157:
223:
194:
30:
54:
71:
164:
As the international situation deteriorated in the late 1930s, the threat of air raids on the UK led to the rapid expansion in numbers of anti-aircraft (AA) units manned by members of the part-time TA. Formed on 1 November 1938, 70th (Sussex) was the first TA
181:(now Quebec Barracks of the Army Reserve). It was equipped with the new '90 cm Projector Anti Aircraft', a smaller and lighter piece of equipment than previous searchlights, with a more powerful high current density
313:
290:
289:). All Home Defence searchlight regiments were reduced from February 1944, and 70th S/L Rgt lost 537 S/L Bty, which commenced disbandment on 6 March, while E Troop of 459 S/L Bty left to become E Trp of 348 S/L Bty in
252:, when searchlight detachments had a subsidiary role in plotting raids and in close defence with light machine-guns. Searchlights were vital for directing AA guns and night fighters during the night attacks of
863:
531:
479:
843:
858:
356:. In 1941 he was court martialled and found guilty of 'improper behaviour' (homosexual acts) with three gunners and a civilian, for which he was dishonourably discharged and imprisoned.
853:
848:
713:
377:
800:
231:
211:
207:
538:
486:
610:
177:
and/or converted from infantry battalions). It consisted of HQ and Nos 459–461 Companies (later
Batteries) based at High Croft, Dyke Road, in
156:
664:
788:
773:
758:
743:
510:
137:
74:
675:
206:
Anti-Aircraft
Command mobilised in August 1939, ahead of the declaration of war on 3 September, and the regiment took its place in
801:
Keith
Brigstock 'Royal Artillery Searchlights', presentation to Royal Artillery Historical Society at Larkhill, 17 January 2007.
316:, then on 28 September Regiment Headquarters and the remaining batterie of 70th S/L Rgt were placed in 'suspended animation' at
349:
815:
453:
309:
222:
193:
374:
256:(1940–41), when Portsmouth city centre was devastated by a series of raids. The city was attacked again during the
571:
271:, where they formed a new 537 S/L Bty on 12 December 1940. 537 S/L Battery joined the regiment on 11 March 1941
348:
Among the first officers commissioned into the regiment on 1 November 1938 was
Lieutenant (later Captain)
145:
353:
736:
History of the Royal
Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941
286:
304:
warned in June 1944 that AA Command would have to release manpower to provide reinforcements to
784:
769:
754:
739:
336:, forming part of 106 AA Bde. However, on 30 June 1950 the regiment was amalgamated into 344 (
249:
118:
264:
731:
381:
337:
305:
239:
174:
170:
70:
29:
825:
686:
422:
268:
257:
59:
332:
When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, 70th S/L Rgt reformed at
Brighton as
312:. The run-down began in September: E/461 Trp left and became E Trp in 448 S/L Bty of
837:
141:
285:, AA Command was forced to release manpower for the planned invasion of Normandy (
166:
301:
235:
317:
281:
253:
244:
122:
781:
History of the Royal
Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55
805:
182:
178:
108:
810:
766:
The
Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)
248:, and the regiment was present during the daytime bombing raids of the
738:, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996,
197:
90 cm
Projector Anti-Aircraft, displayed at Fort Nelson, Portsmouth
340:) Light AA/Searchlight Regiment, becoming R Bty of that regiment.
321:
297:
226:
The Royal
Garrison Church at Portsmouth, bombed on 10 January 1941
221:
192:
155:
279:
By early 1944, with the lower threat of attack by the weakened
267:
of experienced officers and men to 231st S/L Training Rgt at
820:
783:, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994,
334:
605 (Mobile) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (Sussex)
296:
As the threat from the Luftwaffe waned further after
864:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1944
242:
there. Portsmouth was a major target for the German
114:
104:
96:
88:
80:
65:
47:
39:
20:
844:Military units and formations in Brighton and Hove
134:70th (Sussex) Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery
859:Military units and formations established in 1938
630:
628:
532:"5 AA Division 1940 at British Military History"
480:"6 AA Division 1939 at British Military History"
173:(previous TA S/L units had all been part of the
753:, Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984,
609:Order of Battle of AA Command, 27 April 1944,
397:
395:
393:
391:
389:
751:Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978
511:AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files.
