102nd A/T Regiment RA (Northumberland Hussars)

David W · Post by **David W** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 4:31 am

I have a quandary!

I have the 102nd A/T Reg @ June 1941 on 4 x 2Pdr Btys. 99th, 107th, 288th, & 289th.

By May of 1942 I have the Btys except 289th upgraded to 6 Pdrs. But also an additional 287th Bty on 6Pdrs.

Is all of the above information correct?

nigelfe · Post by **nigelfe** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 12:05 am

I guess the first question is 'how confidnet are you with the bty numbers?

WO212/494 first entry for 102 ATk (ie their arrival overseas) states:

6/4/41 (Less A Bty left in Egypt), 287,288, 289 Btys, 1 Aust Corps, Lustre Greece).

The only other entry for the regt to mention a bty is;

19/8/42 (Less 287 Bty) GHQ (BTE Area)

However, 102 were only converted from NH in Feb 40, and initially in UK seem to have been the LAA/ATk Regt in 2 Armd Div. Given this conversion it seems reasonable that they started off with lettered btys, basically converting sqns into btys. Conversion from LAA/ATk to ATk could mean they did a bty swap with another regt, although I'd have thought that being in UK conversion could well have been the go ( In 1944 when LAA/ATk regts were formed in India/Burma they did bty swaps, but when they converted back to atk they converted btys).

99 doesn't seem a very likely number for a TA atk bty.

David W · Post by **David W** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 1:06 am

Answer.

Not terribly! They are only pencilled in. I have also seen them listed on A, B, C, D Bty. But this was in 1940 I think.

Let's all keep digging!

Cheers!

nigelfe · Post by **nigelfe** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:47 am

In 1938 XX Fd Bde RA had 99 Bty. This unit was one of the 4 reg arty regts converted to atk. 20 ATk Regt spent the war with 3 Div.

Lannes · Post by **Lannes** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 7:23 am

Folks,
This is not terribly helpful, but an officer of the 102nd wrote an account of its camapign in Greece for the Royal Artillery Journal. It's referenced in the official Greek History, so I can get you the precise details, it may include some organisational notes. According to the greek OH, the 102nd took 24 guns with it to Greece- which would suggest 2 batteries, I think.
Aris Kosionidis

Mark F · Post by **Mark F** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 9:09 am

David,

Here is an article dealing with units that served with the 7th Armored Division in North Africa, some interesting stuff here on the 102nd's history:

http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paters ... htm#RHA102

Also there is some info there on the 106th, it was used to reinforce/strengthen the 102nd after Crete.

http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paters ... htm#RHA106

Hope this might be of use, I will keep looking for more.

Best Regards,

Mark

David W · Post by **David W** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:08 pm

Thanks folks. Please keep looking!

Maurice the Archivist · Sun Nov 11, 2007 6:39 am

Hello

The 102nd Light Anti-Aircraft and Anti-Tank Regiment RA (The Northumberland Hussars) was mobilised on 15 Feb 1940 with four batteries numbered A to D.

On 14 Feb 1941 the A Battery became the 274th Battery in 25th LAA Rgt.

On 14 Mar 1941 the B to D batteries were renumbered the 287th, 288th & 289th Batteries respectively.

David W · Post by **David W** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:56 am

Thank you Maurice.