154th (East Africa) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, E.A.A.

The 154th (East Africa) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, E.A.A. was formed at Athi River A.A.T.C. with effect from 3rd April 1943.  Authorisation was issued by the H.Q. 19th A.A. Brigade on 27th March 1943 and on 1st April, the 123rd H.A.A. Regiment, R.A. was ordered to provide the British element for the new battery by providing a cadre of personnel selected from the 402nd H.A.A. Battery, R.A.  These men, together with thirty African Other Ranks, arrived at Athi River on 3rd April.  The surplus British personnel were posted to the 404th and 417th H.A.A. Batteries, R.A.; the 402nd Battery being effectively disbanded.  Major R.S. Murray, R.A. was appointed as Battery Commander on 17th April 1943.[1]

Upon completion of training, the Battery left Athi River on 12th June 1943 for Mombasa, where it arrived the next day.  Upon arrival, the Battery was re-regimented (as the 402nd Battery, R.A. having been originally regimented with the 123rd H.A.A. Regiment, R.A.) with the 16th (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A., which had converted from the 123rd H.A.A. Regiment, R.A. with effect from 1st June 1943.  The 154th Battery took over the operational gun sites at H.3 and H.7 from the 404th H.A.A. Battery, R.A.  The British element of the 155th (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A., formed from the 404th Battery, moved to site H.5A at Shimanzi, from where the next day they left for the Athi River A.A.T.C.  The surplus personnel of the 404th Battery moved to sites H.1 and H.2, coming under the 417th H.A.A. Battery, R.A.[2]

On 18th June, the 153rd (E.A.), 154th (E.A.) and 417th H.A.A. Batteries became regimented with the 16th (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A., with effect from 1st June (see above).  The 154th Battery, less ‘B’ Troop moved to site H.3, exchanging with ‘B’ Troop, 417th H.A.A. Battery, R.A.  With effect from 20th June, ‘B’ Troop (actually ‘A’ Troop), 152nd (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. was attached to the 154th Battery for all purposes (the 152nd Battery, less one troop was at that time serving in Madagascar). [The 402nd H.A.A. Battery, R.A., disbanded with effect from 3rd April 1943).[3] 

The 154th Battery, less one troop, moved from H.2 to H.5A on 5th May 1944, and established Battery H.Q. at H.1.  The Battery concentrated at H.1 on 21st June 1944, the site being declared non-operational.  On 23rd June the 154th Battery, together with the 153rd and the 155th Batteries, was regimented with the 15th (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A., recently returned from Madagascar.[4]

The 15th H.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A., with the 153rd, 154th and 155th Batteries, embarked at Mombasa, Kenya, on 6th November 1944, on board the transport Salween for service overseas with South-East Asia Command (S.E.A.C.).  The transport sailed the next day and arrived at Chittagong on 2nd December.  The Regiment and batteries disembarked, and the Regimental H.Q. was opened, coming under command of the 13th A.A. Brigade.  The Batteries went to Punjab Lines, Chittagong.  On 5th December, the Battery H.Q. and ‘A’ Troop, 154th Battery went to ‘Z’ site, Chittagong where it became operational later that afternoon.  The Battery was visited the next day by the Commanding Officer, Lt. Colonel Ross.[5]

The Commander-in-Chief, East Africa Command, visited the R.H.Q. and the 154th Battery position at ‘Z’ site, Chittagong, on 21st February.[6]

The gun position at Chittagong manned by the 154th Battery was handed over to the 48th Battery, 15th H.A.A. Regiment, I.A. on 22nd June 1945 and the 154th Battery moved to Feni.  Instructions for the return of the Regiment to East Africa for disbandment were received on 19th August and was concentrated at Feni by 28th August.[7] 

The Regiment, however, did not return to East Africa immediately.  It remained at Feni until 4th October 1945, when it entrained for Calcutta for repatriation. The personnel of the Regiment reached the R.A. Depot & Training Centre at Athi River, Kenya on 21st October 1945.[8]

The Regiment, together with the 153rd, 154th and 155th Batteries, disbanded on 1st January 1946.[9]

06 April 2025