5th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, W.A.A.

On 26th December 1941 at Freetown, Sierra Leone, the 408th H.A.A. Battery, R.A., recently arrived from the United Kingdom, was re-designated to become the 5th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A., regimented with the 2nd H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A.  One section was deployed at Murray Town and while the balance of the Battery was at the Annie Walsh School.  The 5th Battery was commanded by Major E.O’Bryen Horsford.[1]

On 6th January 1942, the 5th H.A.A. Battery moved from the Training Centre at Murray Town with the Nigeria II Squad to the gun site H.23 at Allentown.  The Battery was relieved at Murray Town by the Right Section of the 6th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.  The Battery H.Q., 5th Battery moved from the Annie Walsh School top the site H.21 at Rokupa on 2nd February.  The Nigeria III squad joined the Right Section for training on 10th February before moving to Rokupa the next day.  With the arrival of this troop, the Battery was now considered to be ‘Africanised’.  The H.23 site was reported ready for action with two 3.7-inch guns on 20th February.  The gun sites were re-numbered at the end of February/early March.  Site D.1 became operational with four guns on 24th March; the Battery was also in charge of the C.4 site.  Twenty-three Nigerian replacements arrived from the A.A.T.C. on 20th August.  ‘B’ Troop moved to the A.A.T.C. for training on 15th November, the D.1 site being taken over by a section of the 1st H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.  ‘A’ Troop took their turn at the A.A.T.C. beginning 29th November, with ‘B’ Troop moving to the C.4 site.  ‘A’ Troop moved to Lumley A.I. on 14th December.[2]

During January 1943, the Battery was disposed with the Battery H.Q. and ‘B’ Troop at C.4 and ‘A’ Troop at A.1.  On 15th January, ‘A’ Troop was relieved by the 2nd H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. and took over from the 6th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. at D.1.  Major O’Bryen Horsford left on recuperative leave to the United Kingdom on 27th March 1943.  He was succeeded by Captain Haworth.  During April, the guns and equipment were withdrawn from the gun sites in preparation of the Battery’s deployment to India.[3]

Together with the 14th A.A. Brigade and the 1st and 3rd H.A.A. Regiments, W.A.A., the 2nd Regiment embarked onboard the H.M.T. Nieuw Holland at Freetown at the end of May 1943, for service in India, the 5th Battery embarking on 26th May.  The ship left Freetown on 3rd June and, sailing via South Africa, arrived at Bombay on 9th July 1943, the Battery disembarked three days later and moved to Kedgaon Camp on the Poona (Pune)-Dhond (today Daund) highway, where the Regiment came under the command of H.Q. Southern Army.[4] 

On 8th August 1943, Major Horsford and eighteen British Other Ranks rejoined the unit after recuperative leave in the United Kingdom.  The Major relieved the temporary Battery Commander, Captain P.S. Haworth.

During October 1943, the Battery became known officially as the 5th (W.A.) H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.

On 25th November 1943, the Battery left Kedgaon by train for Assam.  The final leg of the journey was completed by river steamer and the personnel finally disembarked at Tezpur on 10th December.  Moving immediately to the gun positions around the nearby Sonabheel airfield, four days later the Battery took over from the 20th Battery, 7th (Rajput) H.A.A. Regiment, I.A.  The road party with the Battery transport arrived on 17th December.[5]

The 5th Battery left Tezpur and arrived at Manipur Road on 2nd September 1944.  On 18th October, thirty-four African Other Ranks left for leave at Ranchi Leave Camp.  The Emir of Katsina visited Battery H.Q. on 31st October.  A further forty-six African Other Ranks left for Ranchi Leave Camp on 19th November.   The Battery became non-operational on 14th March and the guns were returned to the ordnance depot.  Major Horsford left the Battery on 30th April 1945 and command passed to Captain P.S. Haworth.[6]

Brigadier Carberry, C.O. of the 14th (W.A.) A.A. Brigade, arrived at Manipur Road on 20th August 1945 on a farewell visit to the 2nd Regiment.  However, on 30th August notification was received that the embarkation of the 1st and 2nd Regiments for West Africa had been postponed (due to a severe shortage of shipping).[7] 

It is thought that the 5th H.A.A. Battery moved to Kalyan at the end of September 1945, to await embarkation.  It may then have embarked at Bombay on the H.M.T. Bergensfjord on around 6th October 1945.  The Bergensfjord arrived at Freetown on 30th October.[8]