347:
269:
26:
49:
283:
against
British cities got under way, there was some movement among the regiment's detachments. While 474th and 485th Btys deployed at the standard 3000-yard intervals, 493rd Bty was in four six-light clusters and 485th was in three-light clusters. The cluster system was an attempt to improve the
288:. Eventually, one light in each cluster was to be equipped with searchlight control (SLC) radar and act as 'master light', but the radar equipment was still in short supply. 485th and 493rd Btys received their first
399:
At the end of
September 1942 the AA Divisions were disbanded, being replaced by new AA Groups more closely aligned with the Groups of Fighter Command. 76th Searchlight Regiment remained in 69th AA Bde, now part of
385:, with eight sites in the 'Indicator Belt' along the coast and 16 SLC sites in the Killer Belt. On 28 November one of its sites was bombed (with no casualties or damage) when it illuminated a hostile aircraft.
168:
However, these plans were immediately changed: the CO was posted away within two weeks, and 476th and 477th S/L Btys were disbanded in June and July, the personnel of 477th being posted to help reform
838:
154:
833:
158:
786:
The
Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments, Royal Artillery, Part 2: The Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment 1938–1945 and the Searchlight Battery 1937–1945; Part 3: The Post-war Units 1947–2002
828:
358:
No 2) in sufficient numbers to allow the sites to be 'declustered' into single-light sites spaced at 6000-yard intervals in a 'Killer Belt' cooperating with night-fighters.
153:
searchlight units) and 475th had already been formed under orders issued in
February, while 476th and 477th were to be newly formed by 217th SLTR from cadres provided by
330:
to see how searchlights combined with AA guns could deal with low-flying attacks. By the spring the battery manned clusters of three searchlights at
Boscombe Down and
354:
After the Blitz ended in May 1941, the regiment continued its home defence role in AA Command. In
September it began to receive its first purpose-built SLC radar (
300:
237:
217:
421:
374:
370:
142:
617:
181:
169:
501:
162:
137:(RA) in August 1940. The regiment was officially formed on 20 May 1940 at 217th Searchlight Training Regiment (SLTR) at Bradbury Lines,
292:
sets in
December and became operational at the end of the year. The regiment was fully deployed in three-light clusters by mid-January
793:
778:
763:
748:
129:(TA) searchlight (S/L) regiment to be formed following the outbreak of war: the others existing at that time were converted pre-war
126:
430:
On 20 February 1943, 474th S/L Bty ceased to be part of 76th S/L Rgt and became an independent unit training for a mobile role in
393:
389:
296:
225:
346:
401:
268:
470:, on 23 September 1944, completing the process on 3 March 1945. 474 (Independent) S/L Bty disbanded on 15 November 1945.
687:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 13 March 1943, TNA file WO 212/83.
673:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 1 October 1942, TNA file WO 212/82.
459:
664:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 14 May 1942, TNA file WO 212/81.
628:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, TNA file WO 212/79.
542:
462:. The run-down began in the autumn: RHQ of 76th S/L Rgt with 485, 492 and 493 S/L Btys commenced disbandment at
437:
The rest of 76th S/L Rgt remained in 69th AA Bde until Spring 1944 when it transferred back to 64th AA Bde.
