Letter: Second World War Anti-aircraft Gunners’ Locations

Published on: 30 Sep, 2018
Updated on: 30 Sep, 2018

From Frank Phillipson

In response to Robert Woodhouse’s letter: Can Anyone Help With Information About My Grandfather?, in which he seeks information about his grandfather’s local service while in the Royal Artillery, I have discovered the following…

For about four months in mid-1942 Guildford was briefly allocated two and a half batteries of Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) guns because of the threat from the “Baedeker air raids” on historic towns and cities.

A battery consisted of four AA guns and in this instance were 3.7” Heavy Anti-Aircraft guns. One battery was located at Whitmoor Common (given the location code “BY16” map ref: SU987533, one at Warren Farm, Downside Road on Merrow Downs “BY8” (map ref: TQ020497), which was later moved to the Golf Course on Merrow Downs and became “BY20” (map ref: TQ035498) and a half battery (two guns) at Peasmarsh “BY17” (map ref: SU984467) just south of Brickfields Farm, Artington.

This last site would probably tie in with men being billeted in the Shalford area.

The BY17 site was occupied by the following units:

from about the end of April until 8th June by 352nd HAA Battery, part of 112th HAA Regt. but attached to 146th HAA Regt at this time;
from 8th June until 11th June by 176 Battery, 146th HAA Regt;
from 11th June until mid-July/August(?) by 452 Battery, part of 104th HAA Regt but attached to 425th HAA Battery of 126th HAA Regt itself attached to 146th HAA Regt.