42nd Light Anti Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery

[Trevor Jennings]

Hi,

My father was with the 8th Army in both North Africa and Italy.

He was initially in 34th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment of the Royal Artillery. They landed in Italy at Taranto and moved on to Bari.

In June 1944 he was transferred to 42nd Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, until September1944, when he was moved again to 69th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, which sailed fromTaranto to Greece.

I haven’t been ableto find any details of where 42 LAA were in the summer of 1944. Can anyone help me please? It rather looks as if they were still somewhere on the Adriatic coast between Bari and Brindisi.

Any help much appreciated.

Trevor

[Frank de Planta]

Trevor.

You need to get your hands on the War Diaries for 42 LAA Regt RA. This is best done by getting a regular attender at the National Archives to copy them for you electronically.

Get me through http://www.cassinobattlefields.co.uk and I will happily send you the name of the chap that I use. He is terrific, efficient and inexpensive. You get a CD with all the stuff on for the months that you ask for. I am a battlefield guide and so use War Diaries all the time.

Regards

Frank

[Trevor Jennings]

Frank

I have the war diaries for 34 LAA and 69 LAA.

TNA documents for 42 LAA seem to stop at 1941.

Trevor

[ChrisC]

Hello Trevor

A year after your original post I know, but I can tell you where the 42LAA was on 12/06/1944. Reading the War Diaries of my Grandfather’s regiment and on this date the Commanding Officer of the 42LAA was having dinner with the the Commander Royal Artillery for the 2nd Armoured Brigade, 1st British Armoured Division, the CO of the 60th Anti Tank Regiment as well as the the CO of the 11th (HAC) RHA, my Grandfather’s regiment. On that day the 11th was camped at Altamura, the Divisional RA camp, at 043583 on sheet 188, Italy 1/100000.

Chris

[Frank de Planta]

Chris.

Chris.

Thank you for establishing that 42 LAA Regt RA were linked to 1 Armoured Division. They were the anti aircraft defence for the Division and so they went wherever the Division went.

That means that Trevor’s father was with the Division during their brutal experience on the Gothic Line near Coriano in the first few days of Sep 44. He would then have switched to 69 LAA Regt RA when 1 Armd Div was broken up in Oct 44.

Regards

Frank

[ChrisC]

Hi Frank

Thanks for your response. My Grandfather was, according to the Regiment’s war diaries, in and around Coriano at that time as well.

Might I ask you a question? My Grandfather was BSM for B Battery of the 11th (HAC) RHA. I have struggled to get a real sense of the role the BSM fulfilled within a Battery – would you know of any resources that might give an outline of BSM’s job?

Many thanks

Chris

[Frank de Planta]

Chris.

The Battery Sergeant Major is the Battery Commander’s right hand man for administration and discipline.

Whilst the Battery Second in Command – known as the BK, works on administrative planning – the food, ammunition, accommodation and transport needs of the whole Battery, it is the BSM who puts that planning into action and coordinates it all.

As a Warrant Officer Class 2, he is the senior non-Officer in the Battery and normally full of wisdom and calm. He is there to guide but not command the Battery’s batch of young Officers: the Lieutenants and Second Lieutenants who, if they are wise themselves, will always listen hard if the BSM speaks and offers advice.

If a soldier is charged with a military office, it is the BSM who frames the charge and puts the soldier in from of the Battery Commander for a decision.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Frank

[ChrisC]

Hello Frank

That’s very valuable and I appreciate so much you taking the time to respond.

Many thanks

Chris

[Frank de Planta]

Chris that should read:

If a soldier is charged with a military offence, it is the BSM who frames the charge and puts the soldier in front of the Battery Commander for a decision.

Regards

Frank

[Author]

Posts