96th L.A.A. Regiment, R.A. – 20th (East Africa) L.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A.

The 96th L.A.A. Regiment, R.A. formed part of the anti-aircraft reinforcements sent to East Africa from the United Kingdom, arriving in July 1942.  As well as providing for the defence of the vital port at Mombasa, the 96th L.A.A. Regiment trained African gunners as part of the ‘Africanisation’ of the anti-aircraft artillery in East Africa.  British Officers, N.C.O.s and Other Ranks undertook the training and formed cadres as the basis of new units on a mixed war establishment formed of British and African personnel.  As a last step in this process, on 15th May 1943, the designation of the Regiment changed to become the 20th (E.A.) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, E.A.A

96th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)

The Regimental Headquarters was formed at Newmarket on 11th November 1941.  On 25th November, the 80th Battery (ex-78th L.A.A. Regiment, R.A.) joined and the 299th and 300th Batteries were regimented on 2nd December, followed by the 454th and 479th Batteries on 19th February 1942.  The 80th Battery left to join the 30th L.A.A. Regiment, R.A. on 27th February 1942.[1]

By April 1942, the Regiment was in the Newmarket area under the command of Lt. Colonel W.J. Feist when, less the 454th Battery, it was ordered to prepare for overseas service.  The 454th Battery ceased to be regimented on 2nd May and joined the 138th L.A.A. Regiment, R.A. on 30th May.  The 96th L.A.A. Regiment moved to Aldershot on 2nd May where preparations including embarkation leave were undertaken.  The Regiment received 141 reinforcements between 9th and 12th May.  Between 23rd and 25th May, the personnel moved to Glasgow where on 26th May they embarked on board the troopship Warwick Castle, which sailed as part of Convoy WS 19P.[2]

The ship arrived at Mombasa on 14th July 1942 and the men disembarked two days later.  Also disembarked were the Regiment’s twenty-four 40mm Bofors light anti-aircraft guns.  The Regiment came under the command of the 19th A.A. Brigade.[3]

The 299th Battery deployed on 21st July 1942 for the defence of Kilindini Harbour, the Oil Farm and the Fleet anchorage.  The Battery was joined by two troops of the 300th Battery the next day.  On 14th September, Lt. Colonel Feist relinquished command of the Regiment on appointment to command the 19th A.A. Brigade.  Major J.E.N. Yates assumed command.[4]

‘B’ and ‘C’ Troops, 479th Battery moved to Shimanzi on 5th October 1942.  ‘A’ Troop, 299th Battery moved from the Brickfields site and Kipevu to the B.H.Q. at Port Reitz on 8th October.  The sites at Brickfields and Kipevu were taken over by ‘A’ Troop, 479th Battery.  The Battery H.Q., 479th Battery moved from Nyali Camp to Rassini Road on 25th October.  The 201st (East African) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. was attached for all purposes to the Regiment on 21st December 1942.  The cadre (five Officers and eighty-four B.O.R.s) of the 203rd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. moved to gun site L.8 on 30th December.[5]

On 2nd January 1943, the 202nd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. was attached to the Regiment for all purposes.  On 4th January, the cadre of the 203rd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A., for which the British element had until now been located at site L.8, moved to the A.A.T.C. at Shimo-la-Tewa.  The 201st (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. embarked at Kilindini docks, Mombasa for Madagascar to relieve the 238th L.A.A. Battery, R.A., on 20th/21st January and ceased to be attached  to the Regiment.[6]

On 1st February 1943, the Regiment was disposed as follows:

- R.H.Q.                                    Tudor House Hotel, Mombasa
- 299th L.A.A. Battery, R.A.        Port Reitz airfield
- 300th L.A.A. Battery, R.A.        Azania Drive and Flora Point (‘A’ Troop)
- 479th L.A.A. Battery, R.A.        Rassini Rd., Brickfields, Changamwe and Shimanzi
- 202nd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery      Nyali Transit Camp (B.H.Q.).[7]

