Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

2nd AIF Anti Aircraft Units

Reference: McKenzie-Smith, Graham 2018 "The Unit Guide The Australian Army 1939-45 Vol 3 of 6 Artillery Air Defence and Engineer Units" Big Sky Publishing ISBN 978-1-925675-14-6  

This listing covers all anti aircraft elements designated by the 2nd AIF descriptor '2/', with the exception of the four Regiments that were raised for service in the Middle East.  Each of those has its own unit page on this site.  Please note the VWMA uses the designator  '2nd/' for 2nd AIF units, because that is how it is enunciated in common use. 

The structure of Anti Aircraft units and elements was confusing in the extreme with several major re-organisations and re-numbering of elements particularly LAA Batteries taking place throughout the war. There were also duplicate designations created on opposite sides of the country, perhaps due to poor communications.  We have endeavoured to present this as best we can.  The cited Reference above was indispenable in this task.

Prior to the war Australia possessed very little in the way of air defence resources.

I Corps Artillery was formed in April 1940.  The 1st Anti Aircraft Brigade (A) was raised and deployed overeas for service with the 2nd Australian Imperial Force in the Middle East, comprising the 6th, 7th, and 9th Divisions.  Although nominally part of the 7th Division, 1st AA Bde constituent units (the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Anti Aircraft Regiments), were detached in support of the other Divisions (6th and 9th).  `

The 8th Division and its elements (which ironically, given the air superiority achieved by Japan early in the campaign, did not include any Anti Aircraft assets) were all lost in the debacle of the Malaya/Singapore campaign.

1st (later 2nd/1st) Aust Anti Aircraft (AA) Brigade (Bde) (A - signifying 'AIF') was a subordinate Formation, and the 'sharp end' of the capability.  The reader needs to be cognisant of the unit title changes that always seem to beset artillery units - and there were lots of them.  Its constituent units were:

1st (later 2nd/1st) AA Regiment (Regt) - 1st, 2nd and 3rd Light Anti Aircraft (LAA) Batteries (Bty).  Later designated '2nd/1st LAA Regiment' and its Batteries were renumbered accordingly.  It subsequently became the 2nd/1st Composite Anti Aircraft Regiment with a mix of Light and Heavy AA gun Bty.  Its unit page, which also addresses its constituent Bty, is HERE (/explore/units/2841)

Fig 1. A 3.7 in Heavy AA gun firing at night.  The muzzle blast is indicative of the power of this gun which had an effective ceiling of 30,000 ft or 9,000m.  Later Marks could fire to 45,000 ft or 13,700m.  It fired its 13kg shell (the biggest in its class) as fast as a rifle bullet at over 800m/s.  The later Marks achieved over 1,000m/s.

2nd (later 2nd/2nd) AA Regt - 4, 5 and 6 AA Bty.  Later designated '2nd/2nd Heavy AA  (HAA)' Regt, and its Batteries renumbered accordingly.  Deployed at various locations around Syria, Palestine and Lebanon and finally Egypt from whence they returned to Australia.  In August 1943, it was re-designated as a Composite AA Regiment for deployment in forward areas.  More detail of its subsequent employment is contained on the Regiment's Unit Page, and its constituent Bty, is HERE (/explore/units/3318).

3rd (later 2nd/3rd ) Anti Aircraft Regiment - 7, 8 and 9 LAA Bty.  Later designated as the '2nd/3rd LAA Regiment' in August 1941, and its Batteries were renumbered accordingly.  Its elements saw a lot of service in the Middle East, which is detailed on its unit page  HERE (/explore/units/1184).