8:
854:Searchlight regiments of the Royal Artillery
436:
434:
432:
430:
370:
368:
214:tasked with defending South East England.
208:27th (Home Counties) Anti-Aircraft Brigade
160:The 1930s TA Centre on Dyke Road, Brighton
28:
660:
658:
665:592–638 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 on.
314:61st (South Lancashire Regiment) S/L Rgt
291:37th (Tyne Electrical Engineers) S/L Rgt
140:(TA) raised just before the outbreak of
849:Military units and formations in Sussex
676:67–106 AA Bdes at British Army 1945 on.
364:
474:
472:
448:
446:
23:605th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
17:
136:was an air defence unit of Britain's
21:70th (Sussex) Searchlight Regiment,RA
7:
768:, Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992,
230:In 1940, 27 AA Bde transferred to
14:
816:Orders of Battle at Patriot Files
34:Royal Artillery cap badge of WWII
611:The National Archives (TNA), Kew
238:to assist in the defence of the
69:
52:
811:British Army units from 1945 on
643:Litchfield, Appendix 5, p. 335.
423:3 PWRR at British Army website.
350:Sir Herbert Latham, 2nd Baronet
1:
582:Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.
562:Routledge, pp. 55 & 383.
521:Routledge, Table LX, p. 378.
263:70th Searchlight Rgt sent a
185:with automatic carbon feed.
43:1 November 1938–30 June 1950
880:
652:Farndale, Annex M, p. 340.
591:Farndale, Annex D, p. 257.
572:5 AA Division at RA 39–45.
401:Frederick, pp. 860–1, 872.
148:during and after the war.
144:, which served as part of
828:The Territorial Army 1947
821:Royal Artillery 1939–1945
27:
806:British Military History
764:Norman E.H. Litchfield,
454:"70 S/L Rgt at RA 39–35"
169:regiment raised by the
380:March 4, 2016, at the
227:
198:
161:
779:Brig N.W. Routledge,
622:Routledge, pp. 420–1.
240:Royal Naval Dockyards
225:
196:
159:
146:Anti-Aircraft Command
544:on 23 September 2015
492:on 23 September 2015
84:Searchlight Regiment
634:Frederick, p. 1026.
440:Litchfield, p. 234.
749:J.B.M. Frederick,
600:Routledge, p. 409.
287:Operation Overlord
228:
199:
162:
717:5 September 1941.
702:Monthly Army List
613:, file WO 212/85.
466:Routledge, p. 55.
411:Monthly Army List
344:Prominent figures
310:North West Europe
250:Battle of Britain
128:
127:
119:Battle of Britain
871:
795:External sources
719:
711:
705:
699:
693:
684:
678:
673:
667:
662:
653:
650:
644:
641:
635:
632:
623:
620:
614:
607:
601:
598:
592:
589:
583:
580:
574:
569:
563:
560:
554:
553:
551:
549:
543:
537:. Archived from
536:
528:
522:
519:
513:
508:
502:
501:
499:
497:
491:
485:. Archived from
484:
476:
467:
464:
458:
457:
450:
441:
438:
425:
420:
414:
408:
402:
399:
384:
372:
218:Portsmouth Blitz
138:Territorial Army
75:Territorial Army
73:
58:
56:
55:
32:
18:
879:
878:
874:
873:
872:
870:
869:
868:
834:
833:
826:Graham Watson,
797:
732:Martin Farndale
727:
722:
712:
708:
700:
696:
685:
681:
674:
670:
663:
656:
651:
647:
642:
638:
633:
626:
621:
617:
608:
604:
599:
595:
590:
586:
581:
577:
570:
566:
561:
557:
547:
545:
541:
534:
530:
529:
525:
520:
516:
509:
505:
495:
493:
489:
482:
478:
477:
470:
465:
461:
452:
451:
444:
439:
428:
421:
417:
413:, January 1939.
