The 49th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (49th LAA Rgt) was an air defence unit of Britain's Royal Artillery during World War II. After serving with Anti-Aircraft Command during and after the Blitz, it joined 78th 'Battleaxe' Division to take part in the Allied invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch). It then served with the division in Sicily and Italy until it was disbanded at the end of 1944.
Origin
The regiment was formed as part of the rapid expansion of Britain's anti-aircraft (AA) defences during the Battle of Britain. It was assembled on 10 July 1940 around 84 LAA Battery transferred from 44th LAA Rgt. 84 Battery had been formed at Salisbury when the Territorial Army was mobilised in late August 1939. The new regiment was also joined by 90 and 119 LAA Bty headquarters and 513–519 LAA Troops, which had been formed on 1 July 1940 (the troops would have been lettered within the regiment).
At this stage of the war the Bofors 40 mm gun was in short supply, and LAA units had to make do with a range of stop-gap weapons, including 3-inch guns, Vickers Mk VIII pom-poms and 20 mm Hispano cannons, but a large number of LAA sites only had Light machine guns.
Battle of Britain and Blitz
During the summer of 1940, the Luftwaffe heavily attacked RAF Fighter Command's airfields in South-East England. After training 49th LAA Rgt joined AA Command and by the autumn of 1940 it was in 6th AA Brigade defending airfields in Essex under 6th AA Division. After the Battle of Britain the Luftwaffe switched to a night Blitz against Britain's cities, but although many night raids crossed Essex on their way to London, there was little that LAA guns could do against them.
Mid-War
The Blitz ended in May 1941, but occasional raids continued. From late May 90 LAA Bty was attached to 17th LAA Rgt in 37th AA Bde, which controlled the AA units along the north bank of the Thames Estuary ('Thames North'). The other batteries came under 29th (East Anglian) AA Bde and were deployed as follows until late August 1941:
Regimental Headquarters (RHQ): Overbury Hall, Hadleigh, Suffolk
Battery HQ (BHQ), 84 LAA Bty: Wilton Lodge, Melton, near Woodbridge, Suffolk
RAF Martlesham Heath – one Troop HQ (THQ) and 6 gunsites with various Bofors and Quad pom-poms BHQ 119 LAA Bty: Wolverstone Park, Wolverstone, near Ipswich Landguard Fort – 3 gunsites with Quad pom-poms
On 28 August 119 LAA Bty left Landguard and took over four gunsites round Chelmsford and 84 LAA Bty spread its troops as follows: Martlesham Heath Landguard Wrabness – THQ and 6 Quad sites Great Bromley – THQ and 4 Bofors and Quad sites Parkeston Quay – THQ and 4 Bofors sites
On 19 September 1941 119 LAA Bty transferred to 81st LAA Rgt, which was being formed at Boxted, Essex. It was replaced by 280 LAA Bty, which had been formed on 12 June by 220th LAA Training Rgt at Yeovil based on a cadre of experienced officers and men supplied by 49th LAA Rgt.
By the beginning of November, the regiment (under the command of Maj H.S. Fookes) had 84 and part of 280 LAA Btys at Martlesham and part of 280 at Landguard. Major Fookes was also deputy AA Defence Commander (AADC) for the Heavy AA (HAA), LAA and searchlights (S/Ls) at Martlesham
From 11 January 1942, 199 and 298 LAA Btys in 29th AA Bde area were attached to 49th LAA Rgt. 199 LAA Battery (manning Chelmsford, RAF North Weald and RAF Stapleford Tawney) had been left when 81st LAA Rgt moved away, while 298 was an independent battery having left 43rd LAA Rgt, which was embarking for service in Ceylon.
On 19 February 1942, 298 LAA Bty was formally regimented with 49th LAA Rgt; at the same time the regiment formed a new 452 LAA Bty from the fourth troops of 84, 90 and 280 LAA Btys. In March, 280 and 298 LAA Btys were attached to 37th AA Bde, which had taken over the coast as far as The Naze when 29th AA Bde was disbanded in February. 298 LAA Battery left to join 133rd LAA Rgt when that was formed in April. Finally, 452 LAA Bty left on 28 April for 86th LAA Rgt.
49th LAA Regiment remained in 6th AA Bde until early June 1942 when (with 84, 90 and 280 LAA Btys) it transferred to 28th (Thames & Medway) AA Bde, which controlled the 'Thames South' AA layout on the south bank of the Thames Estuary. However, this was only a temporary move and the regiment left AA Command before the end of the month.