8 AA Division. 46 AA Brigade.
76th (Gloucestershire) H.A.A Regt R.A. [TA] Bristol.
Locations of Regiment between 1938-1945
Sept 39 Home Forces U.K.
Sept 40 46 AA Bde, 8 AA Div.
Nov 42 Allied Forces N. Africa
Jul 43 8th Army Sicily.
Sept 43 8th Army Italy.
Batteries: Sept 1939. 237, 237, 238.
Three batteries of 8 x 3.7in AA guns each [24 guns] made up a regiment. A battery's guns were split into four troops designated A. B. C. D. of two guns each. At the end of the war the battery's within the HAA regiments were split down to, 2 x gun Troops of four guns each. During the war the 3.7 Mk 1 was upgraded to a Mk 6 which increased the ceiling from 32,000 feet to 45,00 feet. The rate of fire hand - loading 8 rds per min - Auto loading 19 rds per min.
The ammunition for the 3.7 inch gun was H.E. Mk 1C - It weighed 28lbs and was a fixed case round i.e. shell and cartridge already mated together, it came with a 199 or 223 time fuze and later Mechanical Time Fuze 207, 298 or 214.
Shell Shrapnel Mk 2C - for use against low flying aircraft close to gun position.
Shot AP Mk 5T solid steel shot with tracer.
Propelling Charge. Cartridge in brass, necked case 28.56 inches long.
( source: http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/haa/page39.html )
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As the war progressed the air threat decreased and both heavy and light AA units were used in the field role. HAA batteries equipped with the 3.7-inch HAA gun had long range (18,600 yards at full charge), unrestricted top traverse and were typically handled as medium artillery, and often used for counter bombardment tasks. Their high rate of fire and time fuzes were an added bonus, the latter were particularly useful. In Italy statistics reveal that many HAA regiments fired only a few thousand rounds at air targets but perhaps 50 times as many at ground targets! Most of this fire was indirect although HAA units were not officially issued with the necessary fire control equipment until late 1944. A reduced charge was introduced for ground fire in order to reduce barrel wear.
40-mm Light Ack - Ack was usually used for direct fire, although there is at least one recorded incident of LAA being used for indirect fire controlled by an air observation post (AOP). There were occasions, particularly in Italy, when LAA batteries temporarily operated mortars. More frequently from 1944, LAA fire was used to mark the edges of a barrage, their tracer provided a line, to help keep the infantry on the right course. This 'directional aid' was first used at El Alamein. LAA fire was also a feature of the 'pepperpot' element that characterised large fireplans from late 1944.
One problem was that AA guns were designed to fire short bursts at infrequent targets. However, in the field role, particularly 3.7-inch when firing as part of a fireplan, they were required to fire for periods of a few hours. This caused equipment failure and the guns got so hot that paint on the barrels blistered and on one occasion at least the barrels were visibly drooping. A second possible issue was that 3.7-inch HAA shells had been designed to produce quite large fragments to maximise damage to aircraft. This meant that a burst produced fewer and bigger fragments that needed to create battlefield casualties. Of course this didn't matter too much when neutralisation was required.
In the final months of the war in NW Europe HAA brigades were used as AGRAs in major fire plans.
Note
During the early/latter days of the war the guns on Purdown were fired electrically from the command post, two troops of two guns would be sited at the Purdown site, but this would vary from two guns to four guns, eight guns is the regimental strength [A.B.C.D.Troops] owing to the re-siting of guns due to the threat posed by the German planes and also to hide the number of guns in action at any one time. This gave the impression of one gun firing i.e. one big flash and one big bang this gave rise to the gossip over St George area, that the guns were only one in number and the locals nicknamed them as "Purdown Percy".
Abbreviations.
[AGRA = Army Group RA, in essence an artillery brigade, they were 'army troops' and usually assigned to corps. The number and type of regiments in an AGRA was not fixed, but typically 5 or 6 mostly medium regiments and a heavy regiment. Commanded by the CAGRA, a brigadier.]