221:
213:
304:
176:. Two new batteries were formed: 492nd S/L Bty from 217th SLTR, and 493rd S/L Bty from 222nd SLTR at
355:
741:
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941
335:
326:
gun-laying radar equipped with elevation-finding equipment. It was also engaged in experiments at
224:, transferred from 59th S/L Rgt and promoted to Lt-Col, and the regiment came under the orders of
431:
308:
257:
233:
173:
454:
warned in June 1944 that AA Command would have to release manpower to provide reinforcements to
789:
774:
759:
744:
331:
327:
284:
chances of picking up enemy bombers and keeping them illuminated for engagement by AA guns or
209:
106:
78:
405:
146:
141:. It was to comprise Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) and 474th–477th S/L Batteries. Of these,
736:
455:
229:
134:
130:
114:
48:
25:
334:. Meanwhile, 485th and 493rd Btys were engaged in large-scale trials for AA Command and
323:
289:
822:
366:
285:
102:
98:
52:
467:
205:
180:. Then in August 475 S/L Bty was exchanged with 485 S/L Bty from the reforming
463:
451:
361:
In November 1941, the regiment was relieved by 2nd S/L Rgt and redeployed to
442:
382:
319:
315:
280:
245:
150:
110:
82:
771:
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55
806:
272:
253:
249:
138:
788:, Welwyn: Hertfordshire Yeomanry and Artillery Trust/Hart Books, 2003,
378:
743:, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996,
241:
177:
447:
362:
345:
267:
240:. By the end of August the regiment's lights were deployed across
714:
Order of Battle of AA Command, 27 April 1944, TNA file WO 212/85.
705:
Order of Battle of AA Command, 1 August 1943, TNA file WO 212/84.
184:, giving 76th S/L Rgt the following composition from 24 July:
307:. The brigade's prime responsibility was airfield defence in
303:, both being new formations created in the rapidly-expanding
161:
S/L Rgts respectively. The first Commanding Officer (CO) was
322:, but its role was unchanged. It began to receive improved
204:
Of these, 474th S/L Bty had already seen service defending
133:
or infantry battalions, which were all transferred to the
696:
474 (Ind) S/L Bty War Diary, 1943, TNA file WO 166/11557.
811:
773:, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994,
839:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1944
516:
474 S/L Bty War Diary, 1940–41,TNA file WO 166/3322.
586:
584:
74:
66:
58:
43:
35:
18:
834:Military units and formations established in 1940
758:, Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984,
556:
554:
552:
550:
434:, the planned invasion of continental Europe.
275:, West Tisbury: 76th S/L Regimental HQ 1940–41
756:Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978
117:airfields and the towns of southern England.
8:
829:Searchlight regiments of the Royal Artillery
388:By May 1942 the regiment had transferred to
377:. For example, 485th Bty was deployed from
683:
681:
679:
618:8 AA Division at British Military History.
422:474th Searchlight Battery, Royal Artillery
95:76th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
24:
396:, both in 8th AA Division in SW England.
295:In November 1940 76th S/L Rgt came under
279:During the autumn, as the night-bombing
524:
522:
512:
510:
478:
314:In January 1941 474th Battery moved to
538:
536:
534:
496:
494:
492:
490:
488:
486:
484:
482:
15:
408:covering SW England and South Wales.
7:
392:, and then before October 1942 to
14:
502:The National Archives (TNA), Kew
47:
569:Routledge, Table LVIII, p. 376.
500:76 S/L Rgt War Diary, 1940–41,
1:
608:Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.
350:150 cm S/L with AA Radar No 2
39:20 May 1940–23 September 1944
19:76th Searchlight Regiment, RA
646:Routledge, pp. 99 & 399.
105:. It was engaged during the
208:in the early stages of the
855:
560:Frederick, pp. 860–1, 873.
369:, to take over sites from
812:Royal Artillery 1939–1945
30:Royal Artillery cap badge
23:
807:British Military History
228:, covering the ports of
101:air defence unit during
543:76 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45.
440:As the threat from the
351:
276:
172:after its return from
155:71st (East Lancashire)
769:Brig N.W. Routledge,
723:Routledge, pp. 420–1.
349:
305:Anti-Aircraft Command
290:Gun-Laying Radar Mk I
271:
97:(76th S/L Rgt) was a
784:Col J.D. Sainsbury,
62:Searchlight Regiment
336:RAF Fighter Command
159:59th (Warwickshire)
125:76th was the first
754:J.B.M. Frederick,
655:Sainsbury, p. 140.
590:Sainsbury, p. 137.
578:Routledge, p. 393.
