The Carmarthenshire Fortress Royal Engineers (CFRE) was a coast defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army formed after World War I. In World War II, it provided an anti-aircraft searchlight unit that served during the early part of The Blitz, and then during the Siege of Malta.
Origin
When the Territorial Army (TA) was reformed in 1920, the Carmarthen Fortress Engineers was formed as a new unit of the Royal Engineers (RE), with headquarters at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, in South Wales. At first, it comprised a single company with a drill hall at 7 Hall Street, but by 1930 it had joined other local TA units at the Drill Hall in Murray Street. By 1935 it had expanded to two companies with the following organisation: HQ at Llanelli No 1 (Electric Light & Works) Company at The Barracks, Carmarthen No 2 (Anti-Aircraft Searchlight) Company at Llanelli
No 2 (AASL) Company gained a number of its recruits from the mining village of Trimsaran and the Kidwelly area. In 1935, HM Treasury approved expenditure on a new drill hall at Trimsaran for the company to share with a detachment of 4th Battalion Welch Regiment.
Mobilisation
By the outbreak of World War II, No 1 (EL&W) Co formed part of Fixed Defences (the coastal defence force) while No 2 (AASL) Co was in Anti-Aircraft Command. Both organisations were mobilised on 24 August 1939. No 1 Co went to the East and West Blockhouses at Angle, Pembrokeshire, overlooking the anchorage at Milford Haven. Here, it came under the command of Captain C.G. Glass, TD, a reserve TA officer. No 2 AASL Co, forming part of 45 AA Brigade in 4 AA Division (5 AA Division from 1 May 1940), took up its searchlight (S/L) positions at Bonvilston, near Cowbridge, and then established Company HQ at Coed Parc, Bridgend. Thus both companies were on their war stations when war was declared on 3 September.
No 1 (EL&W) Company
On 5 September, No 1 (EL&W) Co transferred a party of specialists to reinforce the Lancashire Fortress Royal Engineers at Walney Fort at Barrow-in-Furness. At the beginning of 1940, it received a draft of men from 53rd (Welsh) Division RE to bring it back up to strength. The company settled into a routine of installing and operating electrical machinery at the twin forts as part of the fixed defences.
No 2 (AASL) Company
On 1 January 1940, Brevet Major C.L. Prichard, the Commanding Officer of CFRE, took direct command of No 2 (AASL) Co at Bridgend. In May–June 1940, the company became 484 (Carmarthenshire) Searchlight Company, RE, and then on 1 August all RE S/L units in Anti-Aircraft Command were transferred to the Royal Artillery (RA), when the unit became 484 (Carmarthenshire) Searchlight Battery, RA.
The Blitz
After a few probing raids in late June 1940, the number of Luftwaffe raids directed against South Wales increased so that they occurred almost nightly, the beginning of the Cardiff Blitz and Swansea Blitz. On 7 July, 484 S/L Bty was ordered to Swansea, as the first instalment of a Gun Defence Area (GDA) for the town, known as 437 S/L Area. The company set up HQ at Danycoed, 182 Mumbles Road, and deployed 12 (later 15) S/Ls, the detachments being housed in tents.
The arrival in September of 1st S/L Rgt, which had been re-equipped since its evacuation from Dunkirk, allowed 45 AA Bde to complete the illuminated areas of South Wales. 1st S/L Bty of 1st S/L Rgt relieved 484 S/L Bty, which was intended to move to another site in the brigade's area, but AA Command decided instead to enlarge the illuminated area round the important naval base at Devonport, which was already subject to air attack. On 28/29 September, 484 S/L Bty was moved to Plymouth, with BHQ at Bull Point Barracks, Devonport, where it came under 55th Light AA Bde.
Siege of Malta
However, the battery did not stay long in Plymouth, because it was rostered for overseas service. By November 1940, it was at a mobilisation centre at Southend-on-Sea awaiting embarkation. While at Southend, the battery was attached to 69th (Royal Warwickshire Regiment) Heavy AA (HAA) Regiment. It then sailed together with 190/69 and 191/69 HAA Btys to Malta, arriving via Egypt on 8 January 1941 with a strength of nine officers and 322 other ranks. Malta had been under air attack since the day Italy entered the war (11 June 1940) and urgently needed AA reinforcements. In January, the German Luftwaffe joined the Regia Aeronautica in attacks on the island.