97th (The London Scottish) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed during the period of international tension leading up to the outbreak of World War II. It was raised as a duplicate battalion by the famous London Scottish Regiment. The unit defended London during The Blitz and then served in Sicily and Italy, both in the anti-aircraft (AA) and medium artillery roles. The regiment continued in the postwar TA until amalgamated in 1955.
Origin
When the TA was doubled in size after the Munich Crisis the London Scottish gained enough recruits to form not one but two additional battalions; the extra battalion was formed as an AA unit. It was organised on 1 April 1939 at the London Scottish Drill Hall at 59 Buckingham Gate, Westminster, with the provisional title of 3rd Battalion, The London Scottish (97th Anti-Aircraft Regiment) and like its parent was a TA unit of the Gordon Highlanders. It consisted of Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) and 298 and 299 AA Batteries.
World War II
Mobilisation and Phoney War
In June 1939, as the international situation worsened, a partial mobilisation of Anti-Aircraft Command's TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA gun positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations. The new regiment mobilised as part of 48 AA Brigade in 1st AA Division defending London. The regiment was embodied in the Royal Artillery (RA) as 97th (The London Scottish) AA Regiment, RA.
While the Phoney War continued into 1940 there was little action, but AA Command's units trained hard while reinforcements and new equipment came in. 97th HAA Regiment formed a new 319 AA Bty within the regiment on 1 April 1940. On 1 June, AA units equipped with 3-inch or heavier guns, including 97th, were designated Heavy AA (HAA) regiments to distinguish them from the new Light AA (LAA) units being formed. By September 1940, 48 AA Bde controlled 28 gunsites (five still unoccupied) to the south and south-east of London as part of the London Inner Artillery Zone (IAZ). Its regiments manned a mixture of static and mobile 3.7-inch and static 4.5-inch guns, but only half the sites yet had GL Mk I gunlaying radar.
Battle of Britain and Blitz
While the Luftwaffe concentrated on Royal Air Force (RAF) airfields and radar stations in south east England during the Battle of Britain, 48 AA Bde was hardly involved, but on 1 September RAF Kenley and RAF Biggin Hill on the outskirts of London were heavily bombed and next day a raid up the Thames Estuary reached the edge of the London IAZ: on both days the raids were engaged by the guns. The docks were again bombed on 7 September, one bomber stream coming in over Surrey and being engaged by 48 AA Bde. This marked a change in tactics by the Luftwaffe and from now on London became the main target, by day and night. On 9 September an afternoon raid coming in over the South Coast was heavily attacked by the RAF, but some bombers came over Surrey to London to be engaged by 48 AA Bde. By now the number of HAA guns available in the IAZ had doubled to almost 200. Between 11 and 15 September, massed daylight aids approached London, but running battles with RAF fighters broke up most of the raids before they reached the IAZ. The Battle of Britain had been won, but from now on London would be bombed continuously by night in what became known as The Blitz.
Manning AA positions during the Blitz was dangerous and arduous work. The HAA guns were in action night after night and often during the day as well, as the Luftwaffe directed 71 major raids against London between September 1940 and May 1941. 97th HAA Regiment remained with 48 AA Bde throughout this period, and was strengthened when 376 HAA Bty was formed within the regiment on 15 October 1940.
Mid-war
The Blitz ended in mid-May 1941 when Luftwaffe units were transferred for the German invasion of Russia (Operation Barbarossa), but AA Command continued to expand. 97th HAA Regiment supplied a cadre of experienced officers and other ranks to 209th HAA Training Rgt at Blandford Camp to form a new 471 HAA Bty on 7 August 1941, but this battery was disbanded before being assigned to a regiment. The regiment provided another cadre to form 514 (Mixed) HAA Bty at 207th HAA Training Rgt at Devizes on 26 January 1942; this battery later joined 151st (Mixed) HAA Rgt. ('Mixed' units were those into which women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service were integrated.)