Army Form X 202/A

[DS]

Hi

On a Release Leave Certificate (Army Form X 202/A), it gives the following details .....

Army No: 1702027
Present Rank: GNR
Unit, Regt or Corps: 139/18th L.A.A REGT R.A.
Date of calling up for military service: 30th SEPTEMBER 1940
Issued: 16 Mar 1946
Place: BAOR
 
Can someone please tell me what the Unit, Regt or Corps that he served in was (in full) and does anyone have any information about where they were deployed from September 1940 until March 1946 ?

DS

[old rowley]

Morning DS,

Your soldier was a Gunner  in the 139/18th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (139/18th L.A.A., R.A. ). When released from the forces he would have still been with his regiment that is mentioned and would, at that time, been stationed somewhere in Germery as the the last letters BAOR stand for British Army Of  the Rhine (as I understand it, ).

old rowley

[DS]

 
 

Hi

Thank you for providing that very helpful information.

Can I please ask what the "139/18th" actually means or signifies ?

DS

[scrimnet]

Is this Uncle Freds?

Do you have any other paperwork??

I have the movements of 139 LAA at home ....

The 139 just means it was the 139th Regt of LAA that they had formed at that point...Like the old infantry numbers 1st, 2nd, 3rd, of Foot......

[DS]

 

Is this Uncle Freds?

Hi scrimnet

No. This does not refer to Uncle Fred (nor to any other Jackson).

It is my Dad's and I am afraid that it is the only military documentation that we have.

Presumably the "18th" refers to a smaller component of the "battery". What is the correct terminology for that, please ?

DS

[scrimnet]

Well the 18th LAA was part of the 5th (Yorkshire) Division...Don't confuse the name of the division with where the chaps came from!!

It was a Regular Division formed in 1939 and had battalions from (amongst others) the Wiltshires, Green Howards, Royal Scots Fusiliers, and of course 2nd Northamptons!

The division was part of the BEF in 1940, and in 1943 went to Sicily and thence into Italy in 1944.

These D-Day Dodgers were then sent into Europe in 1945 coming up through Holland

I'm still looking for the 139th...

[DS]

Hi scrimnet

Thanks for the information about the 18th LAA, but I think that we may be at cross purposes due to my inexperience. When I asked about the “18th” I was only meaning the part that follows the “139/” in “139/18th L.A.A. REGT R.A.”

I think that I understand from your earlier reply that the “139” refers to a “battery” (of a “regiment” ?). I was assuming that the 139th battery must be divided/organised into smaller parts of which my Dad was in the 18th part. I just wanted to know what the correct word for those smaller parts was.

I think (but I am not totally sure) that you thought I was asking about the 18th battery of the LAA, rather than the 18th [whatever the correct word is] of the 139th battery of the LAA.

I am sorry that we are not (yet) conversing in the same language but I hope that you can now understand what I was trying to ask.

I am, of course, much more interested to hear about the movements of the 139th if you can find them.

DS

[liverpool annie]

I found this and I don't know if it will be a help or a hindrance ... but here goes !!

139 Light AA Regiment RA(TA)
Jul 42 ... Formed from btys from 84 134 & 135 LAA rgts

http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/laa/page133.html

And this will give you a brief idea of the Theatres of War

http://www.naval-history.net/NAVAL1939-45Campaigns.htm

Annie 

[scrimnet]

139 and 18h were both regiments...

The RA is a little confusing when it comes to naming their sub units...

The Royal Regiment of Artillery...Parent badge...

In WW1 there was also the Royal Field Artillery and the Royal Garrison Artillery...Confusingly at that time they all wore the same cap badge, as did the Honourable Artillery Company and various Territorial units with minor wording differences on the scrolls...

The RA was (is) then divided into "Regiments" which were numbered. These equate roughly to Infantry Battalions.

These Regiments then have Batteries...Smaller units equating to a company or squadron. They are normally or numbered...ie  No 1 battery, 139 LAA...

It would be extremely unusual for his battery to be named after his Regiment...The accepted practice is prior to...Therefore I am surmising that he was posted to another LAA at some point as an experienced gunner to backfill a gap.