HAA - Heavy Ack Ack.
LAA - Light Ack - Ack.
AOP - Air Observation Party
source: http://members.tripod.com/~nigelef/otherfp.htm
For a more detailed account of Bristol raids by the Luftwaffe See fishponds .org luftwaffe.pdf
Interactive Map of the Italian Campaign.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/launch_ani_italy_campaign.shtml
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237th H.A.A. Bty R.A. [T.A.]
War Diary of W.O. 11 [BSM] A. E. Murley.
Transcribed by D. J. Driscoll
( Details taken from photo album and documents held by 266th Para [GVA] Bty R.A. [V] )
1939.
Aug .
20th. Battery mobilized and manned guns at Fort Cumberland , Southsea.
24th. Battery moved back to Bristol, 2 sections to Portbury gunsite, 2 sections to Filton manning Lewis guns. [Bristol Aeroplane Company]
Sept.
3rd. War Declared.
4th. First Alarm of war 10 am to 2.30 pm.
25th. Moved to Filton.
Oct.
5th. Moved to Yate Aircraft Works. [Parnell's]
14th. Moved to Chipping Sodbury.
27th. Moved to Portbury.
Nov.
23rd. Moved to Bude firing camp.
Dec. 3rd. Moved back to Portbury.
1940.
Jan.
7th. Moved to Brickfields. [Winterbourne: Huts used by the D.S.S as a resettlement unit for the homeless after the war]
21st. Moved to Portbury.
Mar.
11th. Moved to Brickfields.
15th. Moved to Portbury.
17th. Moved to Morelands, Portsmouth.
30th. Moved to Nursling, Southampton.
Apr.
13th. Moved to Whippingham, I.O.W.
26th. Moved to Nettlestone, I.O.W.
27th. Moved to Bramley, nr Reading.
May.
4th. Moved to Holbrook, nr Gosport.
18th. Moved to Winslow. Nr Southampton.
19th. Moved to Southwick, Portsmouth.
22nd. Moved to Tangmere.
June.
5th. Moved to Cribbs. [Cribbs Causeway]
23rd. Moved to Rockingham.
25th. Air Raid 5 killed, 14 injured.
29th. Air Raid fired 13 rounds.
July.
3rd. Bombs within 50 yds of camp.
12th. Shot down J U 88, which flew over site at 4,000 ft.
14th. Bombs across gun park. No damage or casualties.
23rd. Raids all night. Fired 100 rounds.
Aug.
13th. Moved to Cribbs.
14th. Fired 60 rounds.
24th. Fired 29 rounds.
Sept.
25th. Daylight raid on Filton 20 planes shot down .
25 September 1940. The various Gruppen of KG55 put up 58 Heinkel 111s to attack the Bristol aero engine works at Filton, N of Bristol. They were loaded with approximately 100 tons of high explosive and 24 tons of oil bombs. The escort was provided by Bf 110s from ZG 26. As the result of the damage inflicted on the works production was curtailed for many weeks. More than 250 people were killed or injured in the attack. http://www.btinternet.com/~air_research/kg55.html
27th. Daylight raid on Filton, 6 planes down in flames.
30th Sept. A Heinkel 111 G1+DN was another victim of 25 September’s raid on the Bristol aero engine works at Filton. Oberleutnant Gottfreid Weigel and his crew baled out safely before the Heinkel crashed at Racecourse Farm, Portbury, near Bristol. An anti-aircraft shell fired by the 237th Battery, 76th HAA Regiment based at Portbury had exploded under the Heinkel's tail and damaged its controls. http://www.btinternet.com/~air_research/kg55.html
Oct.
12th. Moved to Rockingham.
Nov.
5th. Moved to Cribbs.
6th. Lewis gun in action at low flying Heinkel.
24th. Big raid on Bristol, Castle street.
25th. Avonmouth heavily bombed.
