Sierra Leone Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, R.A.

The Sierra Leone Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, R.A. came into being at Freetown on 1st September 1940, part of the Sierra Leone Heavy Regiment, R.A.  The Commanding Officer was Major. C.L. Sheppard, R.A.[1]

With war being declared on 3rd September 1939, the Sierra Leone Anti-Aircraft Battery was ordered to man the guns at Kissi West but was stood down on 11th September, with orders to concentrate on training.  In October 1939, the Battery was ordered to man the guns at Kissi West at dawn and dusk, at thirty minutes notice.[2]

The guns and equipment available to the battery were:

- four 4.5-inch anti-aircraft guns, with predictors and H.F.s (?)
- one QF 3-inch 20cwt gun
- two Vickers 2-pounder Mk II guns (operated by a detachment of the Sierra Leone Battalion but under orders of the Officer Commanding, Sierra Leone A.A. Battery).[3]

The Battery was deployed as follows:

- Battery H.Q.                           Tower Hill
- Right Section                          Kissi West
- Left Section                            Oil Tanks (with Vickers 2-pounder guns)
- detachment                             Aberdeen (3-inch 20cwt gun)
- detachment                             Wellington (3-inch 20cwt gun)
- Africans Left Section                Kissi East (guns in process of being mounted).

There were in transit from the United Kingdom a further two 4.5-inch guns and four Bofors 40mm guns.  These were to be deployed at new sites being prepared:

- 4.5-inch guns                          King Tom and Brookfields sites
- 40mm Bofors                          Oil Tanks.

During September 1940, the Battery was involved in improving the gun positions, training and practice firing.  In October, the Freetown area was probed by Vichy French reconnaissance aircraft and a few rounds were fired at them.  The No.1 gun at Kissi West jammed on 6th October and again on 8th October and was found to need repair. [4]

On 16th November 1940, two reinforcement detachments disembarked at Freetown, having arrived from the United Kingdom with Convoy WS 4, of which one, consisting of two British Officers (B.O.R.s) and 22 British Other Ranks, was assigned to the Battery.  These men began training on the 4.5-inch gun.  Occasional forays by French aircraft continued.[5]

In early January 1941 (no later than 8th January), the Sierra Leone Heavy Regiment, R.A. was re-organised and re-titled to become the Sierra Leone Coast Regiment, R.A.  The anti-aircraft units of the Regiment, including the Sierra Leone H.A.A. Battery, passed to the newly formed H.Q. Sierra Leone Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A.  The Battery was by now deployed as follows:[6]

H.Q. Sierra Leone H.A.A. Battery, R.A.               Kissi East
            - two sections (each two 4.5-inch)           Kissi East
            - one section (two 4.5-inch)                    King Tom
            - one section (two 4.5-inch)                    Brookfields.

The Battery sent two drafts to Takoradi, embarking on 9th January 1941.  These were of two British Sergeants and 29 African Other Ranks (A.O.R.s) for the 4.5-inch guns, and three British Sergeants and 25 A.O.R.s to man Bofors guns.  A small detachment of one British Officer, one British Warrant Officer, one B.O.R. and six A.O.R.s went to Marampa, outside of Freetown and the site of iron ore mines, on 7th January.  On 11th January, the 71st L.A.A. Battery, R.A. took over one 2-pounder Mk VIII (defective) gun with equipment and stores at the Oil Tanks position.  On 15th January, a detachment of the 197th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. arrived at the Brookfields site.[7]

The Takoradi draft was transferred to the 71st L.A.A. Battery, R.A. on 20th January 1941, along with that at Marampa.[8]

The gun sites at Brookfields were handed over to the 197th H.A.A. Battery, R.A. on 25th January 1941.  A number of N.C.O.s and men of the Sierra Leone H.A.A. Battery were drafted to the 197th Battery sections.  The 3-inch 20cwt gun at Aberdeen was handed over to the 71st L.A.A. Battery, R.A. on 10th February.  A second 3-inch 20cwt gun, at Wellington, was handed over to the 71st Battery on 22nd February. [9]

Major W.S. Crane, R.A. assumed command of the Battery on 16th March 1941. French aircraft continued to fly over the area and were often engaged but with no result.[10]

On 1st May 1941, the title of the Battery was changed to become the 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, W.A.A.  Its parent regiment was re-titled on the same date to become the 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, W.A.A.[11]

03 August 2025