2nd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, W.A.A.
The 2nd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. was raised on 23rd/24th September
1941. The Battery was then reorganised and redesignated to
become the 2nd L.A.A./Anti-Tank 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 2nd May 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 Battery, W.A.A.
The 2nd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. was formed from
the H.Q. 'T' L.A.A. Battery, R.A., and 547 Troop, 71st L.A.A.
Battery, R.A on 23rd/24th September 1941. 547 Troop had been located
at Takoradi since 14th January 1941, and by now was designated
‘C’ Troop, consisting of two Officers, 24 B.O.R.s and 91 A.O.R.s.
The Troop was posted to the 2nd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. on
24th September 1941.[1]
'T' L.A.A. Battery sailed from the United Kingdom with Convoy WS
11. It arrived in Freetown harbour on 15th
September 1941 and sailed on to Takoradi. The war
diary of Takoradi Fire Command suggest that ‘T’ Battery may actually
have arrived on 24th September 1941. 'T' L.A.A.
Battery appears to have formed the 2nd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. on
that date and joined the 3rd H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. on 24th October
1941. The battery was formed of ten Officers, 124
B.O.R.s and 91 African Other Ranks (A.O.R.s).[2]
On 19th February, ‘A’ Troop, 2nd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. moved to
Accra with four Bofors guns. The 5th Battery
arrived at Accra on 19th October 1942 and took over the equipment of
‘A’ Troop, 2nd L.A.A. Battery on 26th October and became
operational.[3]
The 2nd L.A.A. Battery W.A.A. was reorganised as the
2nd
L.A.A./Anti-Tank Battery, W.A.A. 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.[4]
Summary history of the 2nd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, W.A.A.
© Steve Rothwell
6
July 2025
[1] War diary 71st L.A.A.
Battery, R.A., WO 173/176; "Lineage Book of the British
Army; Mounted Corps and Infantry, 1660-1968", Frederick
J.B.M., Hope Farm Press (1969); War diary C.R.A.
Freetown Fortress, WO 173/132
[2] W.S. Convoys – WS9-WS19,
1941-1942, WO 193/55;
Naval History web site, WS Convoys – accessed
May 2023; War diary 3rd H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A., WO
173/162; War diary Takoradi Fire Command, WO 173/138; WO
173/132
[4] War diary 3rd H.A.A.
Regiment, W.A.A., WO 173/749