The 238th L.A.A. Battery, R.A. arrived from Madagascar on 2nd February 1943, and with the 145th L.A.A. Troop, R.A. (disembarked Mombasa 29th December 1942) were on 13th February, attached to the Regiment, moving to Nyali Transit Camp, near Mombasa.  The 202nd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. moved to Port Reitz airfield on 15th February and relieved the 299th L.A.A. Battery, R.A.  Those of the 299th Battery designated to be the British element of the 204th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. went to Shimanzi, Mombasa, to site H.5A.  The balance went to Nyali Details and Transit Camp where they were attached to the 238th L.A.A. Battery, R.A. for all purposes.[8] 

The 238th L.A.A. Battery, R.A., less B.H.Q. and one troop, deployed to sites L.5, L.6, L.10 and L.13 on 13th March 1943, in relief of the 479th L.A.A. Battery, R.A., which moved to site H1 for cadre training.  The 204th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. was formed on 13th March.  The main party of this Battery, with the British element of the 205th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. left Shimo-la-Tewa on 25th March for Camp 27, Athi River, as part of the re-location of the A.A.T.C.  Both Batteries ceased to be attached to the 96th Regiment on 26th March.  The 203rd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. was attached to the Regiment on 23rd March.  The 205th Battery formed on 28th March.  Battery H.Q., 238th L.A.A. Battery, R.A. moved from Nyali to Mombasa on 27th March.[9]

On 1st April 1943, the Regiment was disposed as follows:

- R.H.Q.                                    Veljis House, Mombasa
- 238th L.A.A. Battery, R.A.        Brickfields, Changamwe and Shimanzi
- 300th L.A.A. Battery, R.A.        Azania Drive and Flora Point (‘A’ Troop)
- 202nd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery      Port Reitz airfield
- 203rd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery       B.H.Q. at Shimo-la-Tewa.[10]

The 300th Battery was relieved by the 238th Battery on 8th/9th May 1943, and moved to Shimanzi as the cadre of the 206th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A.  The sites occupied until then by the 238th Battery were taken over by the 202nd (E.A.) Battery.[11]

The designation of the Regiment was changed on 15th May 1943 to become the 20th (E.A.) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, E.A.A.[12]

[The 479th Battery was disbanded in Kenya on 5th March 1943; the 299th Battery disbanded on 13th March.  The 300th Battery was disbanded in Kenya on 20th November 1943.]

 

20th (East Africa) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, E.A.A.

The Regiment came into being at Mombasa by the re-designation of the 96th L.A.A. Regiment, R.A. on 15th May 1943, becoming the 20th (E.A.) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, E.A.A.  The Commanding Officer was Lt. Colonel J.E.N. Yates.[13]

 Regimented were the:

- 238th L.A.A. Battery, R.A.        Brickfields, Changamwe and Shimanzi
- 202nd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery      Port Reitz airfield.[14]

The 238th Battery was formally regimented with the Regiment on 31st May, with effect from 15th May.  Attached for all purposes was the 203rd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A.  The 299th, 300th and 479th L.A.A. Batteries, R.A. had already been or would soon be disbanded.  In June, the official disbandment dates were given as:

- 299th L.A.A. Battery, R.A.        13th March 1943
- 479th L.A.A. Battery, R.A.        5th March 1943
- 145th L.A.A. Troop, R.A.          13th March 1943.[15]

The 206th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. formed on 22nd May 1943, from the cadre provided by the 300th L.A.A. Battery, R.A. and moved to the A.A.T.C. at Athi River.  The 203rd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery left for Athi River on 2nd June.  On 23rd June 1943, the locations of the Regiment and its batteries were:

- R.H.Q.                                    Veljis House, Mombasa
- 238th L.A.A. Battery, R.A.        Brickfields, Changamwe and Shimanzi
- 202nd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery      Port Reitz airfield.[16]

The 206th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. arrived in Mombasa from Athi River on 11th August 1943, having completed formation, and was regimented with the Regiment.  Two troops were immediately deployed in relief of the 238th Battery; the cadre personnel of this Battery moved to Shimanzi whilst the balance went to Nyali Details and Transit Camp.  The third troop of the 206th Battery went to sites L.7, L.8 and L.9  on 13th August where it relieved a troop of the 202nd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. which went to Port Reitz airfield.  The 238th L.A.A. Battery, R.A. moved from Shimanzi and the Nyali Transit Camp to Athi River on 14th August, arriving the next day.  The sites at Port Reitz airfield (L.1-L.3 and L.5) ceased to be operational on 24th August.  The 206th Battery occupied two new sites (L.14 Yacht Club and L.19 Ras Bofu) on 25th August.  A further new site (L.20 Mtongwe) was taken over on 1st September.  In October, the 206th Battery vacated site L.9A (Betani) and occupied L.13 (Naval Base).[17]

The 238th and 300th L.A.A. Batteries, R.A. were officially disbanded on 20th November 1943.

