186:
30:
54:
71:
178:, Manchester (completed in early 1940). The first recruit was sworn in on 8 November and by 22 June 1939 the regiment had reached its full strength, including a regimental band. 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
303:
By now, AA Command was suffering a manpower crisis: it was required to release units and personnel to the field armies and was still short of LAA gun units, but it was over-provided with S/L units. The solution was to convert existing S/L units or to disband them and redistribute the personnel. On 31
242:
on 8/9 May 1941 being a notable example. In 1941, the searchlight layout over the
Midlands was reorganised, so that any hostile raid approaching the Gun Defended Areas (GDA) around the towns must cross more than one searchlight belt, and then within the GDAs the concentration of lights was increased.
359:
On 1 January 1949, an oak clergy desk was unveiled in St John's Church, Failsworth, bearing the inscription: 'PRESENTED BY THE OFFICERS AND OTHER RANKS OF 71ST (E.L.) SEARCHLIGHT REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY T.A. TO COMMEMORATE THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT AND TO PERPETUATE ITS MEMORY 1938–1943'. The
157:
As the international situation deteriorated in the late 1930s, the threat of air raids on the UK led to the rapid expansion in the number of anti-aircraft (AA) units manned by members of the part-time TA. Ordered in August 1938 and formed on 1 November 1938, the unit was one of the first three TA
304:
May 1943, RHQ and the three batteries of 71st (East Lancs) S/L Rgt were all reduced to cadres, with the men being sent to reinforce LAA units. On 14 March 1944 the regiment was considered to have lapsed into 'suspended animation'.
332:
HAA gun was installed in the drill hall for instructional purposes, and the regiment also had a cadet detachment at Norman Road. It formed part of 70 AA Bde (reformed from the former 44 AA Bde).<
955:
570:
477:
950:
274:
206:
tasked with defending the North West and North
Midlands of England. 71st (East Lancs) S/L Rgt deployed around Manchester. As a new regiment, it received instructors from the neighbouring
945:
940:
935:
336:
324:
were integrated into the unit). It was under the command of Lt-Col C.W. Provis; RHQ and two batteries were at the drill hall at Norman Road, Rusholme, with an out-station at
267:
640:
Organization of the Field Force in the United
Kingdom and Order of Battle, Part 12, Orkney and Shetland Defences, 26 March 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/116.
166:
and/or converted from infantry battalions). It consisted of
Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) and Nos 462–464 Companies (later Batteries), with RHQ and two batteries at
277:, to which regiment it was formally transferred on 19 March 1943. 71st (East Lancs) S/L Rgt rejoined 464 S/L Bty in 53 AA Bde in 4th AA Division, deployed in the
382:
878:
203:
199:
226:
577:
484:
285:
529:
344:
430:
747:
667:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 13 March 1943, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/83.
207:
198:
Anti-Aircraft
Command mobilised in August 1939, ahead of the declaration of war on 3 September, and the regiment took its place in the
628:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/79.
866:
842:
827:
812:
508:
138:
74:
758:
343:
HAA Rgts together providing P (Manchester) Bty at Hulme, Manchester. The drill hall at Norman Road was taken over in June 1955 by
545:
251:
893:
879:
Keith
Brigstock 'Royal Artillery Searchlights', presentation to Royal Artillery Historical Society at Larkhill, 17 January 2007.
849:
Gen Sir
Frederick Pile's despatch: "The Anti-Aircraft Defence of the United Kingdom from 28th July, 1939, to 15th April, 1945"
288:
on the South Coast of
England at short notice to combat the campaign of 'hit and run' attacks on coastal towns begun by the
649:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, TNA file WO 212/80.
902:
351:. Some of the surplus personnel of 606 HAA Rgt transferred to 42 Signal Rgt, which also took over the cadet detachment.
185:
325:
214:
658:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 14 May 1942, TNA file WO 212/81.
321:
888:
379:
229:. 516 Searchlight Bty, formed on 15 September, was regimented with 71st (East Lancs) S/L Rgt from 29 November 1940.