26th. Shirehampton bombed.
Dec.
3rd. Bomb on Purdown Gunsite 2 killed 5 wounded.
7th. Bomb hit gun at Brickfields. 2 men seriously wounded.
1941.
Jan. 3rd. Incendiary raid on Bristol.
Feb. 6th. Moved to Rockingham.
Mar. 11th. Shot down Heinkel during raid on Avonmouth.
16th. Raid on Bristol Fired 67 rounds.
17th. Shot down Dornier and two Flares Incendiaries in ammo bins.
29th. Raid on Avonmouth. Oil tanks on fire.
Apr. 3rd. Raid on Avonmouth. Fired 324 rounds, Gordano Gunsite hit, 1 killed 5 wounded.
4th. Raid on Bristol. Fired 450 Rounds, bomb fell in A hut - no injuries.
5th. Moved to Cribbs.
11th. Blitz on Bristol. Fired 925 rounds.
May.
8th. Raid on Bristol.
16th. Moved to reservoir.
Jun.
17th. Shot down J.U. 88 over Bristol.
Sept. 18th. Moved to Rockingham.
Oct. 7th. Moved to St Georges Wharf.
Nov. 10th. Moved to Dover.
Dec.
10th. Camp hit by German long range shells. One lorry burnt out, no casualties.
16th. Dive bomber attack - 10 Stukas shot down. Shelling from 5pm to 7pm.
1942.
Jan.
3rd. Shelled from 7pm to 8.30pm.
11th. Put up harbour barrage against J.U. 88’s shell landed in camp.
14th. Moved to Yeovil.
28th. Moved to Okehampton for anti - Tank shooting.
Feb. 1st. Moved to Yeovil..
Mar. 22nd. Moved to Blandford for mobile training.
Apr. 1st. Moved to Havant with T.T.C.
May. 15th. Battery finished mobile training. Moved to Stood and Oak street.
Jun.
10th. Moved to Green st, Green.
29th. Moved to All Hallows.
July.
3rd. Moved to Citadel, Dover.
24th. Surprise raid by 2 x F.W. 190’s. Bombs dropped in Citadel, Dover.
25th. Shelled for two hours - no damage.
30th. Shelled for three hours.
Aug.
8th. Machine gunned by F.W. 190’s. balloon on Gunpark shot down in flames.
10th. Battery commenced mobilising.
12th. Shelled in afternoon. Raid 2am to 3.15am.
14th. Shelled – no injuries.
16th. Shelled E boat fight in channel.
17th. Shelled - no casualties.
Sept. 5th. 3 x bombs in Citadel - no damage.
Oct.
5th. Moved to Shorncliffe.
6 - 8th. Battery did 3 day mobile scheme.
20 - 26th. Battery did 8 day mobile scheme.
Nov.
14th. Vehicles moved to port for loading.
23rd. Battery entrained for Glasgow.
24th. Boarded Durban Castle.
27th. Ship sailed at 11pm.
Dec.
5th. Passed through Straits of Gib.
6th. Battery disembarked at Algiers and marched to Barchi.
9th. Transport began to arriving.
14th. C Troop moved to Birmandries.
15th. D Troop moved to Hussein - Dey.
17th. B.H.Q. moved to Birmandries.
23rd. D Troop shot down J.U. 88 in flames.
24th. Darlan murdered - mounted double guards.
[French Admiral Jean-Francois Darlan]1943.
Jan.
3rd. Rear party landed.
8th. Rear party vehicles unloaded.
15th. D Troop shot down Heinkel.
27th. C Troop shot down J.U. 88.
Feb. 2nd. D Troop moved to Maison Blanche.
Apr.
9th. Battery moved off and arrived at Palestro.
10th. Battery moved on to Side Emberak.
11th. Battery moved on to Ain M’lila .
12th. Battery moved on to Souk -Ahras.
13th. Battery deployed at Le kef. Total journey 485 miles.
20th. Battery deployed at Djebel Abiod.
