313th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, R.A.

The 313th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, R.A., was formed at Brentford on 1st April 1939, and regimented with the 52nd (London) A.A. Regiment, R.A.  On 25th June 1941, the Battery was ordered to mobilise for service overseas with the 52nd H.A.A. Regiment. R.A. at Ribbledon Mill, Holmfirth, Huddersfield and to be ready by 28th July.  A detachment of the Battery left the United Kingdom at the end of August 1941, sailing with Convoy WS 11.  It arrived at Freetown on either 13th or 15th September 1941.  The detachment, made up of two British Officers and 169 British Other Ranks, re-embarked at Freetown and sailed for Bathurst, the Gambia, on board the H.M.T. New Northland, which arrived on 23rd September, the men disembarking the next day.  For the time being, the detachment had no guns.  Given the eventual ‘Africanisation’ planned for the Battery, British Officers and N.C.O.s were attached to African Cadet Force units to gain experience of working with African soldiers.[1]

On 14th October 1941, the remainder of the 313th H.A.A. Battery, R.A., arrived at Freetown from the United Kingdom, having sailed with Convoy WS 12.  Of the three Officers and 207 Other Ranks of this detachment, ninety-four appear to have disembarked at Freetown where they were attached to the batteries of the 1st H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. for all purposes.[2]  Of these men, a draft of twenty-one B.O.R.s went to the H.1 gun site, where the men were attached to the 2nd H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A., part of the 1st H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A.[3]  It appears that the balance of this detachment may then have sailed to Bathurst, the Gambia, arriving on 24th October to join the detachment of the Battery already there.[4]

The 4th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. came into being at Bathurst on 24th October 1941.  The next day, 313th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. was regimented with this regiment.  The Battery was located at Jeswang aerodrome.  During December 1941, African Other Ranks began arriving from Freetown and were attached to the 313th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. for training.  Two static 3.7-inch H.A.A. guns were test fired at Jeswang on 1st December, being the first H.A.A. guns to be fired in the Gambia.  On 8th December, the mounting of guns at Kanifing began and by the end of December, eight guns were in action.  Vichy French Martin aircraft flew over Jeswang on 13th December and again on 14th December when they were engaged by the 313th H.A.A. Battery, R.A.[5]

On 25th March 1942, the personnel of the 313th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. attached to the 2nd H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. at Freetown, embarked to re-join their unit at Bathurst.[6]

On 24th February 1942, ten Officer Cadets (?) were posted to the 405th H.A.A. Battery from the 313th H.A.A. Battery.[7]

By December 1943, the Battery was in Lagos, Nigeria, with the 4th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A.  On 9th December, it embarked with the Regiment for India.[8]

The Battery arrived at Bombay 15th January 1944 and disembarked on 17th January and moved to Dhond by train, arriving the next day.  Upon arrival in India, the Battery became known officially as the 313th (W.A.) H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. [the war diary actually designates the Battery as “W.A.R.A.”]  On 28th March, the Battery entrained for Calcutta where it arrived on 2nd April and went to Alipore Transit Camp.  On 13th April, the Battery H.Q. and ‘A’ Troop left for Chittagong, followed by ‘B’ Troop the next day, where they arrived on 13th and 16th April respectively.  The Battery was accommodated at the River Ghat Transit Camp.  On 18th April, Battery H.Q. and manning details for four 3.7-inch static gun sites left for Feni and took over from the 17th Battery, 8th (Rajput) H.A.A. Regiment, I.A.  Eight guns were in action at Feni by the following day.  The Battery remained at Feni, under command of the 13th A.A. Brigade, until 5th December when upon being relieved by the 155th Battery, 15th (E.A.) H.A.A. Regiment, E.A.A. it left for Comilla.  Major Duncan, Battery Commander, left on 26th February 1945, being succeeded by Lieutenant B.T. Hill.[9]

The Battery was disbanded with the 4th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. at Comilla on 1st April 1945.

22 August 2025