flanks spaced at 5-6000-yard intervals. Thus illumination was restricted to a belt along the length of the canal. Fighter aircraft were to provide the main defence, but the need to defend against low-level raids led to the deployment of single Bofors guns spaced at intervals of about on the banks of the narrow stretches of the canal. Regimental HQ of 15th LAA Rgt was given responsibility under 2nd AA Bde for the 'Canal South' sector with its commanding officer (CO), Lieutenant-Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...
G.P. MacLellan, appointed AA Defence Commander (AADC).[Routledge, pp. 134–5.]
East Africa
Meanwhile, 41 LAA Bty under Major G. Kniveton had been sent to the Sudan, where a limited offensive into Italian Eritrea was being prepared.[ On 5 February, soon after the advance began, the battery was deployed with Y ]Troop
A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Tr ...
defending the Kassala
Kassala ( ar, كسلا) is the capital of the state of Kassala in eastern Sudan. Its 2008 population was recorded to be 419,030. Built on the banks of the Gash River, it is a market town and is famous for its fruit gardens.
Many of its inhabit ...
railhead, Z Trp with the advancing force, and X Trp covering the field artillery of the column. Its other commitments were to protect tank 'harbours', Royal Air Force
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) an ...
(RAF) landing grounds, and vulnerable infantry positions: the result was that the available guns were spread too thinly in 'penny packets', while the '' Regia Aeronautica'' was very active with low and medium level attacks on columns. However, even a small amount of AA fire was sometimes sufficient to deter an attack, and on 8 February Z Trp shot down a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero bomber. By 12 February Y Trp had moved up from the railhead to Agordat, where the Italians had been driven out and the road opened. The British force then moved on towards Keren, where there were weeks of tough fighting in the mountains to clear the Dongolaas Gorge (the Battle of Keren
The Battle of Keren ( it, Battaglia di Cheren) took place from 3 February to 27 March 1941. Keren was attacked by the British during the East African Campaign of the Second World War. A force of Italian regular and colonial troops defended th ...
). By 22 February 41 LAA Bty HQ was under command of 4th Indian Division, with two guns detached to 10th Indian Infantry Brigade of 5th Indian Division, and Y Trp still at Agordat defending the airfield there. All the artillery, including 41 LAA Bty, suffered from counter-battery and harassing fire from the Italian guns. However, the RAF and South African Air Force
"Through hardships to the stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, equipment ...
had now established air superiority, and Italian air attacks (by obsolete Fiat CR.42s) became rarer. Finally, the infantry took the heights and allowed the mechanised column to break through the gorge on 26 March. Two days later Keren had fallen and 41 LAA Bty was up with 5th Indian Division, two guns well forward with 11th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 11th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was relocated from India to Egypt in the middle of August 1939 and trained at Fayed in Ismailia Governorate on the Great Bitter Lake. I ...
, and Z Trp was advancing up the Dongolaas Gorge. As the advance became a pursuit, 41 LAA Bty moved to the captured airfield at Asmara. The Italian forces in East Africa surrendered on 18 May. On 24 June 41 LAA Bty sailed for Suez
Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same bou ...
to rejoin 15th LAA Rgt at Beni Yusef in Egypt.
Crete
The regiment's third battery, 129 LAA Bty, went to 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, ...
under Maj W.H. Cain in February 1941, where it was deployed with 11 Bofors guns in 'M Group' in the Suda– Canea Sector under RHQ 52nd (East Lancashire) LAA Rgt.[ The German invasion of Crete began in May 1941. The bases had been regularly dive-bombed in March and April, and heavy losses had been caused to the ships unloading 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 ...
until AA guns were concentrated round the harbour. Then the ''Luftwaffe'' began attacking the AA sites directly: 129 LAA Bty at Suda was attacked all day on 17 May, with Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast ...
s and Messerschmitt Bf 109s trying to knock out individual guns. The prolonged action caused worn out barrels and broken parts, for which there were no spares, and eventually the battery had three of its guns out of action. When the German airborne assault began on 20 May, the AA sites were bombed for 30 minutes and some of the paratroopers were specifically tasked with knocking them out. Although German casualties in men and aircraft were heavy, German troop transports were able to use the captured airfield at Maleme
Maleme ( el, Μάλεμε) is a small village and military airport to the west of Chania, in north western Crete, Greece. It is located in Platanias municipality, in Chania regional unit.