528:Farndale, Annex M.
432:Operation Overlord
404:, coinciding with
352:
309:South West England
277:
258:Tisbury, Wiltshire
234:Falmouth, Cornwall
163:Lieutenant-Colonel
637:Routledge, p. 98.
599:Farndale, AnnexD.
504:file WO 166/3096.
460:North West Europe
420:See main article
332:RAF Middle Wallop
328:RAF Boscombe Down
212:. The new CO was
210:Battle of Britain
107:Battle of Britain
88:
87:
79:Battle of Britain
846:
801:External sources
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406:No. 10 Group RAF
127:Territorial Army
51:
28:
16:
854:
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819:
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737:Martin Farndale
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456:21st Army Group
414:
344:
301:8th AA Division
266:
238:5th AA Division
230:Plymouth, Devon
226:55th AA Brigade
165:A.T. Colthart.
135:Royal Artillery
131:Royal Engineers
123:
115:Royal Air Force
91:
81:
31:
12:
11:
5:
852:
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477:
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428:
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413:
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365:, with RHQ at
343:
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286:Night fighters
265:
262:
252:, with RHQ at
202:
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122:
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89:
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3:
2:
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827:
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794:0-948527-06-4
791:
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779:1-85753-099-3
776:
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764:1-85117-009-X
761:
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749:1-85753-080-2
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418:
417:
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411:
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403:
397:
395:
391:
386:
384:
380:
376:
375:89th S/L Rgts
372:
368:
367:Bolham, Devon
364:
359:
357:
348:
341:
339:
337:
333:
329:
325:
324:GL Mark I E/F
321:
317:
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306:
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298:
293:
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263:
261:
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247:
243:
239:
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231:
227:
223:
219:
216:P.J. Slater,
215:
211:
207:
200:493rd S/L Bty
199:
197:492nd S/L Bty
196:
194:485th S/L Bty
193:
191:474th S/L Bty
190:
187:
186:
185:
183:
179:
175:
171:
166:
164:
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152:
148:
144:
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136:
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128:
120:
118:
116:
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108:
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100:
96:
90:Military unit
84:
80:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
27:
22:
17:
816:
785:
770:
755:
740:
719:
710:
701:
692:
669:
660:
651:
642:
633:
624:
613:
604:
595:
574:
565:
458:fighting in
446:waned after
441:
439:
436:
429:
419:
398:
387:
360:
353:
313:
294:
278:
203:
167:
149:supplied by
124:
113:, defending
103:World War II
99:British Army
94:
92:
53:British Army
468:North Devon
394:69th AA Bde
390:60th AA Bde
297:64th AA Bde
206:Southampton
182:2nd S/L Rgt
170:1st S/L Rgt
75:Engagements
70:Air Defence
823:Categories
730:References
464:Woolacombe
452:War Office
402:3 AA Group
248:and South
443:Luftwaffe
383:Axminster
320:Wiltshire
316:Alderbury
264:The Blitz
246:Wiltshire
151:Edinburgh
111:The Blitz
83:The Blitz
735:Gen Sir
412:Break-up
356:AA Radar
273:Pythouse
254:Pythouse
250:Somerset
244:, South
139:Hereford
379:Taunton
342:Mid-war
281:'Blitz'
174:Dunkirk
792:
777:
762:
747:
450:, the
242:Dorset
178:Yeovil
147:cadres
145:(from
121:Origin
44:Branch
36:Active
474:Notes
448:D Day
363:Devon
214:Major
143:474th
790:ISBN
775:ISBN
760:ISBN
745:ISBN
373:and
371:88th
232:and
157:and
109:and
93:The
67:Role
59:Type
381:to
318:in
299:in
236:in
218:DFC
188:RHQ
825::
739:,
678:^
583:^
549:^
533:^
521:^
509:^
481:^
466:,
338:.
311:.
260:.
256:,
222:TD
220:,
796:.
781:.
766:.
751:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
