WW2 - 466/135 (M) HAA Regiment Royal Artillery

[Mainsforth]

I should be grateful for any info that would help me to find where 466/135 (M) HAA Regiment Royal Artillery [Territorial Army] was stationed in the Second World War.

Edward Crawford (1904 - 1984) was my father-in-law. In civilian life he was a Monumental Sculptor in Edinburgh.

His Second World War Territorial Army Record of Service includes these details:

Army Number 1815898.

Due to join up on12 June 1941

Granted a deferment

Deemed to have on 24 July 1941

Actually joined on 7 August 1941.

Spent the whole of his period of war service in the UK.

First posting - 210 AA Training Regiment Royal Artillery, Oswestry

Subsequent posting - 466/135 (M) HAA Regiment Royal Artillery

Served 4 years and 177 days - from 7 Aug 1941 to 30 Jan 1946

Awarded War Medal 7999/45.

Family folklore says he was billeted/on a gun in a London Park.

The Commanding Officer, who signed Edward's Notification of Impending Release, may have been stationed in Dover.

[MaxD]

In your earlier search on another forum you were directed to people who offer copy services for the war diaries at Kew, undigitized unfortunately:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_aq=135%20heavy%20anti%20aircraft&_nq1=Z&_dss=range&_ro=any&_st=adv

That would be my suggestion also.  Does his record have no locations at all?   The family story would hold water, men (and women, the regiment was mixed), on AA sites were often billeted with local families.

MaxD

[Mainsforth]

Thank you for your help. I note what you say about the Kew war diaries copy service.

I have not been looking for info on Edward for over a year and my membership of the other armed forces forums lapsed a while ago.

I recently started looking for info on my mother in law’s Geoghegan parents and siblings. These led me to some previously undiscovered facts about my in laws (e.g. Edward's enlistment was deferred because my wife's birth was imminent and one her aunts had died days before). Hence my renewed my interest in where Edward spent his WW2.

The only service locations info on the full service record I hold are those on the attached pdf of one of the pages.

I am a novice when it comes to military service. But with some research, prompted by the info on the full WW1 service record of my Granda Hunter, I was able to come up with some details of his service in the Royal Marines Medical Unit (RMMU) of the Royal Naval Division. These are some of them:-

Trained - Crystal Palace - 20 Jan 1915
Service number Deal/3287(S)
Posted  Blandford camp -11 Feb 1915
No 3 Field Ambulance - 1 March 1915
Shipped in Gallopoli convoy - 29 April 1915
Sent to a hospital ship to help treat ANZAC Bay casualties
He had a number of spells in hospitals -  including Imbros General Hospital, RN Hospital Bighi, Malta, and Chatham Hospital
Embarked forFrance with BEF 25 Dec 1917
Mustard gassed - 25 Aug 1918
"
I would like to create a similar list for Edward's dependants and will look into "the Kew copy service".

Thanks again for your help

[MaxD]

As you've no doubt seen, the only locations are Oswestry where he trained and then Newcastle where 466 Battery was when he had some leave.  135 HAA Regiment of which the battery was a part was raised in October 1941 and was part of 30 Anti Aircraft Brigade who were defending north east England.  The AA organisation changed in October 1942 and the units were spread among two AA Groups.  Haven't had time to check where 135 HAA went in that reorganisation.  What is clear from the bit of the record you have is that he was definitely with the same battery throughout.
More in due course.

MaxD

[MaxD]

I haven't been able to track the regiment after the Oct 42 reorganisation and my best guess is, as it went to either 5 or 6 AA Group, he remained on the east or north east coast.  However, unless anyone knows specifically where it was located from then on, the war diaries are the best route.

That said, the National Archives copy service is an expensive business.  The costs are laid out here http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/record-copying/ and the link at the bottom.  In sum, £8.94 to page check each diary (there are 6) and then, if you go ahead, £1.20 a page for the copies.  You may do better to consider hiring a researcher with a limited brief to discover what you want. 

MaxD

[Mainsforth]

Hi MaxD
Your last post said
"I haven't been able to track the regiment after the Oct 42 reorganisation and my best guess is, as it went to either 5 or 6 AA Group, he remained on the east or north east coast.  However, unless anyone knows specifically where it was located from then on, the war diaries are the best route."

I took the advice you gave me by another means and have purchased a précis of the Royal Artillery Museum Archive DRAMA for 135 HAA. If I have correctly interpreted the contents of the précis you will find the AA Groups it was in in the attached pdf.

[MaxD]

Thank you Mainsforth, I was happy with the first two Groups but not the subsequent allocations.


If your initial in the real world are KHF you should have received an email from me following your successful interaction with the RA Museum??

MaxD