335:
When AA Command abolished on 10 March 1955, the regiment was amalgamated with other Manchester-based units to form
558:
292:
in March. AA Command urgently required light AA (LAA) guns to deal with these fast-moving daylight attacks by
297:
348:
340:
225:
where it provided the basis for a new 529 S/L Bty formed on 14 November 1940. This battery later joined
146:
805:
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941
329:
273:
When the regiment returned to England in February 1942 it left 516 S/L Bty in Orkney attached to
862:
838:
823:
808:
848:
685:
239:
218:
800:
386:
163:
159:
70:
29:
232:
The industrial cities of the North Midlands were targets for night bombing by the German
917:
769:
293:
59:
784:
929:
142:
246:
By the beginning of June 1941, RHQ with 462, 463 and 516 S/L Btys had moved to
312:
When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, 71st S/L Rgt was reformed at
263:
259:
171:
167:
108:
278:
266:. 464 Searchlight Bty remained in 53 AA Bde in 4th AA Division, attached to
234:
122:
859:
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55
883:
912:
313:
255:
222:
179:
175:
112:
835:
The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)
807:, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996,
247:
189:
90 cm Projector Anti-Aircraft, displayed at Fort Nelson, Portsmouth
184:
318:
606th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (East Lancashire)
174:, and one battery at a purpose-built drill hall at Norman Road,
221:
of experienced officers and men to 234th S/L Training Rgt at
135:
71st (East Lancashire) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
907:
23:
606th (East Lancashire) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
861:, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994,
217:, covering the North Midlands. The regiment supplied a
956:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1944
141:(TA), which was raised just before the outbreak of
118:
104:
96:
88:
80:
65:
47:
39:
20:
284:In April 1943 it was redeployed to the command of
951:Military units and formations established in 1938
519:Routledge, Table LVIII, p. 376; Table LX, p. 378.
713:
711:
571:"4 AA Division 1940 at British Military History"
478:"4 AA Division 1939 at British Military History"
162:(previous TA S/L units had all been part of the
822:, Vol II, Wakefield, Microform Academic, 1984,
296:, and S/L units were retrained to operate twin
21:71st (East Lancashire) Searchlight Regiment, RA
402:
400:
398:
396:
394:
820:Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978
509:AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files.
8:
946:Searchlight regiments of the Royal Artillery
460:
458:
456:
454:
941:Military units and formations in Lancashire
936:Military units and formations in Manchester
375:
373:
28:
743:
741:
748:592–638 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 on.
636:
634:
320:, ('Mixed' denoting that members of the
759:67–106 AA Bdes at British Army 1945 on.
540:
538:
426:
424:
422:
420:
418:
416:
414:
412:
369:
472:
470:
17:
213:In 1940, the regiment transferred to
137:was an air defence unit of Britain's
7:
837:, Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992,
345:42 (East Lancashire) Signal Regiment
258:Defence Force (OSDEF) defending the
158:searchlight regiments raised by the
34:Royal Artillery cap badge (pre-1953)
785:UK War Memorial Register Ref 44876.
238:during the winter of 1940–41, the
208:39th AA Battalion, Royal Engineers
14:
903:Orders of Battle at Patriot Files
530:The National Archives (TNA), Kew
69:
52:
889:British Army units from 1945 on
726:Litchfield, Appendix 5, p. 333.
528:39 S/L Rgt War Diary, 1939–41,
43:1 November 1938 – 10 March 1955
601:Routledge, Table, LXV, p. 396.
1:
705:Routledge, pp. 399 & 409.
431:'Royal Artillery' section in
328:, six miles from Rusholme. A
298:Vickers 0.5-inch machine guns
182:with automatic carbon feed.
275:59th (Warwickshire) S/L Rgt
972:
896:42 Signal Squadron History
735:Farndale, Annex M, p. 340.
610:Farndale, Annex D, p. 260.
559:4 AA Division at RA 39–45.
433:42 Signal Squadron History
406:Frederick, pp. 860–1, 872.
149:during and after the war.
920:The Territorial Army 1947
913:UK War Memorials Register
908:Royal Artillery 1939–1945
341:465 (Manchester Regiment)
27:
884:British Military History
833:Norman E.H. Litchfield,
546:"71 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45"
322:Women's Royal Army Corps
696:Routledge, pp. 399–401.
