109 (royal sussex regt) light anti aircraft regiment
 

Hello all,

I have recently been doing some research on my grandfather's service in the war. He started off in the 7th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regt but that was transferred to the Royal Artillery, creating the 109 (royal sussex regt) light anti aircraft regiment.

Does anyone know what cap badge and insignia he would have worn? Would it have been RA or still the Sussex? I am hoping to put a display together with all relevant markings.

Any help will be much appreciated,

Ian

I have no record of any regimental (ie Royal Sussex) insignia being worn by 109 (Royal Sussex) LAA Regt, but I should be very surprised if they did not wear something on BD to mark their roots in the Royal Sussex - a small flash in regimental colours of blue and orange possibly?
109 LAA Regt was formed on 1 Jan 42 by the conversion of 7 R Sussex and consisted of 357. 358 and 359 LAA Btys. It was a 21 Army Group unit and served in Normandy and beyond. It was placed in suspended animation on 9 Mar 46 and disbanded on 1 Jan 47. Prior to conversion 7 R Sussex was in 37 Inf Bde in 12 (Eastern) Inf Div and will have served in the BEF Apr-Jun 40. 37 Inf Bde (including) 7 R Sussex) became an Indep Inf Bde in Jul 40 and finally disbanded in Nov 41.

Some small detail of the service of 7th Royal Sussex in the BEF:

"On 18th May 1940 the battalion was bombed while entrained in Amiens station and suffered heavily. They detrained and on 20th May took part in the devastating battle with Rommel’s Panzer Division outside Amiens. Armed with rifles and 50 rounds per man and a few Brens and Boyes Anti Tank rifles, the 7th Battalion held up the Germans for 24 hours before being over-run. 140 were killed; Badger was among the 197 that escaped back to UK. There they were reconstituted into 109 (Royal Sussex) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery. The regiment went to North West Europe after D-Day and Badger attained the rank of Sergeant."

From the obit. of Sgt William "Badger" Balcombe from the "Last Posts" in the "Roussillon Gazette"

http://www.royalsussex.org.uk/RSLHG_...%20Notices.htm

@BWEF, Thanks for the all the information. Fortunately my grandfather was not one of the number that faced Rommel in May but instead joined the Sussex in June following it. We know that he went through Normandy (we think D-Day +1 Gold Beach but haven't confirmed this), took part in Market Garden and then crossed the Rhine into Germany. I'm hoping to get dates and exact routes from a combination of the War Diaries of the 109th (which I've ordered) and his service history which has been requested from the MOD.

@Mike, thanks for your information. Sorry I'm new to all of this and unfamiliar with some of the abbreviations you've used. But what I am understanding from what you wrote is that he would have worn an RA cap badge. What does "BD" stand for where you mentioned it would possibly have a flash of regimental colours? And Btys, is that Batteries?

Really appreciate all your help and input, many thanks.

109 LAA Regt RA
 

On the basis of the information that I have, the regiment will have worn RA insignia - cap badge, arm of service strip (a strip of red/blue felt 2 in wide x 1/4 in high) and shoulder titles reading ROYAL ARTILLERY (red letters on blue)- with the possible addition of some form of flash to mark the unit's roots in the Royal Sussex Regiment. Some Gunner regiments converted from infantry wore such a flash, others did not - it seems to have been at the whim of the Commanding Officer.The expansion of BD is battledress (or bomb disposal - depending on context!). The expansion of Bty/Btys is Battery/Batteries.
Final item of insignia will have been the formation sign of 21st Army Group - worn on both arms of the BD blouse:
Attachment 87205

Thanks Mike, that's fantastic.

You may find this interesting:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peop...a6937329.shtml

Mike

Hi Mike,

Sorry to reply to this thread after so long, but I have done some more research (I finally got the war diaries) and was wandering if you could clarify a few a bits for me?

The 109 started off as 21st Army group which ties in with your original response to my question of formation, but later in the war they were under the command if 2nd Army(Oct '44) and then 30 Corps (Dec '44 to '46?), possibly some other changes as well (which I haven't got to in the diaries yet, but some sources have mentioned 12 corps and 8th corps). Would they have changed the formation badge? Or would it have stayed with 21st Army? Also, as they were a Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, would they not have had the formation badge for anti-aircraft command?

Appreciate all your help,

Ian