26th. Battery constructed sites under fire at
Sedjenane.May.
7th. Battery moved off, bivvied 10 miles E .of Mateur.
8th. D Troop deployed in Bizerta, while enemy still in town.
9th. C Troop and B.H.Q. moved into Bizerta.
June.
3rd. Battery moved off and bivvied 6 miles E. of Mateur.
4th. Battery bivvied at Sousse.
5th. Battery moved into concentration area 12 miles N. of Sfax.
13th. C and D Troops deployed at Sfax.
21st. Battery deployed at Sousse.
29th. Waterproofing of guns and vehicles commenced.
Jul.
12th. Moved to concentration area in Sousse, up V track.
16th. Moved to Brentford Assembly Area.
17th. Moved to Charlton area.
18th. Battery embarked on L.S.T.'S.’s at Sousse. Sailed at 11pm.
(Landing ship tanks)20th. Battery disembarked at Syracuse at 8 am. troops deployed at Augusta by 2pm.
21st. Big raid on Augusta, fired 320 rounds and shot down 1 plane.
22nd. Big night raid fired 654 rounds.
23rd. Raid on Augusta. Fired 100 rounds. Troops deployed at Syracuse.
25th. Raid on Syracuse.
26th. Night raid.
27th. Raid – fired 500 rds.
28th. Raid – fired 600 rounds.
Aug. 10th. Raid fired 800 rounds D Troop shot down 1 plane.
Sept.
21st. Battery moved off and bivvied at Santa Teresa.
22nd. Battery bivvied at Messina.
23rd. Battery crossed the straits of Messina., in L.C. M’s and L.S.T.’s and Bivvied at Gallies nr Reggio.
24th. Battery moved to Pizzo.
25th. Battery moved to Catanzaro Marina.
26th. Battery moved on to Strongoli.
27th. Battery moved on to Torrente Saracen.
28th. Battery moved on to Bari.
29th. Battery deployed in defence of Bari.
Nov.
18th. Regt sports in stadium.
27th. Brigade sports in stadium.
Dec.
2nd. Big raid on harbour - 1000 killed, 15 ships sunk in harbour .
5th. C Troop moved to sea front.
24th. C Troop moved back to B. H. 4.
1944.
Jan.
12th. Went on to new War Establishment.
27th. B.H.Q. established at Carignola.
28th. C and d Troops deployed at Carignola.
Feb.
1st. Major Chapman new O.C.
15th. Field gunnery course for Officers and Sgt’s.
19th-23rd. Battery on field shooting at San Nicandro.
May.
3rd. Battery bivvied at Canosa.
6th. Battery moved to concentration area at Calore.
25th. Battery deployed. at Venafro.
Jun.
15th. Battery moved off and staged at Frosinone.
16th. Battery deployed at Rome.
Jul.
1st. Battery employed at Piombino.
15th. Moved to concentration area at San Vicenza.
25th. Battery move to Colle Salvetti.
27th. Troops deployed in field roll against enemy on N. side of Arno.
Aug.
3rd. Shell landed 10 yards from No 3 gun D Troop – no damage.
4th. D Troop had 150 shells on site – no damage.
6th. C Troop mortared – no casualties
7th. C and D Troops Shelled – no damage.
11th. D Troop had 20 shells, 1 lorry hit.
12th. D Troop shelled again 1 Matador and a motorcycle damaged.
23rd. C and D Troops in action near La Serra, south of San Miniato.
25th. B.H.Q. and Troop rear echelons moved to vicinity of Paloia, B.H.Q. had 9 shells in camp. Tents ruined, dinner blown up, kit holed but no casualties. B.H.Q. moved to alternative position.
27th. B.H.Q. Shelled – No damage.
Sept.
4th. Troops in action just N. W. of Lamporecchio against Gothic line.
Sites in front of Guards Brigade and 25 pounders.
6th. B.H.Q. and rear echelons move to Ponto Elsa.