Fig 2. Australians of the 7 Light Anti Aircraft Battery surround their Bofors 40mm rapid fire anti aircraft guns, one of the few heavy weapons that made it from Greece to Crete
Army Museum of South Australia

The 2nd/4th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment was formed in the Middle East in early 1942 to support the 9th Division which was remaining behind in the Middle East (subsequently playing a key role in the Battle of El Alamein, having in 1941 been the mainstay of the successful defence of Tobruk).  It comprised the following:  2nd/10th LAA Bty, 2nd/11th LAA Bty, 2nd/12th LAA Bty.  It is dealt with in detail HERE (/explore/units/699)

Fig. 3. A Bofors 40mm anti aircraft gun position, A Troop, 2/9th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Australian Artillery, on the main fighter runway at Gili Gili airfield. A Kittyhawk fighter can be seen coming in to land. At rear of gun, left to right: VX44507 Geoffrey R George; VX47412 Jack M Crittenden and VX36313 A D (Tim) Jennings. Also included in the photograph are NX22470 B B Boughton or Buck Bearsford (?), gun loader on platform, VX28384 Robert (Bob) Waterman, ammunition supplier, VX36335 Jack Quick, gun layer (seated, on left) and gun layer NX16412 Edward Preece (with binoculars on the right behind the barrel). (AWM 026630)

Independent Batteries.

A Battery is by definition a sub-unit, commanded by a Major.  A number independent anti aircraft batteries were raised for 2nd AIF service.

2nd/13th LAA Bty

2nd/14th LAA Bty

2nd/17th LAA Bty

Work in progress.......

Equipment

Light Anti Aircraft units were equipped with the ubiquitous (used by almost everyone on both sides in WW2 in one form or another) and very effective Swedih designed (a neutral country!) Bofors 40mm semi-automatic light anti aircraft gun,  They were generally configured as a mobile, towed mounting.  The four wheeled mount was equipped with 'spades' which would be lowered on arrival at the designated position and the gun was jacked up on thse elevating the wheels off the ground.  

Heavy Anti Aircraft units were equipped with the superb 3.7 inch Anti Aircraft gun, a near but heavier equivalent of the much vaunted German 88mm gun.  Unlike the '88',  the 3.7 inch gun was rarely used in the Anti Tank role.  They were configured in both mobile and static mountings.

In addition they were all equipped with small arms for local defence with WW1 vintage Lewis and later Bren Guns used for defence against low flying aircraft, and ground attack.

Internal Structure

The formal unit structure was comprised of the Regimental Headquarters, a Signals Section, a Workshops Section and three operational gun Batteries.

RHQ included the Commanding Officer (Lt Col), Adjutant (Capt), Quartermaster (Capt), Regimental Medical Officer (Capt), Chaplain, Postal Section and their staff.

Each Battery (Bty) was commanded by a Major, supported by a Battery Captain,  and had an establishment of approximately 250 officers & ORs and 18 guns in three Troops (Tp).

Each Troopp (Tp) was commanded by a Lieutenant and had an establishment of approximately 80 personnel. In theory, each Tp had 6 Gun Detachments, i.e. 6 guns.

Each Gun Detachment (Det) was commanded by a Sergeant and had an establishment of approximately 8-10 men.

Signals Section was commanded by a Lieutenant (RAA) and had an establishment of 1 officer and 39 ORs. It included 5 WT (wireless telegraphy) detachments, 1 operating subsection and 1 cable subsection. Linesmen were attached to each Bty.

Workshop Section was commanded by a Captain (AEME) and had an establishment of approximately 40 men and carried out 'First Line' repairs of the unit's equipment.

Each Battery comprised 3 Troops and each Troop had some 80 men responsible for 6 gun detachments, a total of 54 guns.

Throughout the Regt were distributed cooks, despatch riders, drivers and others in key support roles.

Compiled by Steve Larkins July 2021

Sources:

2nd/3rd Light Anti Aircraft Regiment Association website: https://www.antiaircraft.org.au/regiment-members/regiment-structure (www.antiaircraft.org.au)  Accessed 20-22 July 2021

Reference: McKenzie-Smith, Graham 2018 "The Unit Guide The Australian Army 1939-45 Vol 3 of 6 Artillery Air Defence and Engineer Units" Big Sky Publishing ISBN 978-1-925675-14-6