404th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, R.A.

The 404th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. was formed at Oswestry under the 211th Training Regiment on 12th December 1940.  It was  regimented with the 123rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. on 10th March 1941.[1]

By 26th May, the 123rd Regiment had embarked upon H.M.T. Warwick Castle at King George V Docks, Glasgow.  The ship sailed on 1st June and joined convoy WS19P.  The Warwick Castle arrived at Mombasa on 13th July 1942.  The Regiment disembarked the next day.[2]

On 6th August 1942, the Regimental H.Q. moved from Nyali Transit Camp to Tudor House, Mombasa.  The Batteries of the Regiment moved from the Transit Camp on 13th August:

- 402nd H.A.A. Battery, R.A. to gun site H.1,
- 404th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. to gun site H.3,
- 417th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. to gun site H.2.[3]

On 25th January 1943, a troop of the 404th H.A.A. Battery was relieved by the 152nd (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A., at gun site H.6 at Makupa and moved to H.5.  ‘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 (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A.  This troop was then attached to the 404th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. on 25th February.[4]

The British element of the 155th (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A., formed from the 404th H.A.A. Battery, R.A., on 12th June 1943 moved to gun site H5.A, Simanzi.  The surplus personnel of the 404th Battery moved to sites H.1 and H.2, occupied by the 417th H.A.A. Battery, R.A.  The 404th Battery appears to have been disbanded effectively this day.[5]

06 April 2025