The 202nd Battery left Mombasa for Athi River on 28th February 1944, arriving the next day.  Exchanging places with this battery, the 205th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. arrived at Port Reitz airfield from Athi River on 1st March.  Lt. Colonel Yates was posted to command the 16th (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A. on 17th March, Major J.P.F. Scott taking over command of the 20th Regiment.  The 207th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. arrived in Mombasa from Athi River on 22nd March and went to the Nyali Transit Camp.  This battery became regimented with the 20th Regiment for all purposes.[18]

The main party of the 205th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery left Port Reitz airfield for Athi River on 10th April 1944, ceasing to be attached to the 20th Regiment.  Their place was taken by the 207th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, which moved to the airfield from Nyali Transit camp that same day.  ‘C’ Troop, 207th Battery was attached to the 156th (E.A.) Composite A.A. Battery.[19]

‘C’ Troop from the 206th Battery was posted to the 156th (E.A.) Composite A.A. Battery, 16th (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment, on 20th May 1944, and remained deployed on sites L.1, L.3.-L.6.  Site L.5. was closed on 20th June and ‘C’ Troop took over L.9 and L.10.  The 206th L.A.A. Battery was attached to the 16th (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment for all purposes on 23rd June.  ‘C’ Troop left Mombasa on 25th July 1944 and moved to Athi River, where it came under command of the Depot and Training Centre there.[20]

‘B’ Troop, 156th (E.A.) H.A.A. Battery, E.A.A., was in turn, posted to the 207th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery on 20th May 1944.  The 207th Battery left for Athi River on 30th May.  Having completed training at Athi River, the Troop returned to Mombasa on 26th June 1944 and relieved the 155th Battery of commitments at site H.7.  ‘B’ Troop was formed of men originally trained as light anti-aircraft gunners, who had converted to use the heavy anti-aircraft guns.[21]

During June 1944, the light anti-aircraft gun sites in and around Mombasa began to be closed down.  On 1st June, sites L.11-L.15 were handed over to the Fortress Headquarters and evacuated the next day – personnel going to sites L.16-L.18.  On 8th June, the 206th Battery returned nine Bofors guns to the Ordnance Depot and posted 75 African Other Ranks to the 156th (E.A.) Composite A.A. Battery.  Sites L.9 and L.10 were evacuated on 20th June.[22]

On 22nd June 1944, the H.Q. 20th (E.A.) L.A.A. Regiment moved by rail to the E.A. A.A. Artillery Depot and Training Centre, Athi River, for subsequent disbandment.  The 206th Battery was that day attached to the 16th (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A. for all purposes.[23]

At Athi River, the Regimental H.Q. prepared for disbandment.  On 1st July 1944, the 207th (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery ceased to be regimented and is thought to have disbanded on 2nd August 1944.  The Regimental H.Q. became an independent headquarters under the Commandant E.A. A.A. Artillery Depot and Training Centre for administration but continued to administer the 202nd and 206th (E.A.) L.A.A. Batteries, while these batteries remained regimented.  Lt. Colonel Scott was succeeded by Major O. Bertram on 12th July.  In Mombasa, African Other Ranks of the 206th Battery were posted to the 153rd H.A.A. and the 156th Composite A.A. Batteries.  The remaining personnel moved to Athi River, arriving on 26th July, whereupon they were posted to the A.A. Artillery Depot and Training Centre.  The Battery Rear Party arrived on 2nd August and were likewise posted.  The 206th Battery was then disbanded.  Also on 2nd August, Major S.D. Parker took command of the Regiment from Major Bertram.  All remaining British Officers, N.C.O.s and African Other Ranks of the Regimental H.Q. and the 202nd Battery were posted during September 1944.[24]  

The Headquarters, 20th (E.A.) L.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A. and the 202nd (E.A.) L.A.A. Battery, E.A.A. were disbanded on 30th September 1944.[25]

25 March 2025