History
Bronze Age
A Late Minoan tholos tomb has been ...
, followed by landings from the sea. By 26 May, after continuous German attack from the air and by airborne troops, the defences round Canea finally collapsed and Suda had to be abandoned. The remaining AA units were ordered to destroy their equipment and move to Sfakia
Sfakiá ( el, Σφακιά) is a mountainous area in the southwestern part of the island of Crete, in the Chania regional unit. It is considered to be one of the few places in Greece that have never been fully occupied by foreign powers. With a ...
on the south coast. Parties of 129 LAA Bty began a march over the hills under air attack and while waiting for evacuation on the beach at Sfakia lost another 9 killed and 20 wounded to air attack. The Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
evacuated as many as possible to Egypt, but thousands of British and Commonwealth troops were taken prisoner.
Only one officer and 40 men of 129 LAA Bty made it back to Egypt from Crete and the battery was not reformed; it was officially disbanded on 1 July 1941.[
]
Western Desert
Before 41 LAA Bty rejoined, 15th (IoM) LAA Rgt (RHQ and 42 LAA Bty) spent 9 to 21 February 1941 in 2nd Support Group of 2nd Armoured Division, which was working up in Egypt, but did not accompany that formation into Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
(where much of it was captured in April). The regiment with its two remaining batteries spent the rest of 1941 in Egypt. By October it was back in 2nd AA Bde: one Trp of 41 LAA Bty (4 x Bofors) was in the Suez and Shallufa area, the remainder of 41 and 42 LAA Btys on the Canal with 20 x Bofors.
In early 1942 the Eighth Army was defending the Gazala Line, a series of fortified 'boxes', whose garrisons included AA guns under 12th AA Bde. The Battle of Gazala
The Battle of Gazala (near the village of ) was fought during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, west of the port of Tobruk in Libya, from 26 May to 21 June 1942. Axis troops of the ( Erwin Rommel) consisting of German an ...
began on 26 May 1942, and eventually, Eighth Army was forced to evacuate the boxes and retreat towards Egypt. Tobruk was captured on 21 June. During the long retreat to the El Alamein position, 12th AA Bde under Brig Percy Calvert-Jones fell back in a series of rearguard actions at landing grounds (LGs), in the course of which it 'swept up' a sizeable body of AA units, including 15th LAA Rgt. Eighth Army seized upon this collection to act as a blocking force, giving Calvert-Jones two infantry brigades in addition. 'Calforce' held defensive positions at 10 LGs, providing its own artillery support from AA guns sited for ground tasks. It also developed dummy LGs, complete with fake AA positions. Calforce remained in position during the First Battle of El Alamein
The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert campaign of the Second World War, fought in Egypt between Axis (German and Italian) forces of the Panzer Army Africa—which included the under Field Marsha ...
, and was not withdrawn from the front line until later in September.
By then, 15th LAA Rgt had joined 7th Armoured Division (the 'Desert Rats') on 2 August 1942.[Joslen, pp. 19–21.] It was reinforced by 1 LAA Bty, a Regular Army
A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following:
* a standin ...
unit that had fought in the Battle of France and subsequently served as an independent battery in 7th Support Group and in the Tobruk garrison. 15th LAA Regiment remained with 7th Armoured Division as its air defence component from the Second Battle of Alamein until the end of the war.
Alamein
Careful consideration was given to AA defence during the build-up for Alamein. Instead of being deployed in circles round objectives, the LAA guns were sited on the attackers' likely lines of approach; opening fire would not give away the presence of a likely target, and numerous dummy and alternative positions were prepared. Within the divisions the control of LAA batteries was decentralised to brigade level, and a feature of the assault planning was the integration of the LAA guns into ground fire tasks in support of infantry and armour. When the initial artillery bombardment began on the night of 23 October, LAA batteries switched from defending the assembly areas to firing Tracer ammunition
Tracer ammunition (AMO) (Tracers) are bullets or cannon-caliber projectiles that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. When fired, the pyrotechnic composition is ignited by the burning powder and burns very brightly, making ...
to mark the attacking units' boundaries in the dust and darkness.
