2nd Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Battery, W.A.A.

The 2nd L.A.A./Anti-Tank Battery W.A.A. was formed by the reorganisation of the 2nd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. on 9th March 1943.  In January 1944, the Battery moved to India with the 1st L.A.A./Atk Regiment, W.A.A., arriving at Chittagong on 8th January.  At Chittagong on 25th April 1944, the batteries of the 1st L.A.A./Atk Regiment, W.A.A. were reorganised and redesignated – the 2nd L.A.A./Atk Battery becoming the 61st Anti-Tank Battery, W.A.A.  Here is a summary:

2nd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, W.A.A.

23rd/24th Sept. 1941     formed at Takoradi, Gold Coast
9th March 1943             reorganised as the 2nd L.A.A./Anti-Tank Battery, W.A.A.

2nd L.A.A./Anti-Tank Battery, W.A.A.

9th March 1943            by reorganisation of the 2nd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, W.A.A.
2nd May1944               reorganised and re-designated as the 61st Anti-Tank Battery, W.A.A.

61st Anti-Tank Battery, W.A.A.

2nd May 1944              by redesignation of the 2nd L.A.A./Anti-Tank Battery, W.A.A.
1946                            disbanded in West Africa.

2nd Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Battery, W.A.A.

The 2nd L.A.A. Battery W.A.A. was reorganised as a L.A.A./anti-tank battery on 9th March 1943, and left the 3rd H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. to become an independent unit within the 5th West African Infantry Brigade.  The Commanding Officer was Major A.J. Bark.[1]

The Battery was regimented with the 1st L.A.A./Anti-Tank Regiment, W.A.A. on 1st May 1943.[2]

The Battery left Nigeria with the 1st L.A.A./Atk Regiment on or around 17th September 1943 when the units embarked for Freetown, Sierra Leone.  Arriving on 24th September, the Regiment disembarked the next day and was billeted in the Freetown area. The ship carrying the Regiment to India left Freetown at the end of October 1943.  The Regiment arrived at Bombay on 17th November. The personnel disembarked and entrained in two groups on 19th and 20th November.  The 2nd Battery was in the first group and entrained for Calcutta, arriving on 23rd November.  On 24th November, the complete Regiment embarked on the S.S. Santhia for Chittagong.  However, the ship caught fire the following day, forcing the Regiment to disembark followed by a move to Deula, arriving on 26th November.[3]

The Regiment moved to Chittagong, the 2nd Battery entraining on 5th January and arriving on 8th January 1944.  The Battery received nine 40mm Bofors guns on 22nd January, sending one immediately to the 4th L.A.A./Atk Battery, W.A.A.  At Chittagong, the personnel of the Regiment were reorganised on the basis of two L.A.A. (1st and 4th L.A.A./Atk Batteries) and two anti-tank batteries (the 2nd and an improvised ‘X’ L.A.A./Atk Batteries).  The 2nd Battery received instructions from the Regimental H.Q. on 25th January for the ‘unofficial’ forming of ‘X’ Anti-Tank Battery.  On 31st January, the Battery disposed of eight Bofors guns, sending four each to the 1st and 4th Batteries, 1st L.A.A./Atk Regiment, W.A.A.  The Battery remained at Chittagong, mainly engaged in small arms firing practice until on 18th March it received twelve 2-pounder anti-tank guns.  Training and firing practice began immediately and on 30th March a provisional war establishment for an anti-tank battery was received.[4]

Orders were received on 25th April 1944 for the batteries of the 1st L.A.A./Atk Regiment, W.A.A. to be reorganised to form the 61st and 62nd Anti-Tank Batteries and the 81st and 82nd L.A.A. Batteries.  The 2nd L.A.A. Battery/Atk W.A.A. was re-designated to become the 61st Anti-Tank Battery, W.A.A. on 2nd May.[5]

28 June 2025