Why R.E an not R.A ???

[NEMO]

Hi why is this Anti Aircraft unit R.E an not Artillery please ?

[manchesters]

It would have been a Searchlight Unit in an AA Battery.

regards

[leigh kitchen]

Search light unit?

[leigh kitchen]

An uncle was in the 34th, the old 20th County of London's, he told me he wore at various times the 20th London's, RE & RA badges.
I have photos of him wearing RE & RA but a quick search has failed to locate them.

[NEMO]

Thank you

[fairlie63]

Originally Posted by NEMO

Hi why is this Anti Aircraft unit R.E an not Artillery please ?

Nemo,

Operation of both coast and AA searchlights in the British and Commonwealth armies was the responsibility of the engineers.

At the start of WW2 that responsibility, and the units, were transferred to the artillery which made sense. It occurred much earlier in New Zealand, and not until 1943 in Australia.

Keith

[NEMO]

Many thanks Keith.

[leigh kitchen]

In the "20th London's" I believe that different badges were worn by squadrons / batteries within the unit at the same time (I'll look for the reference), perhaps that was the case in other search light & AA units.

[54Bty]

When formed the 34th were granted permission to wear their 20th London cap badge and buttons, this remained in both Corps. During the war the Officers wore 'Royal West Kent' buttons on Service Dress.

Marc

[leigh kitchen]

Initially they did, but at some point they changed badges to RE and then to RA. Uncle Sid Kitchen stated that he wore the 20th London badge as well as the RE and RA.
I have read somewhere that subunits wore different badges.

Uncle Sid Kitchen, badged as RE, photo dated 1940 (which I think is the year of changeover from RE to RA) and badged as RA, photo dated 1944.
I wonder if the 20th London's badge was readopted when the 34th were redesignated an infantry battalion of the RA in January 1945?

[fairlie63]

Leigh,

302 SL Bty of 34 SL Regt had its origins in 10 (London Electrical Engineers) AA Bn RE(TA) after the Great War. It was definitely an RE unit when 10 AA Bn was redesignated 26 AASL Bn RE(TA) in 1925.

It appears in 34 AASL Bn when that unit was raised in December 1935. So it is quite possible that 302 SL Bty retained its RE badges until 1 August 1940 when it changed to RA, and the rest of the Bn continued to wear their 20 London Regt badges.

Maybe when they became 633 Regt RA the whole regt then wore the 20 London badge which would accord with your uncle's memories.

Keith

[leigh kitchen]

Thanks, years ago uncle Sid told me that he was putting together a frame of insignia that he'd worn, he couldn't find a 20th Londons, I had a spare and gave it to him. I queried whether he'd worn their badge as I thought he'd have worn only the RE and RA but he said that he had.
When I was a kid I saw a number of photos of him in uniform but unfortunately didn't note the cap badges worn and only have the two photos I've posted.
Yes, it may be that the 20th London's badge was readopted with the reversion to the infantry role albeit as an infantry battalion of the RA.
I'd like to find whatever reference I read the info. re. the wearing of different badges in as it may have details of the badges worn by the 33rd.

[Postwarden]

Two photos that may help.

Jon

[leigh kitchen]

Nice to see the white horse badge and buttons in wear, I can't make out what buttons or formation sign the female is wearing.

[Wmr-RHB]

Designations:

From: 19th London Regiment (St. Pancras) (TA), (a TA battalion of The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own))
1935: 33rd (St. Pancras) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers (TA), (as per the photo)
1940: 33rd (St. Pancras) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
1945: 632nd (St. Pancras) Regiment, Royal Artillery
1947: 568th (St. Pancras) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA)
1955: Q (St. Pancras) Battery, 512th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA)
1961: the 512th merged into 300th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA), I am not sure this still had a noticeable St. Pancras element.