7th Armoured Division's role in the opening phase at Alamein, Operation Lightfoot, was to breach the extensive minefields
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
and penetrate the enemy's positions. Progress was slow on the first night, and a second attempt to break through the following night under bright moonlight led to heavy tank casualties. Then followed what Gen Bernard Montgomery called the 'Dogfight' phase, before the breakthrough was achieved by Operation Supercharge, for which 7th Armoured Division was switched to a new line of attack. By 4 November, the division had passed through and was pursuing the defeated Italian armour. The pursuit carried on via Halfaya Pass
Halfaya Pass ( ar, ممر حلفيا, translit=Mamarr Ḥalfayā ) is in northwest Egypt, 11.5 kilometres east of the border with Libya and 7.5 kilometres south of the other, more major pass in the ridge today. A high, narrow escarpment extends ...
, the supporting arms following the tanks as far as petrol supplies would allow. By 14 November, 7th Armoured was operating with four light armoured columns, each provided with LAA and other artillery detachments, with transport taken from other units that had been 'grounded'. Fuel and Bofors ammunition was airlifted to these columns when the weather allowed. The ''Luftwaffe'' was equally hampered by fuel shortages and the air superiority enjoyed by the Desert Air Force
The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force created from No. 204 ...
: only a few aircraft appeared to strafe advancing British columns. 7th Armoured drove the enemy into their El Agheila
El Agheila ( ar, العقيلة, translit=al-ʿUqayla ) is a coastal city at the southern end of the Gulf of Sidra in far western Cyrenaica, Libya. In 1988 it was placed in Ajdabiya District; it was in that district until 1995. It was removed from ...
position on 23 November, after a pursuit of roughly .
In the Battle of El Agheila
The Battle of El Agheila was a brief engagement of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. It took place in December 1942 between Allied forces of the Eighth Army (General Bernard Montgomery) and the Axis forces of the German-Ita ...
, beginning on 13 December, Eighth Army carried out a 'left hook' round the Axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
* Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
forces, which set them retreating once more, and then launched 7th Armoured Division in pursuit. It was led by 4th Light Armoured Bde, including a Troop of 41 LAA Bty, all vehicles carrying petrol for . The Axis retreated beyond Sirte to the Buerat position. On 15 January 1943 7th Armoured Division carried out another left hook that helped turn the Axis forces out of the Buerat position, and on 23 January British troops entered Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
. By now LAA troops each had six Bofors, so the regiment's three batteries totalled 54 x Bofors guns.
Tunisia
7th Armoured Division was next in action at the Battle of Medenine
The Battle of Medenine (german: Unternehmen Capri ''Operation Capri was an Axis spoiling attack at Medenine in Tunisia on 6 March 1943. The operation was intended to delay an attack by the British Eighth Army on the Mareth Line. The British ha ...
on 6 March when the Axis forces attempted to disrupt Eighth Army's preparations to break through the Mareth Line
The Mareth Line was a system of fortifications built by France in southern Tunisia in the late 1930s. The line was intended to protect Tunisia against an Italian invasion from its colony in Libya. The line occupied a point where the routes into T ...
into Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
.[ It also played a minor role in reserve during the Battle of Mareth (16–23 March), and in the pursuit after the Battle of Wadi Akarit (6–7 April). There was little interference from the ''Luftwaffe'', which had been forced to evacuate its forward airfields. 7th Armoured Division provided a flank guard during the fighting at Enfidaville (19–29 April).][ In the rough country of Tunisia the forward LAA units were often involved in 'snap' engagements against fast, low-flying air attacks. Increasingly, they discarded the LAA No 3 ]Kerrison Predictor
The Kerrison Predictor was one of the first fully automated anti-aircraft fire-control systems. It was used to automate the aiming of the British Army's Bofors 40 mm guns and provide accurate lead calculations through simple inputs on three main ...
and employed the simple 'Stiffkey Stick' deflection sight for the Bofors.
For the final advance on Tunis
''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois
, population_note =
, population_urban =
, population_metro = 2658816
, population_density_km2 =
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 ...
( Operations Vulcan and Strike), 7th Armoured Division was transferred form Eighth to First Army. Zero hour was 03.00 on 6 May, the armour began its advance at 07.30, and next day the leading troops entered Tunis. The Allies now had complete air superiority. The Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered on 12 May.[
7th Armoured Division then moved back to Homs in ]Tripolitania
Tripolitania ( ar, طرابلس '; ber, Ṭrables, script=Latn; from Vulgar Latin: , from la, Regio Tripolitana, from grc-gre, Τριπολιτάνια), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province o ...
to re-equip and re-train for amphibious operations and for fighting in closer terrain than the desert.