409:
405:
400:
387:
382:Wayback Machine
373:
366:
362:
346:
338:Sussex Yeomanry
330:
306:21st Army Group
277:
232:5th AA Division
220:
212:6th AA Division
204:
191:
175:Royal Engineers
171:Royal Artillery
154:
131:
121:
53:
51:
35:
22:
12:
11:
5:
877:
875:
867:
866:
861:
856:
851:
846:
836:
835:
832:
831:
823:
818:
813:
808:
803:
796:
793:
792:
791:
777:
762:
747:
726:
723:
721:
720:
715:Glasgow Herald
706:
694:
679:
668:
654:
645:
636:
624:
615:
602:
593:
584:
575:
564:
555:
523:
514:
503:
468:
459:
442:
426:
415:
403:
385:
363:
361:
358:
345:
342:
329:
326:
276:
273:
269:Blandford Camp
258:Baedeker Blitz
219:
216:
203:
200:
190:
187:
153:
150:
129:
126:
125:
116:
112:
111:
106:
102:
101:
98:
94:
93:
90:
86:
85:
82:
78:
77:
67:
63:
62:
60:United Kingdom
49:
45:
44:
41:
37:
36:
33:
25:
24:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
876:
865:
862:
860:
857:
855:
852:
850:
847:
845:
842:
841:
839:
830:
829:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
802:
799:
798:
794:
790:
789:1-85753-099-3
786:
782:
778:
775:
774:0-9508205-2-0
771:
767:
763:
760:
759:1-85117-009-X
756:
752:
748:
745:
744:1-85753-080-2
741:
737:
733:
729:
728:
724:
718:
716:
710:
707:
703:
698:
695:
692:
690:
683:
680:
677:
672:
669:
666:
661:
659:
655:
649:
646:
640:
637:
631:
629:
625:
619:
616:
612:
606:
603:
597:
594:
588:
585:
579:
576:
573:
568:
565:
559:
556:
540:
533:
527:
524:
518:
515:
512:
507:
504:
488:
481:
475:
473:
469:
463:
460:
455:
449:
447:
443:
437:
435:
433:
431:
427:
424:
419:
416:
412:
407:
404:
398:
396:
394:
392:
390:
386:
383:
379:
376:
371:
369:
365:
359:
357:
355:
351:
343:
341:
339:
335:
327:
325:
323:
319:
315:
311:
307:
303:
299:
294:
292:
288:
284:
283:
274:
272:
270:
266:
261:
259:
255:
251:
247:
246:
241:
237:
234:and moved to
233:
224:
217:
215:
213:
209:
201:
195:
188:
186:
184:
180:
176:
172:
168:
158:
151:
149:
147:
143:
139:
135:
130:Military unit
124:
120:
117:
113:
110:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
76:
72:
68:
64:
61:
50:
46:
42:
38:
31:
26:
19:
16:
827:
780:
765:
750:
735:
714:
709:
701:
697:
688:
682:
671:
648:
639:
618:
605:
596:
587:
578:
567:
558:
546:. Retrieved
539:the original
526:
517:
506:
494:. Retrieved
487:the original
462:
418:
410:
406:
347:
333:
331:
308:fighting in
295:
280:
278:
262:
243:
229:
205:
202:Mobilisation
189:World War II
163:
142:World War II
133:
132:
15:
704:, May 1939.
548:29 November
496:29 November
167:searchlight
115:Engagements
105:Garrison/HQ
92:Air Defence
838:Categories
725:References
375:Brigstock.
302:War Office
236:Portsmouth
210:, part of
318:Blackmore
282:Luftwaffe
275:Later war
260:of 1942.
254:The Blitz
245:Luftwaffe
123:The Blitz
730:Gen Sir
687:Watson,
378:Archived
183:arc lamp
179:Brighton
109:Brighton
100:Regiment
689:TA 1947
328:Postwar
48:Country
787:
772:
757:
742:
300:, the
152:Origin
66:Branch
57:
40:Active
542:(PDF)
535:(PDF)
490:(PDF)
483:(PDF)
360:Notes
322:Essex
298:D Day
265:cadre
785:ISBN
770:ISBN
755:ISBN
740:ISBN
550:2015
498:2015
97:Size
89:Role
81:Type
840::
734:,
657:^
627:^
471:^
445:^
429:^
388:^
367:^
354:MP
352:,
324:.
320:,
293:.
776:.
761:.
746:.
691:.
552:.
500:.
456:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
