7th - 101st Mortar Battery, W.A.A.

 

7th Mortar Battery, W.A.A.

At Chiringa, from 1st September 1944, the 82nd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. began forming within the 81st (W.A.) Infantry Division as the 103rd Mortar Regiment, W.A.A., with the 7th, 8th and 9th Mortar Batteries.  The Regiment was equipped with the 3-inch mortar.  It was later confirmed that the 103rd Mortar Regiment had in fact been authorised to form with effect from 1st August 1944.[1]

On 20th September, the Regiment was placed under command of the 5th (W.A.) Infantry Brigade with effect from 15th September.  The Regiment began to deploy inside Burma and by the end of September, the Advance R.H.Q. and the 8th Battery had reached Tukpui and the 7th Battery was at Sarataung.[2]

The 103rd Mortar Regiment, W.A.A. and the 7th, 8th and 9th Mortar Batteries were re-designated on 29th September 1944 to become the 41st Mortar Regiment, W.A.A. and the 101st, 102nd and 103rd Mortar Batteries respectively.  The news of the re-titling of the Regiment, however, only reached the Regiment itself while in harbour at Tukpui, near Chittagong, on 6th October 1944.[3]

 

101st Mortar Battery, W.A.A.

Authorisation for the change was received at Chiringa on 4th October 1944.  The personnel of the 103rd Mortar Regiment, formerly of the 82nd L.A.A. Battery, W.A.A., were absorbed into the new regiment.  A significant number of African Other Ranks were posted into the Regiment to bring it up to war establishment.[4]

Meanwhile, the R.H.Q with two batteries, the then 7th and 8th Batteries, had been operating in support of the 5th (W.A.) Infantry Brigade preparing to advance down the Kaladan Valley.  It was only while in harbour at Tukpui, India, on 6th October 1944, that the Regimental H.Q. was advised it had been re-designated, by letter dated 18th September.[5]

Operations in Burma continued into January 1945 until towards the end of the month, the Regiment headed West to cross the Kaladan once more to begin the long march back to Chiringa, India.[6]

The 101st Battery, with ‘A’ and ‘B’ Troops, was on the move from 23rd January 1945, joined by the Regimental H. Q. and the 102nd Battery.  Regimental H.Q., with the 101st and 102nd Batteries continued their withdrawal; Apaukwa was reached by 1st February and Taungmaw by 4th February.  Chiringa was reached on 8th February 1945.  The Regiment left Chiringa on 10th March for Puttur, via Madras, where it arrived in the 81st Division Artillery Area on 18th March.[7]

27 July 2025