Italy
The division was a follow-up formation for Operation Avalanche
Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings near the port of Salerno, executed on 9 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II. The Italians withdrew from the war the day before the invasion, but ...
, the assault landing at Salerno 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 ...
that began on 9 September 1943. The division landed by stages in the crowded beachhead, which was subjected to twice-daily air raids. It was not until 28 September that elements of the division were able to pass through the assault formations, and 30 September before the division was concentrated. Naples was liberated next day, but 7th Armoured bypassed the city and advanced towards the River Volturno against rearguards. Bad weather hampered the air forces on both sides.[
]
The division's attempted to force a crossing of the Volturno Line
The Volturno Line (also known as the Viktor Line; , ) was a German defensive position in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II.
The line ran from Termoli in the east, along the Biferno River through the Apennine Mountains to the ...
were frustrated, and only an infantry bridgehead was obtained on 12 October, but this was enough to distract the enemy while other formations got across upstream. At the end of the month the division moved to the coast, where it found a suitable ford for tanks and crossed the mouth of the Agnena canal, outflanked Monte Massico
Monte Massico (Latin: ''Mons Massicus'') is a mountain situated in the Italian Province of Caserta (Campania) between the rivers Volturno and Garigliano.
Description
Monte Massico is an Italian mountain ridge. In antiquity, it was described a ...
and broke into the valley of the River Garigliano. This was the division's last action in the Italian campaign.[
]
Overlord Training
7th Armoured Division was among the formations selected to be withdrawn with XXX Corps from the Italian Front to return to the UK to train for the Allied invasion of Normandy ( Operation Overlord). It left Italy on 20 December 1943 and landed at Glasgow on 4 January 1944. It then began an extended period of re-equipment and training in the Thetford Heaths area of Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
.[
On 14 March 1944 15th LAA Rgt's three batteries (1, 41 and 42) were augmented to a strength of four troops each when 72–74 Trps joined from 341 LAA Bty of 103rd LAA Rgt, which had been broken up. This brought the establishment of Bofors guns up to 72, but before D-Day some LAA regiments. began exchanging Bofors for multiple-barrelled 20 mm guns (usually Oerlikons or Polstens). As an LAA unit attached to an armoured division, all the regiment's guns were on self-propelled (SP) mountings.][
]
Normandy
In May 1944 the division moved from Norfolk to its assembly area close to the embarkation ports of Felixstowe
Felixstowe ( ) is a port town in Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest Containerization, container port in the United Kingdom. Felixstowe is approximately 116km (72 miles) northea ...
, Tilbury Docks
The Port of Tilbury is a port on the River Thames at Tilbury in Essex, England. It is the principal port for London, as well as being the main United Kingdom port for handling the importation of paper. There are extensive facilities for contai ...
and London Docks
London Docklands is the riverfront and former docks in London. It is located in inner east and southeast London, in the boroughs of Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Newham, and Greenwich. The docks were formerly part of the Port ...
. It embarked on 4 June and began landing on Gold Beach on 7 June (D + 1). For the first few days ashore, the division supported infantry actions by 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, then on 10 June it began a push towards Tilly-sur-Seulles
Tilly-sur-Seulles (, literally ''Tilly on Seulles'') is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
Population
Events
Each year, the international motocross takes place.
See also
*Communes of the Cal ...
and Villers-Bocage in Operation Perch
Operation Perch was a British offensive of the Second World War which took place from 7 to 14 June 1944, during the early stages of the Battle of Normandy. The operation was intended to encircle and seize the German occupied city of Caen, which ...
. On 13 June, as the division attempted to advance down secondary roads to the latter objective, its leading units were badly shot up in the Battle of Villers-Bocage
The Battle of Villers-Bocage took place during the Second World War on 13 June 1944, one week after the Normandy Landings, which had begun the Western Allies' conquest of German-occupied France. The battle was the result of a British attempt to ...
and it was forced to withdraw. It then held off a German counter-attack, after which operations became static in the Bocage
Bocage (, ) is a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture characteristic of parts of Northern France, Southern England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Northern Germany, in regions where pastoral farming is the dominant land use.