8th. All bridges over Arno washed away by rainstorm. Much difficulty getting ammo and rations across.
10th. C and D Troops in action at Montecatini.
12th. D Troop moved to new position 1 mile W. of Montecatini.
4 shells in town, 8 shells landed within 100 yards of B.H.Q. – no damage.
13th. D Troop mortared by Coldsteam Guards registering D. F. task. No damage.
[Defensive Fire]10 shells landed just beyond B.H.Q., 1 in C Troops Wagon lines.
14th. Troops fired Murders
* in support of Guards brigade attack on Gothic Line.More shells in town.
15th. Fired more murders for Coldstreams.
16th. Fired counter battery bombards for 6th South African Armoured Division.
18th. More shells in town, 5 South Africans killed.
19th. More shells - no damage.
26th. C and D Troops moved to new positions in mountains N. of Bagnols.
Oct.
5th. C and D Troops moved to new positions in mountains 7 miles N. of Viareggio.
6th. C Troop shelled with airburst, 1 rifle and 4 tents damaged.
8th. B.H.Q. established 5 miles N. of Viareggio on coast road.
12th. C Troop moved to new position 1½ miles S. of Forti del Marni.
13th. C Troop shelled with airbursts, water trailer holed in 4 places.
15th. C troop shelled again, No 2 gun cables cut.
20th. C Troop had 55 shells on site No 2 gun put out of action with damaged elevating gear.
155mm shells dropped near B.H.Q.
21st. C Troop again shelled. No damage.
22nd. C Troop again shelled No 3 gun out of action with damaged recuperator.
23rd. C Troop shelled again No 1 gun had holes in buffer tank, elevating gear box and recuperating casing. C Troop moved to alternative position.
25th. Shells fell on C Troops old site when flash simulators fired.
26th. Flash simulators on C Troop old site drew more fire.
Nov.
11th. Sites recced in Poretta Terme area, steep and mountainous.
21st. Torrential rain - guns flooded out of pits.
24th. Shells fell near B.H.Q. No casualties.
Dec.
16th. C Troop shelled by 88mm. Control room got direct hits Taylor P.C. wounded in back Bdr Cook hit in head.
Predictor and Height Finder put out of action.
20th. Picked up 6 Germans off the shore in a small boat.
21st. C Troop shelled by 155mm. 2 gun cables cut and 20 rounds exploded no casualties.
23rd. Picked up 5 Italians civilians landing in small from Spezia.
28th. C Troop moved to site 2 miles W. of Canviore (?).
German attack on Serchio Valley, expected to extend here.
(1)1945.
Jan.
23rd. Battery moved to Lucca in A.A. role. Very quite. (2)
Feb. 19th. Bechuanas joined the battery. (3)
Mar.
13th. Battery moved up to Viareggio again D troop at Mintonte, (?) C Troop at Fiumetto.
26th. White troops in exchange for Bechuanas, left the battery.
Apr.
5th. Attack started with barrage at 5am. both troops busy. Coast O.P. shelled by 170mm.
7th. Coast O.P. hit by 170mm mortar shells and bullets in vicinity - no casualties.
8th. C.O. had leg blown off in minefield.
[Major Chapman ]10th. D Troop moved to new site over the Cinquale. C Troop in new site near coast O.P.
12th. B.H.Q. moved to Fiumetto.
13th. Troops moved to new site N. of Marina De Massa.
14th. First into Avenza with one 3 tonner and two motorcycles.
23rd. Battery moved to Marina Di Carrara.
24th. 11am battery moved through Viareggio, Pistoia. Bologna Modena to San Benedetto Po, in defence of Bridge. (3)
May.
2nd. Battery moved to Picenza in defence of bridge there.
Germans in Italy surrendered.
4th. Germans in Holland, Denmark and Northern Germany Surrendered.
5th. Germans in South Austria Surrendered.
8th. Churchill spoke at 3pm giving official news of Germany’s surrender.
