3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, W.A.A.

Personnel for the 3rd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A., arrived at Freetown from the United Kingdom in October 1941.  The first of these men were a detachment of four Officers and 40 British Other Ranks (B.O.R.s) who disembarked at Freetown on 7th October 1941.  These men had travelled on board H.M.S. Princess Beatrix, a so-called assault ship, with Convoy WS 11X as far as Gibraltar.  The ship then sailed for Freetown on 5th October, arriving two days later.  This draft formed the Battery H.Q., 3rd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A., which was regimented with the 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, W.A.A.  This draft was followed by four Officers and 80 B.O.R.s who disembarked at Freetown on 15th October.  These men had sailed with Convoy WS 12 on board the S.S. Narkunda.  They were part of several detachments formed in the United Kingdom from the 54th Battery, 18th L.A.A. Regiment, R.A. and were:

- ‘U’ L.A.A. Battery H.Q. and one troop, R.A.
- ‘X’ L.A.A. Troop, R.A.
- ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ L.A.A. Detachments, R.A.
- 141 L.A.A. Troop, R.A.[1]

The Battery, commanded by Major G.M.E. Barber, R.A., was thus complete with three troops – ‘A’-‘C’ - on 15th October 1941 and was stationed at the Wilberforce Transit Camp, Freetown.  It deployed to Hastings Aerodrome between 25th and 27th October, the total personnel at Hastings being four Officers, 58 B.O.R.s and 33 African Other Ranks (A.O.Rs).  In early November, the Battery built for itself a new camp on Hastings Hill to which it moved on 14th November.[2]

On 4th December, forty-four A.O.R.s of the Nigeria II Troop was posted to the 3rd Battery from the L.A.A.T.C.  The Battery took over four semi-mobile Bofors guns on 10th December and deployed to Hastings Aerodrome.  ‘C’ L.A.A. Troop, R.A. disembarked at Freetown on 13th December, having arrived with Convoy WS12Z, with a strength of two Officers and 38 B.O.R.s.  These men were the European component for an Africanised L.A.A. troop and were posted to the 3rd L.A.A. Battery.[3] 

By 14th January 1942, the ‘Africanisation’ of two troops had been completed.  In March a further forty-four A.O.R.s were taken on strength from the A.A.T.C. and posted to ‘C’ Troop.  On 22nd May, ‘B’ Troop, together with some men from ‘A’ Troop, moved to Lumley Camp in preparation for transfer to the 4th L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. at Kano, Nigeria.  The M.2 mobile troop (the original mobile troop) was taken over to replace ‘B’ Troop.  The Battery moved to Kissi Gorge for training, especially in the mobile role, on 7th November 1942.  With this training complete, the 3rd Battery went to Cape Sierra Leone on 16th December where it relieved the 71st L.A.A. Battery.[4]

Battery H.Q. was at Bishop’s Court by 1st January 1943.  On 13th February, four Bofors guns five tractors were handed over to the 1st L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.  ‘A’ Troop moved from Cape Sierra Leone to Kissi Gorge on 20th March 1943, while ‘B’ Troop moved from Kissi Gorge to Kissi Tanks.  The 1st L.A.A. Regiment was reorganized on 8th March 1943 to become a L.A.A./anti-tank regiment.  The 3rd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. remained under command briefly before leaving on 28th March to come under the command of the 2nd H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A.[5]

On 30th April 1943, the Battery ceased to be attached to the 2nd H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. and came under the direct command of Sierra Leone Area.  The Battery H.Q. moved to Allentown, the move being completed on 2nd July 1943.  However, the Battery H.Q. moved again on 14th August to join ‘A’ and ‘B’ Troops at Kissi.[6]

The Battery embarked at Freetown on 10th September 1943 and disembarked at Lagos, Nigeria on 23rd September.   It entrained on 27th September to move to Kaduna where it arrived on 29th September.  The A.O.R.s were granted leave during October, and the Battery remained at Kaduna.[7]

One source suggests that upon arrival in Nigeria, the Battery came under the command of the 4th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A.  However, there is nothing in the Regiment’s war diary to confirm this.[8]

The 3rd L.A.A. Battery appears to have disbanded on 29th January 1944, although one (unnamed) source states that the Battery was ordered to disband on 13th March 1944.  An amendment to the order of battle dated 15th February 1944 orders the deletion of the 3rd L.A.A. Battery from the order of battle, which may indicate that 29th January is more likely.[9]

29 July 2025