''Bocage'' may als ...
country. The division was withdrawn for rest on 1 July.[
The Allies had achieved air superiority over the beachhead and so there had been little interruption of these operations by the ''Luftwaffe''. With little call for AA defence, the AA units became increasingly used to supplement the divisional artillery to support ground operations. LAA units fired tracer to guide night attacks onto their objectives, and the Bofors guns were much in demand for infantry support. They could give useful close-range fire to help infantry working from cover to cover in the bocage; their rapid fire was good for suppressing enemy heavy weapons, the 40 mm round's sensitive percussion fuze providing an ]airburst
An air burst or airburst is the detonation of an explosive device such as an anti-personnel artillery shell or a nuclear weapon in the air instead of on contact with the ground or target. The principal military advantage of an air burst over ...
effect among trees. It was also used for 'bunker-busting', though the lack of protection made the gun detachment vulnerable to return fire. LAA units also provided 'refuge strips' for Air Observation Post
Air Observation Post (AOP) is an aeroplane or helicopter used in the role of artillery spotter by the British Army and Commonwealth forces. In this role, either the pilot of the aircraft or another crew member acts as an observer watching for tar ...
aircraft spotting for the field guns: a Bofors troop deployed with Local Warning radar and ground observers could alert the pilot to the presence of enemy aircraft and provide protection for him.
7th Armoured Division's next major action was Operation Goodwood
Operation Goodwood was a British offensive during the Second World War, which took place between 18 and 20 July 1944 as part of the larger battle for Caen in Normandy, France. The objective of the operation was a limited attack to the south, ...
on 18 July, in which three armoured divisions under VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to:
* VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VIII Army Corps (German Confederation)
* VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
were to cross secretly to the east side of the River Orne
The Orne () is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It is long. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées. Its main tributaries are the Odon and the Rouvre.
The ...
and then thrust southwards past Caen deep into German-held territory. The 7th was the third division in the column, but played little part when the advance ran out of impetus once the leading tanks passed out of range of the supporting artillery, which was still west of the river because of congestion in the bridgehead. That night 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 ...
'' made one of its rare air raids, hitting the Orne bridgehead and causing damage among the rear echelons of the armoured divisions, though it encountered a large volume of British AA fire. The few German air sorties made next day while the British consolidated were ineffective.[
There now followed another period of static warfare, with 7th Armoured occupying the reverse slope of a ridge south of Caen. Because there was little cover, the ''Luftwaffe'' carried out a large number of evening reconnaissance flights, 'of which quite a few were shot down or damaged by the concentrated fire of the light anti-aircraft Bofors', followed by small but effective night raids on the division's gun lines, ammunition dumps and headquarters. 7th Armoured was deployed to support ]II Canadian Corps
II Canadian Corps was a corps-level formation that, along with I (British) Corps (August 1, 1944 to April 1, 1945) and I Canadian Corps (April 6, 1943 to November 1943, and April 1, 1945 until the end of hostilities), comprised the First Canad ...
's Operation Spring
Operation Spring (July 25–27, 1944) was an offensive operation of the Second World War conducted by II Canadian Corps during the Normandy campaign in 1944. The plan was intended to create pressure on the German forces operating on the British ...
on 25 July and had some hard fighting at Tilly-la-Campagne
Tilly-la-Campagne () is a former commune in the Calvados department and Normandy region of north-western France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of ove ...
.
The German front began to break up at the end of July. 7th Armoured Division reverted to XXX Corps, which was advancing south-eastwards from Caumont in Operation Bluecoat
Operation Bluecoat was a British offensive in the Battle of Normandy, from 30 July until 7 August 1944, during the Second World War. The geographical objectives of the attack, undertaken by VIII Corps and XXX Corps of the British Second Army ...
. On 31 July the division began fighting its way towards Aunay, which took until 10 August, when the division was rested while other formations fought to close the Falaise Pocket.
7th Armoured Division was next switched to 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 A ...
for the advance via Lisieux
Lisieux () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It is the capital of the Pays d'Auge area, which is characterised by valleys and hedged farmland.
Name
The name of the town derives from the ...
to the River Seine
)
, mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur
, mouth_coordinates =
, mouth_elevation =
, progression =
, river_system = Seine basin
, basin_size =
, tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle
, tributarie ...
