73rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
The 73rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (73rd LAA Rgt), was an air defence unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery during World War II. It served during the London Blitz, landed on D-Day, seeing action throughout the campaign in North West Europe and defending the cities of Belgium against V-1 flying bombs. Origin The regiment was formed on 27 February 1941 as part of the rapid expansion of Britain's Anti-Aircraft (AA) defences. It was organised as follows: 218 LAA Battery formed at 208th LAA Training Rgt at Yeovil from a cadre supplied by 34th LAA Rgt 220 LAA Battery formed at 212th LAA Training Rgt at Saighton Camp from a cadre supplied by 17th LAA Rgt 221 LAA Battery formed at 212th LAA Training Rgt at Saighton from a cadre supplied by 45th LAA RgtThe three batteries were all formed on 12 December 1940 and regimented on 10 March 1941. The regiment was assigned to 49th AA Brigade in 1st AA Division. This formed part of the London Inner Artillery Zone defending against the continuing Blitz. A number of officers, including the Commanding Officer (CO), Lieutenant-Colonel John Anderson Armstrong, and the adjutant, Captain Sir Charles Shuckburgh, Bt, came to the regiment from the 11th (City of London Yeomanry) LAA Rgt within 49th AA Bde. The Blitz RHQ was established at Sunningdale, soon afterwards moving to Stanwell. The three newly formed batteries were still training at LAA Practice Camps at Watchet (218 Bty) and Stiffkey (220 and 221 Btys). As they arrived they took over defence of Vulnerable Points (VPs) west of London: 218 Bty at Langley with eight Bofors 40 mm guns and at Surbiton with 12 Lewis guns; 220 Bty at Neasden (2 x Bofors), Hendon (2 x Bofors) and Northolt (8 x Bofors); 221 at Hatfield and Radlett. Most of these VPs were related to airfields and/or aircraft factories. Later some of these VPs were given up to other units and the regiment took over protection of vital waterworks at Hampton, Walton-on-Thames and Kempton Park. The regiment fired its first shots (at a passing Dornier Do 17 bomber) on 12 March. That month the regiment provided a number of volunteers and Bofors guns to provide AA cover aboard Merchant Navy ships. It was still receiving recruits from the training regiments – three whole Troops (providing a fourth Troop for each Battery: D, H and L) arrived from Stiffkey in early May – and further training was carried out at the batteries by instructors from 11th (CoLY) LAA Rgt. More sites were given Bofors guns, and during May some of the static guns were converted to semi-mobile status by mounting them on travelling carriages. Also that month, 123rd Z Battery was temporarily attached to the regiment and took over some VPs with its rocket launchers. In September 1941 the regiment provided a cadre of experienced men to provide the basis of a new 296th LAA Bty formed by 208th LAA Training Regiment at Yeovil. In November this battery joined the