152nd (East Africa) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, E.A.A.

 

152nd (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A.

The 152nd (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A., was formed on 14th November 1942.  The British component of the Battery came from 'B' Troop, 162nd H.A.A. Battery, R.A., which formed the 2nd Cadre, who arrived at the A.A.T.C. from Mombasa on 15th November 1942.  On 14th December, 180 African Other Ranks were attached to the new battery from the A.A.T.C. and their training began.  The Commanding Officer was Major N.F. Godfrey, R.A.  On 23rd January 1943, the new battery completed ‘Africanisation’ and training at the A.A.T.C., Shimo-la-Tewa and was regimented with the 15th (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A.[1]  

On 23rd January 1943, the 152nd Battery took over the Battery H.Q. at Makupa, Mombasa, and gun site H.6, relieving the 404th Battery, 123rd H.A.A. Regiment R.A.  A warning order was received on 31st January for the move of the 15th Regiment with the 152nd H.A.A. Battery to Madagascar.  On 18th February, the  Regiment with the 152nd H.A.A. Battery, less one troop, were placed under twenty-four hours’ notice to move to Madagascar, with effect from 24th February.  ‘A’ Troop, 152nd Battery, was attached to the 123rd H.A.A. Regiment, R.A. at Makupa on 23rd February, while the Battery H.Q. and ‘B’ Troop embarked at Mombasa together with the R.H.Q. 15th Regiment.[2]

The 15th Regiment and the 152nd Battery disembarked at Antsirane, Madagascar on 27th February 1943.  The 152nd Battery H.Q. and ‘B’ Troop took over the site H.3 from the 151st Battery, which moved to Polygone Point H.1., with ‘B’ Troop at Caimans H.2.  With effect from 20th June, ‘A’ Troop, 152nd Battery, left behind in Mombasa, became attached to the 154th (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery for all purposes. On 8th October, ‘A’ Troop, 152nd H.A.A. Battery ceased to be attached to what had by now become the 16th (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A. and embarked at Kilindini Docks for Madagascar, where on 13th October it disembarked at Diego Suarez and rejoined the parent battery.  The gun site at Caimans (H.2) was handed over by ‘B’ Troop, 151st H.A.A. Battery to ‘A’ Troop, 152nd H.A.A. Battery on 2nd December.  On 9th December, ‘B’ Troop, 201st L.A.A. Battery was incorporated with 152nd H.A.A. Battery, becoming ‘C’ Troop.  The Battery was re-designated to become the 152nd (Composite) A.A. Battery, E.A.A.[3]

 

152nd (Composite) A.A. Battery, E.A.A.

The 152nd (Composite) A.A. Battery, E.A.A. remained at Diego Suarez and on 16th June 1944 became an independent unit when the 15th Regiment left for East Africa.  During the month, ‘A’ (H.A.A.) and ‘C’ (L.A.A.) Troops, became non-operational and by 21st July the personnel of these units were lodged at the Old French Camp, Sakaramy.  ‘B’ (H.A.A.) Troop remained at the gun site H.3.  On 31st July, ‘A’ and ‘C’ Troops embarked for Kenya, moving to the East African Anti-Aircraft Artillery Depot and Training Centre at Athi River.  The Battery H.Q. remained on Madagascar with ‘B’ Troop and on 15th September, was redesignated to become again the 152nd (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A.  The B.H.Q. and ‘B’ Troop left Madagascar on 27th October and disembarked at Mombasa on 30th October.  The next day, the personnel left by train for Athi River where they arrived on 1st November and went to the Artillery Depot and Training Centre.  On 10th November, the Battery amalgamated with personnel of the 151st Battery to form a three troop, 152nd H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A.[4]

 

152nd (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A.

The Battery remained at Athi River and Major Godfrey left on 1st April 1945 to assume command of the 156th (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A.  Major C.G. Stables assumed command of the 152nd Battery, being posted from the X(iv) List.  The Battery left Athi River on 13th June and arrived at Mombasa the next day, where it took over sites H.2, H.3 and H.6 from the 156th (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A.  Major Stables assumed the role of A.A.D.C. Mombasa.  However, he left on 12th July and was briefly succeeded by Major Godfrey until that Officer left on 3rd August.  Major R.M. Henderson now assumed command.[5]

On 3rd August 1945, the H.Q. R.A. authorised the withdrawal of all heavy anti-aircraft artillery from Mombasa.  ‘A’ Troop moved from H.6 to H.3 on 11th September, where it joined the Battery H.Q. and ‘B’ Troop.  Major Henderson left on 17th September, Captain A.G. Wild assuming command of the Battery.  On 22nd September, the B.H.Q. and ‘A Troop moved to H.2 while ‘B’ Troop went to H.6; site H.3 being handed over to the 156th (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A.

[The war diary ends on 27th September 1945.]

The 152nd (E.A.) Battery, E.A.A. was disbanded on 5th November 1945.[6]

06 April 2025