, which took until 28 August owing to determined German rearguards. On 31 August the division, now heading XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to:
* 12th Army Corps (France)
* XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army
* XII ...
, crossed the Seine through 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division
The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service in ...
's bridgehead. It drove hard for the River Somme and on to its objective of Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...
, bypassing defended areas, forcing river and canal crossings and taking surrenders of German forces, including those at Ghent on 5 September. As the frontline divisions advanced, AA brigades followed up to take over responsibility for defending the river crossings.
Netherlands
7th Armoured Division played only a minor part in Operation Market Garden, the failed attempt by XXX Corps to use a 'carpet' of airborne forces to seize the crossing of 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 be ...
at Arnhem
Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...
. Instead it was employed to clear the area round the vital supply port of Antwerp, rounding up rearguards and stragglers, but on 24 September it was moved to protect the long flank of XXX Corps' penetration to Nijmegen and to keep the road open.[ On 22 October XII Corps began ]Operation Pheasant
Operation Pheasant, also known as the Liberation of North Brabant, was a major operation to clear German troops from the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands during the fighting on the Western Front in the Second World War. This offensiv ...
, using 7th Armoured and 53rd (Welsh) Divisions to advance towards 's-Hertogenbosch
s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 157,486. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest by population. The city is south of th ...
, while 51st (Highland) and 15th (Scottish) Divisions advanced against Tilburg
Tilburg () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 222,601 (1 July 2021), it is the second-largest city or municipality in North Brabant after Eindhoven and the seventh-larg ...
further south. The two towns were taken on 26 and 28 October respectively, opposition having been patchy. Divisional LAA units were now regularly being used to engage ground targets, or as flank guards with the divisional reconnaissance, anti-tank and machine gun units.
7th Armoured Division spent the winter months holding the line along 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 ...
, with some shelling, patrol actions and occasional diversionary attacks. Meanwhile, the ''Luftwaffe'' became more active in mid-December with fighter-bombers and reconnaissance aircraft in twos and threes, or larger bombing raids, such as one on Sittard on 16 December, when 15th LAA Rgt shot down two of the new Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the Germ ...
jets. When the ''Luftwaffe'' launched its Operation ''Bodenplatte'' against Allied airfields on 1 January 1945, GHQ AA Troops for 21st Army Group reported that '40 mm LAA had the time of its life', and 15th LAA claimed a further seven jets.
Operation Blackcock
Operation Blackcock was an operation to clear German troops from the Roer Triangle, formed by the towns of Roermond and Sittard in the Netherlands and Heinsberg in Germany during the fighting on the Western Front in the Second World War. It was ...
began on 16 January, a well-rehearsed offensive designed to turn the enemy's positions and close up to the River Roer. The operation succeeded despite the winter weather, which hindered both side's aircraft until 22 January, and even then there was little sign of the ''Luftwaffe''.
The division remained in position until 21 February with little activity apart from artillery exchanges, occasional patrol clashes and one 'spirited appearance of the Luftwaffe which inflicted no damage'. The division then went to Weert
Weert (; li, Wieërt ) is a municipality and city in the southeastern Netherlands located in the western part of the province of Limburg. It lies on the Eindhoven–Maastricht railway line, and is also astride the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal.
Pop ...
for rest, re-equipment and training. By this stage of the war divisional LAA regiments had started to receive quadruple 0.5-inch Browning machine guns on SP mountings (the M51 Quadmount) in place of a proportion of their Bofors guns, to improve their capability against 'snap' attacks by the new German jet fighter-bombers. Under this arrangement a troop comprised four SP Bofors and two SP quadruple Brownings.
Germany
The assault crossing of the Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
, Operation Plunder
Operation Plunder was a military operation to cross the Rhine on the night of 23 March 1945, launched by the 21st Army Group under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The crossing of the river was at Rees, Wesel, and south of the river Li ...
