7th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.

The 7th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. was formed at Bathurst on 1st November 1941 and came under command of the 4th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A.

Four 3.7-inch guns arrived for the 7th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. on 18th February but were not unloaded until 27th February when they were taken to Half Die, Bathurst.[1]

The Battery H.Q., 7th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. moved from Jeswang North to Gael on 10th March 1942.  Four 3.7-inch guns were ready for action at Half Die (Site A5) on 20th March.  On 17th July 1942, the Battery was deployed at the A.1 and A.2 sites.[2]

The 313th and 7th H.A.A. Batteries were reorganized on 5th March, on the basis of one troop and two sections.  The Regimental H.Q. with the 313th and 7th H.A.A. Batteries concentrated at Lamin on 27th April.[3]

During May and early June 1943, the Regiment made preparations to move to Freetown, Sierra Leone.  On 9th June, the Regimental H.Q., 7th and 313th H.A.A. Batteries embarked on board H.M.T. Elizabethville for Freetown.  The ship sailed on 10th June and arrived in Freetown harbour on 12th June.  The personnel disembarked two days later.  Sites were occupied as follows:

- Regimental H.Q.                                  Kortright
- 313th H.A.A. Battery
            B.H.Q. and ‘B’ Troop                  Lumley
            ‘A’ Troop                                   Cape Sierra Leone
- 7th H.A.A. Battery
            B.H.Q. and ‘A’ Troop                  Rokupa
            ‘B’ Troop                                   Kissi East.[4]

A warning order was received from H.Q. Sierra Leone Area on 24th June 1943, advising the Regiment to be prepared to move on or after 15th July.  It embarked at Freetown on 13th July on the H.M.T. Largs Bay.  The Largs Bay sailed on 15th July and arrived at Lagos, Nigeria on 19th July, the Regiment disembarking the next day and entraining for Kano.  The Regiment arrived at Kano on 23rd July.[5]

Between 1st and 9th December 1943, the 4th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. was fully mobilised and awaiting embarkation for India at Lagos, Nigeria.  At this time the Regiment was formed as follows:

- Regimental H.Q.
- 313th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.
- 7th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.
- 8th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A.

The Regiment embarked at Lagos on the H.T. Dunnottar Castle on 9th December 1943 and sailed the next day.[6]

Arriving at Bombay on 14th January 1944, the Regiment disembarked three days later and entrained for Dhond where it arrived on 18th January.  During March, the Regiment moved to Assam, with one train leaving Dhond on 28th Match and a second two days later.  The trains arrived at Calcutta on 2nd and 3rd April respectively and the personnel went into Alipur Transit Camp.  On 13th April, the Regiment entrained for Comilla, but on reaching Chandpur was diverted to a new destination, Chittagong.  This was reached on 15th April.  After three days at a transit camp, the Regiment finally arrived at Comilla where it came under the command of the 13th A.A. Brigade.[7]

A troop of the 7th Battery went to Chittagong on 22nd April.  The other troop of the Battery was reported as being in action at Chandina, with the Battery H.Q. at Comilla, on 23rd April.[8]

Early in June 1944, the four guns of ‘D’ Troop, 7th H.A.A. Battery at Chandina moved to Comilla and were declared ready for action on 6th June.[9]  ‘D’ Troop, 7th H.A.A. Battery moved to Chittagong with the Battery H.Q. and was declared ready for action on 25th October, the Battery now being complete in Chittagong.  The 7th Battery sent both gun troops to Chiringa where they relieved the 20th Battery, 7th (Rajput) H.A.A. Regiment, I.A. on 21st November.  However, after only a few days, a troop of the 7th Battery returned to Chittagong on 26th November and was declared ready for action the next day.[10]

The troop of the 7th Battery at Chiringa was relieved by the 35th Battery, 6th H.A.A. Regiment, I.A. on 3rd December.  The troop at Hathazari was relieved by the incoming 154th Battery, 15th (East Africa) H.A.A. Regiment on 4th December.  The East African 155th Battery relieved the 313th West African Battery at Feni on 5th December and this Battery went to Comilla the following day.  An East African troop relieved the Chittagong troop of the 7th Battery on 5th December.  This troop went to Comilla, arriving together with the Chittagong troop of the 8th Battery on 8th December.[11]

The 4th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. disbanded at Comilla on 1st April 1945.[12]

05 September 2025