The 37th (Tyne Electrical Engineers) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of the British Army during World War II. It served at home during the Battle of Britain and The Blitz, and then went to the Middle East, where it defended the lines of communication of the Eighth Army in its advance across North Africa after the Battle of El Alamein and in the Tunisian Campaign.
Origin
The unit was raised in late August 1939, as part of the rapid expansion of the Territorial Army (TA) after the Munich Crisis. It was formed in the Royal Artillery (RA) as a duplicate of 37th (Tyne Electrical Engineers) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers, itself formed three years earlier by conversion of the Tyne Electrical Engineers (TEE). The TEE had been a Volunteer unit of the British Army at Tynemouth under various titles since 1860 and was the parent organisation for a large number of specialist coastal and air defence units during both World Wars.
World War II
Mobilisation
37 LAA Regiment was still in course of formation when World War II broke out in September 1939. It comprised 123 LAA Battery, forming at the Royal Artillery Drill Hall at Seaham Harbour, and 127 LAA Battery forming at the Yorkshire Hussars Drill Hall in Middlesbrough. Lieutenant-Colonel W. Brooks was appointed Commanding Officer on 21 September, and established Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) at Middlesbrough. 123 Battery had some clothing and equipment from the County Durham TA, but 127 'had neither clothing or equipment of any description'.
The regiment came under the command of 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade in 7th AA Division. On 27 October it began to take over LAA defence at various RAF stations and other vital points (VPs) in NE England:
123 LAA Battery, County Durham
345 Troop at Birtley
346 Troop at Birtley
347 Troop at Ouston
348 Troop at RAF Thornaby
349 Troop at Darlington Junction
127 LAA Battery, North Riding of Yorkshire
361 Troop at RAF Catterick
362 Troop at RAF Dishforth
363 Troop at RAF Leeming
364 Troop at RAF Topcliffe
Each troop consisted of five Lewis guns; in September each battery was also assigned a newly-formed six-gun troop: 461 Tp (formed at RAF Ottercops Moss) to 123 Bty, 464 Tp (formed at Danby, North Yorkshire) to 127 Bty. From November the regiment began to take over Bofors guns at the VPs and the winter of 1939–40 was spent in training.
In July 1940 52 (Independent) LAA Bty was attached to the regiment with new recruits. This had been formed at Thorncliffe on 15 December 1938. There were occasional engagements with hostile aircraft during the Battle of Britain in August 1940. At the end of August all three batteries were finally at full establishment, and were reorganised the following month: 52 LAA Bty: 348, 351, 464 Tps 123 LAA Bty: 345, 346, 347, 349, 461 Tps 127 LAA Bty: 361, 362, 363, 364 Tps
The Blitz
From September there were frequent air raid warnings and some action over Wallsend and Seaham.
During this period Bombardier James Newby of the regiment carried out a notable act:
"On 11th November 1940, two officers of Fixed Defences, Tyne Area, were killed by the explosion of an anti-tank mine in a minefield. Bombardier Newby, who was nearby, believing one of the officers to be only wounded, cut the wire round the minefield and at a great personal risk, not knowing the location of the mines, entered the minefield for a distance of about 25 yards and got the body of one of the officers out. It was afterwards found that Bombardier Newby actually passed within six inches of other mines".
Newby was awarded the George Medal, gazetted on 11 March 1941.
In February 1941, 52 (Ind) LAA Bty left the regiment, going to Iceland in March to reinforce the AA cover for 'Alabaster Force', which had occupied the island the previous year. While there it joined the newly-formed 12th HAA Rgt. It was replaced in 37th (TEE) LAA Rgt on 10 March 1941 by 222 LAA Bty, which had formed on 12 December 1940 at 213th LAA Training Rgt at Carlisle from a cadre supplied by 28th LAA Rgt.
The regiment still formed part of 30 AA Bde in 7th AA Division, but at the end of May 1941 it handed over its VPs and moved to Blandford Camp for mobile training, and during July it mobilised at Barnsley for overseas service.