, entailed a large and complex air defence plan. Although 7th Armoured Division was not involved in the initial assault, 15th LAA Rgt was one of the LAA units moved up close to the west bank where it was dug-in and carefully concealed in the 48 hours before D-Day. Their role was both to provide AA cover during the night and to take part in the initial 'Pepperpot', in which guns and mortars of all calibres saturated the enemy positions in front of the assaulting infantry. 15th (Scottish) Division, leading the assault for XII Corps, had over 700 guns of all types on call when the bombardment began at 23.30 on 23 March, which was followed by 'the start of the Divisional "Pepperpot" at 1 A.M. to swell the din in a mad crescendo and to criss-cross the darkness with the vivid red of anti-aircraft and anti-tank and machine-gun tracer'. The infantry set off across the river in amphibious Buffaloes at 02.00 on 24 March, and made rapid progress inland to link up with the airborne troops who landed during the morning (Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity (24 March 1945) was a successful airborne forces operation launched by Allied troops that took place toward the end of World War II. Involving more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, it was the largest ai ...
). The ''Luftwaffe'' did virtually nothing during the assaults or during D-Day itself: only after nightfall did Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast ...
s begin scattered divebombing attacks at medium and low level against the British bridging sites, artillery positions and supply routes. Some of these were engaged by searchlights and LAA guns. The number of attacks increased the following night and were maintained on the fourth night, but after that Second Army's exploitation was so deep that the ''Luftwaffe'' was forced to switch its attacks away from the Rhine to harassing the leading formations.
The rest of 7th Armoured Division was about away at Heeze
Heeze is a town in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Heeze-Leende, about 9 km southeast of Eindhoven.
The Heeze Castle is located east of the town. Further east and to the north lies the Strabrechtse ...
, and did not concentrate near Geldern
Geldern ( nl, Gelderen, archaic English: ''Guelder(s)'') is a city in the federal German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is part of the district of Kleve, which is part of the Düsseldorf
administrative region.
Geography
Location
Geldern l ...
until 25 March. Its role was to cross once the bridgehead had been secured and heavy bridges had been built for the tanks. It began to cross the bridge at Xanten
Xanten (, Low Rhenish: ''Santen'') is a town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the district of Wesel.
Xanten is known for the Archaeological Park, one of the largest archaeological open air museums in the wo ...
on the morning of 27 March, passed through the positions of 6th Airborne Division and began advancing against rearguards. After fighting its way through Stadtlohn on 30 March the pace of the advance began to pick up: by 2 April the division had advanced . During Second Army's advance the ''Luftwaffe'' attacked bridging sites, artillery positions and road movements. For the divisional LAA guns most of these involved 'snap' actions, against low-flying attackers using cloud cover, and often using jet aircraft. On 5 April 7 Armoured Division's route was strafed
Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons.
Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such ...
by about a dozen Focke-Wulf Fw 190s and Me 262s, which inflicted little damage, and three of which were shot down.
The division entered Diepholz without opposition on 6 April, but found the bridges over the Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...
further on had been blown. The division was therefore swung west towards Bremen in an effort to cut off retreating German forces. It crossed the Aller on 15 April and took the lead once more, bypassing Soltau and crossing Lüneburg Heath, fighting its way to the Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...
valley on 20 April. The division was now facing the defences of Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, and spent the next few days clearing up the vast salient that it had captured. This area was full of German stragglers: a sergeant of 15th LAA Rgt encountered a group of German Marines
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
in woods within sight of Divisional HQ: one of the marines was wounded and the machine guns of the HQ tanks drove off the rest. The numbers of ''Luftwaffe'' attacks on the advancing British divisions peaked in the last week of the war before Hamburg surrendered to 7th Armoured Division on 3 May, followed by the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath
On 4 May 1945, at 18:30 British Double Summer Time, at Lüneburg Heath, south of Hamburg, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of the German forces in the Netherlands, northwest Germany including all i ...
next day.
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 units of 21st Army Group were engaged in occupation duties, disarming German troops and administering the British Zone of Allied-occupied Germany
Germany was already de facto occupied by the Allies from the real fall of Nazi Germany in World War II on 8 May 1945 to the establishment of the East Germany on 7 October 1949. The Allies (United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and Franc ...
. 15th LAA Regiment remained in Hamburg when a large part of 7th Armoured Division moved to Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
in June and July for victory parades. Demobilisation
Demobilization or demobilisation (see spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and milit ...
began in late 1945. By 4 February 1946, 1 LAA Bty left to help reform 2nd LAA Rgt in the postwar Regular Army. Then on 25 February RHQ, 41 and 42 LAA Btys went into suspended animation pending the reorganisation of the TA.[
]
Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, the regiment reformed as 515 (Isle of Man) LAA Rgt.[Frederick, p. 1019.][474–519 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 onwards.]
