R Battery 349th Light A.A.Regt. (L.Y.)-at Drill Hall Crewe

[Peter Brydon]

I find the history of T.A. units fascinating, especially the connections with the localities in which they recruited.

With R.A. T.A. units, Norman Litchfield gave details of 149th Field Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery in the Cheshire Section of "The Territorial Artillery 1908- 1988" which was formed as a duplicate of 106th Regiment RHA ( Lancashire Hussars ) with Headquarters at Hoylake.

I understand that the unit was unofficially know as THE HOYLAKE HORSE.

http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/archive...Horse/?ref=arc

The unit was reconstituted as 349th Heavy AA Regiment R.A. ( Lancs ,Yeo. ) T.A. in 1947 but after protests from members of the unit they became 349th Light A.A. Regiment R.A. T.A. with headquarters at Hoylake. In 1950 it amalgamated with 521st LAA Regt and headquarters moved to Chester. 521st Regiment formed R Battery of 349th LAA Regt.

Member Mercian very kindly gave me copies of some press cuttings relating to the Territorial Army in Cheshire in 1950`s and it came as a surprise to see that R.Battery was located at the local T.A. Centre here in Myrtle Street, Crewe from 1947 to October 1952.I was recently talking to a former CSM who had been based with the Mercian Volunteers there and it was something he had never heard of.

A former C.O. and later Honorary Colonel of 349th Regiment was Selwyn Lloyd a Member of Parliament and Minister of State at the Foreign Office and a name that seemed to be constantly in the news at one time.

It is ( to me at least ) amazing the things that can still be discovered about local units, Paul Spellmans recent discovery confirming the existence of the Isle of Man Company of the 5th Loyals is a good example.

It is just a pity that trying to remember unit numbers for R.A. regiments is so difficult.

P.B.

[Ian Adams]

Sun helmet or pagri badge of the 149th Anti-Tank Regt RA during WWII. The Hoylake lighthouse.

[Peter Brydon]

Thanks Ian,

That is a badge very much on my Wanted List together with that of R.Battery 287th Medium Regiment 1961-67 ( Litchfield fig 161 )



I do find it interesting that in the days before most people had a t.v. and car the doings of the local T.A. units were of great interest. When new colours were presented to the Liverpool Scottish and colours were presented to the 5th Kings in 1938 the spectators filled Goodison Park.

P.B.

[54Bty]

If you find one, look for another one for me.

Marc

[Peter Brydon]

Marc,

The second one I find is yours.

Peter

[54Bty]

Thank you Peter.

Marc

[toadstone]

I came across this forum some while ago while researching my Dad's original regiment, 149th RHA, aka Hoylake Horse. He joined the TA well before the 39 call up so I'm told. He died in the early '80s and Mum knew only a little of his early service but knew much more of latter service with Intelligence Corps/FSS. For that is where she met him while she was serving in 5th line of Communication in Germany, having previously been in radar/MHAA. Sadly she died only recently aged 95 and as one does I am now, being an only child, going through all of her effects. While I know an awful lot about about their service I am now finding photos and memorabilia which dot the i's and cross the t's in most cases, some of course don't and lead to questions I shall now no longer be able to have answered.

So regarding the Hoylake Horse, well I do have one of the cloth badges depicting the lighthouse and also a photo of Dad on the Reine del Pacifico enroute to Durban, SA, complete with pith helmet and quite clearly showing the lighthouse motif on the helmet.

Hope this is of interest. Certainly none of the stuff will be going up for sale anytime soon.


Cheers, Peter.

[leigh kitchen]

Very interesting, thanks - and it's nice to know that you'll be keeping these items.

[fairlie63]

Nice, and is that a regimental flash at the top of his sleeve?

[toadstone]

I'm glad its of interest. As for the shoulder flash, pass, not sure what that would be. I'm assembling photos of both of their service during WW2 and I'll post here when complete. I do have a scarf of Mum's which has many badges on, I'll post an new thread this next week on that.

Peter.

[tynesideirish]

I have the following, aquired from a member of this forum. Superb photo. 433rd Battery 149th Regiment R.H.A. Hoylake September 17th 1939.

[tynesideirish]

...And the following.

[Peter Brydon]

Great stuff,thanks for posting.

Peter

[toadstone]

tynesideirish, that's a great photo, they must have had both Batteries photographed separately and then together. I have managed to get a copy of them both together.

Peter.