Troops had "Cease Fire"
14th. Moved to Pesaro to join 7th A.G.R.A.
17th. Battery began guarding surrendered enemy personnel in cages at Cesenaties (?) and Cessna.
Nov.
24th. Regiment officially ordered to go into a state of "Suspended Animation"
Personnel of the battery posed to 51st H.A.A. Regt.
FINIS
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Gun Sites in use around Bristol by 76th H.A.A. Regt R.A. [T] Source: http://www.anti-aircraft.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.cgi?b-aas/m-1170879542/s-new/ The above site has managed to find a list of H.A.A. sites around Bristol along with OS coordinates. B1 3 Gordano ST525747 B9 - Avonmouth ST507778 B11 - Hambrook ST636786
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(1) http://en.comuni-italiani.it/046/023/mappa.html (2) http://www.fromoldbooks.org/Wood-NuttallEncyclopaedia/b/bechuanas.html (3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca. (4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_1945_offensive_in_Italy (5) http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-england/varty/gc-gva.htm (6) http://fishponds.org.uk/bristolmem.html (7) http://www.anti-aircraft.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.cgi?b-aas/m-1170879542/s-new/ (8) http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=1585 (9) http://www.btinternet.com/~air_research/kg55.html (10) bombing in the Bristol area (11)
Deaths on Active Duty. details from http://fishponds.org.uk/bristolmem.html Stapleton At the Bristol 6 (Purdown) HAA Gun Site OXENHAM, Frederick Ernest (28) Gnr. 1581124, 238 Bty. of 76 H.A.A. Regt. Royal Artillery. Of 153 Kingsland Road, St. Philips, Bristol. Son of Thomas H. Oxenham of St. Philips. Husband of Lilly Maria Oxenham. Died 3/12/40 at Cossham Memorial Hospital. GOODENOUGH, John (20) Bdr. 383182, 366 Bty. H.A.A. Royal Artillery. Of Old Sneyd Road, Stoke Bishop, Bristol. SOMERSET No.1 (Clevedon) Area At the Bristol 1 (Gordano) H.A.A Gun Site, Easton in Gordano HENDY, Henry Edgar (23) Gnr. 1446100, 236 Bty. of 76 H.A.A. Regt. Royal Artillery. Son of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Hendy of Gaunts Earthcott, Almondsbury, Glos. Stapleton At Bristol 6 (Purdown) H.A.A. Gun Site SIBLEY, Albert George (29) Gnr. 1602963, 238 Bty. of 76 H.A.A. Regt. Royal Artillery. Of 65 West Borough, Wimbourne, Dorset. Son of Reginald John Sibley of Wimbourne. GLOUCESTERSHIRE No.10 (Sodbury) Area At the Bristol 5 (Brickfields) H.A.A. Gun Site, Winterbourne JOHNSON, James (20) Gnr. 904948, 238 Bty. of 76 H.A.A. Regt. Royal Artillery. Of Brickfields Camp, Winterbourne, Glos. and 64 Ward Street, Grimsby, Lincs. Son of James Henry and Betsy Ann Elizabeth Johnson of Cleethorpes, Lincs. NORRIS, Ronald Arthur (19) Gnr. 897197, 238 Bty. of 76 H.A.A. Regt. Royal Artillery. Of Brickfields Camp, Winterbourne, Glos. and 69 Tockington Road, Grimsby, Lincs. Son of Arthur and Ivy Norris of Grimsby. ******* Cut and Paste links if they do not work. |
The book "76th HAA Regt" held in the 266 Para [GVA] Bty R.A. [V] library is a collection of daily events while in Italy, such as Rugby, Darts, etc and info that would not be of use to the enemy. There is some ref to names in it, research / transcribing continues and will be put on this website ASP.
*
MURDER (ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS METHOD A). This was a concentration of all the guns of either a Regiment or the Divisional Artillery on a pin-point target.Cut and Paste links if they do not work.