360:memorial is now lost.
349:Royal Corps of Signals
190:
145:and served as part of
857:Brig N.W. Routledge,
676:Routledge, pp. 401–4.
268:62nd (Loyals) S/L Rgt
188:
147:Anti-Aircraft Command
583:on 23 September 2015
490:on 23 September 2015
385:4 March 2016 at the
84:Searchlight Regiment
717:Frederick, p. 1026.
818:J.B.M. Frederick,
619:Routledge, p. 399.
464:Litchfield, p. 135
254:in the Orkney and
191:
532:file WO 166/3057.
446:Monthly Army List
316:, Manchester, as
128:
127:
963:
894:Maj I.G. Kelly,
873:External sources
853:18 December 1947
787:
782:
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756:
750:
745:
736:
733:
727:
724:
718:
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703:
697:
694:
688:
686:Pile's despatch.
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677:
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638:
629:
626:
620:
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582:
576:. Archived from
575:
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549:
542:
533:
526:
520:
517:
511:
506:
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499:
497:
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489:
483:. Archived from
482:
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465:
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404:
389:
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240:Nottingham Blitz
139:Territorial Army
75:Territorial Army
73:
58:
56:
55:
32:
18:
971:
970:
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965:
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962:
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918:Graham Watson,
898:(archive site).
875:
801:Martin Farndale
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452:
448:, January 1939.
444:
440:
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410:
405:
392:
387:Wayback Machine
378:
371:
366:
357:
339:, with 606 and
310:
294:fighter-bombers
215:53 Light AA Bde
204:4th AA Division
200:44th AA Brigade
196:
164:Royal Engineers
160:Royal Artillery
155:
131:
111:
53:
51:
35:
22:
12:
11:
5:
969:
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923:
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851:London Gazette
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466:
450:
438:
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368:
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309:
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300:in this role.
202:, part of the
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60:United Kingdom
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33:
25:
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13:
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3:
2:
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868:
867:1-85753-099-3
864:
860:
856:
854:
852:
847:
844:
843:0-9508205-2-0
840:
836:
832:
829:
828:1-85117-009-X
825:
821:
817:
814:
813:1-85753-080-2
810:
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130:Military unit
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72:
68:
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50:
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42:
38:
31:
26:
19:
16:
919:
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834:
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754:
731:
722:
701:
692:
681:
672:
663:
654:
645:
624:
615:
606:
597:
585:. Retrieved
578:the original
565:
554:
524:
515:
504:
492:. Retrieved
485:the original
445:
441:
432:
358:
334:
317:
311:
302:
289:
283:
272:
245:
233:
231:
227:87th S/L Rgt
212:
197:
194:World War II
156:
143:World War II
134:
132:
15:
587:29 November
494:29 November
337:314 HAA Rgt
262:'s base at
119:Engagements
105:Garrison/HQ
92:Air Defence
930:Categories
794:References
380:Brigstock.
264:Scapa Flow
260:Royal Navy
252:58 AA Bde
172:Manchester
168:Failsworth
109:Failsworth
290:Luftwaffe
279:Liverpool
235:Luftwaffe
123:The Blitz
799:Gen Sir
770:Watson,
383:Archived
355:Memorial
330:3.7-inch
314:Rusholme
286:5 AA Bde
256:Shetland
250:to join
223:Carlisle
180:arc lamp
176:Rusholme
113:Rusholme
100:Regiment
772:TA 1947
326:Flixton
308:Postwar
170:, near
48:Country
865:
841:
826:
811:
281:area.
248:Orkney
153:Origin
66:Branch
57:
40:Active
581:(PDF)
574:(PDF)
488:(PDF)
481:(PDF)
364:Notes
219:cadre
863:ISBN
839:ISBN
824:ISBN
809:ISBN
589:2015
496:2015
133:The
97:Size
89:Role
81:Type
932::
803:,
740:^
710:^
633:^
537:^
469:^
453:^
411:^
393:^
372:^
347:,
270:.
210:.
845:.
830:.
815:.
774:.
591:.
548:.
498:.
435:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
