8th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, W.A.A.

In January 1942, it was proposed to form the 8th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. from surplus British personnel following the ‘Africanisation’ of the 251st and 109th Batteries.  Equipment for the 8th H.A.A. Battery was due to arrive at Lagos in April or May.  It appears that work began to form the Battery from 16th February and the Battery was officially declared to have formed on 7th April 1942, with effect from 16th February.  The Battery moved into Windsor Barracks.  Major T.M. Bland assumed command with effect from 16th February.  [1]

Two 4.5-inch Quick Firing dual purpose guns were transported to the Lighthouse Beach Site on 8th June 1942.  Three Officers, twenty-four B.O.R.s and forty-five A.O.R.s of the 8th H.A.A. Battery moved to Slough Barracks on 3rd August to man the dual purpose 4.5-inch guns.[2]

The 8th H.A.A. Battery, W.A.A. was regimented with the 4th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. on 1st September 1943, on the disbandment of the 5th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A.  The 4th Regiment was ordered to mobilise for overseas service on 13th October 1943 and the 313th and 7th H.A.A. Batteries moved to Lagos between 18th and 21st October.[3] 

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.  It embarked at Lagos on the H.T. Dunnottar Castle on 9th December 1943 and sailed the next day.[4]

Arriving at Bombay on 14th January 1944 with the Regiment, the 8th Battery 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 and took over the accommodation and operational commitments of the 6th H.A.A. Regiment, I.A.[5]

The Regimental H.Q., 4th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. arrived at Comilla on 18th April 1944.  The 8th Battery arrived at Comilla on 24th April and was declared ready for action the next day.  On 18th November, ‘F’ Troop of the 8th Battery relieved a troop of the 7th Battery at Chittagong.  ‘F’ Troop, 8th H.A.A. Battery went to Hathazari where it was declared ready for action on 1st December.  It was replaced at Chittagong by ‘E’ Troop which had recently moved to Hathazari.  It had been decided to concentrate the 4th H.A.A. Regiment at Comilla.  The Chittagong troop of the 8th Battery, ‘F’ Troop’ moved to Comilla on 8th December.  The only element of the 4th Regiment in action, ‘E’ Troop of the 8th Battery, was relieved by a troop of the 153rd Battery, 15th (East Africa) H.A.A. Regiment that same day and moved to Comilla.  This completed the concentration of the 4th Regiment at Comilla.[6] 

The 4th H.A.A. Regiment, W.A.A. disbanded at Comilla on 1st April 1945.[7]

05 September 2025