/ref> It formed part of 59 AA Brigade headquartered at Liverpool.[Watson, ''TA 1947''.]
/ref>
AA Command was abolished on 10 March 1955 and there were wholesale disbandments among its units: 515 LAA Rgt survived as 42 Division Counter-Bombardment (Isle of Man) Staff Troop ( 42nd (Lancashire) Division being the postwar TA formation in the region).[ However, when there were further cuts to the TA in 1961, it was merged into 288 (2nd West Lancashire) LAA Rgt.][
]
Insignia
A regimental arm badge was authorised in 1950 consisting of three conjoined armoured legs in silver on a red shield (the Coat of arms of the Isle of Man
The Coat of Arms of the Isle of Man, blazoned '' Gules three legs in armour flexed at the knee and conjoined at the thigh, all proper, garnished and spurred or'', dates from the late 13th century. The present version dates from 12 July 1996. As ...
).[
]
Memorial
There is a memorial plaque to the regiment in the Royal Chapel of St John the Baptist at St John's in the parish of German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, IoM.
Museum
Until 2005 the Old Comrades of the Regiment ran a museum at Tromode
Tromode is a village in Braddan parish, Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_ ...
, but their exhibits are now displayed at the Manx Aviation and Military Museum
The Manx Aviation and Military Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of aviation and the military on the Isle of Man. The museum is open at the weekends throughout the year and every day from late May to the end of September. Visits at ...
at Castletown.
See also
* Manx Fencible Corps 1779–1783
* Royal Manx Fencibles 1793–1811
* Isle of Man Volunteers
The Isle of Man Volunteers was a nominal battalion of Britain's Volunteer Force formed during the 1860s and disbanded in 1920. Its service companies saw active service in the Second Boer War and World War I. During its existence, the battalion ...
1860–1920
Notes
References
Bibliography
* John Buckley, ''Monty's Men: The British Army and the Liberation of Europe'', London: Yale University Press, 2013, .
* Maj 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, .
* Maj 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, Farnd ...
, ''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, .
*
* Michael Glover
Michael Glover (1922–1990) served in the British army during the Second World War, after which he joined the British Council and became a professional author. He has written many articles and books on Napoleonic and Victorian warfare.
Publishe ...
, ''An Improvised War: The Abyssinian Campaign of 1940–1941'', London: Leo Cooper, 1987, .
* Lt-Gen Sir Brian Horrocks
Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, (7 September 1895 – 4 January 1985) was a British Army officer, chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World W ...
, ''A Full Life'', London: Collins, 1960.
*
* John Keegan
Sir John Desmond Patrick Keegan (15 May 1934 – 2 August 2012) was an English military historian, lecturer, author and journalist. He wrote many published works on the nature of combat between prehistory and the 21st century, covering land, ...
, ''Six Armies in Normandy, From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris'', London: Jonathan Cape 1982/Penguin 1983, .
* Capt Martin Lindsay and Capt M..E. Johnstone, ''History of 7th Armoured Division June 1943–July 1945'', British Army of the Rhine, 1945.
* Norman E.H. Litchfield, ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, .
* Lt-Gen H.G. Martin, ''The History of the Fifteenth Scottish Division 1939–1945'', Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1948/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2014, .
* Brig C.J.C. Molony,''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol V: ''The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and the Campaign in Italy 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1973/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, .
* ''The Memoirs of Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein'', London: Collins, 1958.
Maj-Gen I.S.O. Playfair, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol I: ''The Early Successes against Italy (to May 1941)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1954/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004
ISBN 1-845740-65-3.
ISBN 1-845740-66-1.
* Maj-Gen I.S.O. Playfair & Brig C.J.C. Molony, "History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol IV: ''The Destruction of the Axis forces in Africa'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1966/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, .
* Brig N.W. Routledge, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994,
External links
Museum of the Manx Regiment - a short history of the Regiment
Military history of the Isle of Man, from the Manx National Heritage Library (PDF format)
British Army units from 1945 on
Imperial War Museum, War Memorials Register
Orders of Battle at Patriot Files
15th (Scottish) Division War Diaries.
{{refend
Royal Artillery regiments
Military units and formations on the Isle of Man
Military units and formations established in 1938
Military units and formations disestablished in 1955
Military of the Isle of Man