During the Second World War the Royal Regiment of Artillery expanded not only in size but in scope also. The Regiment, which in 1939 was still coming to terms with mechanisation and its relatively new branches of Anti-tank and Anti-aircraft, found itself, over the next six years, taking on even more roles.
In the air, Gunners found themselves flying spotter planes, parachuting and landing by glider. At sea they manned the guns of armed merchantmen. On the ground they manned their guns, fought as infantry, built roads and landing strips and much more besides.
By the end of the war there were nearly 700,000 serving in the Regiment – about two-fifths of the British Army and about equal with the whole of the Royal Navy.
The purpose of this site is to record as much of this service as possible. The site is far from complete and I doubt if it ever will be. However, I hope it will be a continually growing resource for historians, model makers and any one with an interest in the Royal Artillery.
Reference
The following are the main references sources used for this site.
- Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660-1978 Vols 1 & 2
JBM Frederick, 1984 : Microform Academic Publishers, Wakefield
ISBN 2 Vol set – 1 85117 009 X - Orders of Battle Second World War 1939-1945
Lt Col HF Joslen : Naval & Military Press (reprint)
ISBN 9781843424741 - Regiments of the British Army 1939-1945 (Artillery)
Malcolm A Bellis, 1995 : Military Press International
ISBN 0 85420 110 6 - History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery – The Years of Defeat 1939-41
Gen Sir Martin Farndale KCB, 1996 : Brassey’s, London
ISBN 1 85753 080 2 - History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery – The Far East Theatre 1941-46
Gen Sir Martin Farndale KCB, 2002 : Brassey’s, London
ISBN 1 85753 331 3 - History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery – Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914-55
Brig NW Routledge OBE TD, 1994 : Brassey’s, London
ISBN 1 857753 099 3 - The Dress of the Royal Artillery
D Alastair Campbell, 1971 : Arms & Armour Press, London
ISBN 85368491 X - The History of the Dress of the Royal Regiment of Artillery
Captain RJ MacDonald, 1985 : Crecy Books, Bristol (reprint)
ISBN 0 947554 05 X - The Territorial Artillery 1908-1988
Norman EH Litchfield, 1992 : The Sherwood Press (Nottingham)
ISBN 0 9508205 2 0 - The Royal Artillery Commemoration Book 1939-45
- British Military Markings 1939-45
Peter Hodges & Michael D Taylor, 1994 : Cannon Publications, Retford
ISBN 1 899695 00 1 - Vehicle Markings of the B.E.F from the GHQ diary of 11 April 1940
Andrew Foulkes, 2011 - Gunners at Larkhill – A History of the Royal School of Artillery
NDG James, 1983 : Gresham Books Ltd.
ISBN-10: 0946095078, ISBN-13: 978-0946095070 - AA Command – Britain’s Anti-Aircraft Defences of the Second World War
Colin Dobinson, 2001 : Methuen Publishing
ISBN 0 413 76540 7 - Operation Diver – Guns, V1 Flying Bombs & Landscapes of Defence 1944-45
Colin Dobinson, 2019 : Historic England, Swindon
ISBN 978 1 84802 475 5 - History of Coast Artillery in the British Army
Col KW Maurice-Jones DSO, 1959 : Royal Artillery Institution, London - Various discussions on WW2Talk
Regimental Histories
RHA
- Chaplain at War – 11 Honourable Artillery Company RHA
Revd K Oliver, 1986 : Angel Press, Chicester
ISBN 0 947785 12 4 - Prepare to Move – With the 6th Armoured Division in Africa & Italy – 12 Honourable Artillery Company RHA
Frank Beckett, 1994 : Frank & Eileen Beckett Publishers
ISBN 0 9520897 0 X Hardback ; ISBN 0 9520897 1 8 Paperback - To The Last Round – South Notts Hussars 1939-42 (107 RHA)
Peter Hart, 1996 : Pen & Sword Books, Barnsley
ISBN 0 85052 514 4
Field
- Ubique – 2nd Field Regiment RA
AM Cheetham, 1987 : Freshfield Books, Formby
ISBN 0 9512853 0 0 - Gunfire Target – 6 years with the RA (11 Field Regiment)
Edward A Oates, 1996 : The Book Guild, Lewes
ISBN 1 85776 066 2 - Sheldrake – Memories of a 2nd World War Gunner (24, 132 & 133 Regiments)
Maj Richard Hughes, 2016 : Pen & Sword Books, Barnsley
ISBN 9781473868601 - 31st Field Regiment RA – A Record
Owen N Roberts, 1994 : Old Comrades Association 31st Field Regiment RA
ISBN 0 9523547 0 5 - The Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments RA – Part 1 Field Regiments – 86, 135 & 191 Field Regiments
JD Sainsbury, 1999 : Hart Books, Welwyn
ISBN 0 948527 05 6 - Lancashire Gunners at War – 88th Field Regiment 1939-45
Stephen Bull, 1999 : Carnegie Publishing, Lamcaster
ISBN 1 85936 068 8 - Yeoman Service – A Short History of the Kent Yeomanry 1939-1945 (97th Field Regiment)
Lt-Col Franklin Lushington : Naval & Military Press
ISBN 978 1 78331 073 9 - The Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry in the Second World War – 98 & 144 Field Regiments
Lt-Col TB Davis, 1980 : Ditchling Press, Hassocks
ISBN 0 9500584 3 2 - The Ups & Downs of a Gunner – My Life Story – 112 Field Regiment
Albert Figg, 2017 : Amazon
ISBN 13: 978 1544090962 ; ISBN 10: 1544090996X - Field of Fire – Diary of a Gunner Officer (127 Field Regiment)
Jack Swaab, 2005 : Sutton Publishing, Stroud
ISBN 0 7509 4275 4 - Gunner Jack Dunkirk to Burma – The untold story of 130 Assault Field Regiment RA
Martin McLean, 2022 : Kindle Books
ISBN 9798404924367 - The Rose & The Arrow – A Life Story of 136th (1st West Lancashire) Field Regiment RA 1939-46
GW Robertson : 136 Field Regiment RA Old Comrades Association - 153rd Leicestershire Yeomanry Field Regiment RA TA 1939-1945
Naval & Military Press, Uckfield
ISBN 978 1 78331 155 2
Medium
- The History of the 7th Medium Regiment RA – (now 32nd Medium Regiment RA) During World War II 1939-1945
7th Medium Regiment Historical Committee, 1951 : Loxley Brothers Ltd, Sheffield - A Well Known Excellence – The authors travels with 64 Medium Regiment
Denis Falvey, 2002 : Brassey’s, London
ISBN 1 85753 312 7
Anti-Tank
- Mars & Venus – 210 Battery, 53rd Anti-Tank Regiment RA (TA) 1937-43
Jack Creed, 2000 : Brewin Books, Studley
ISBN 1 85858 160 5 - Ours Was Not The Glory – 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment RA – 8th Army Italy 1943-45
Peter Johnstone, 1993 - Shabash-149 – The war story of 149th Regiment RA 1939-45
EW Capleton, 1963 : C Tinling & Co, Liverpool
Heavy Anti-Aircraft
- 6th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA
Patrick Walker, 2011 : The Choir Press, Gloucester
ISBN978 0 9562190 4 6 - Wall of Steel – The History of 9th (Londonderry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA (SR)
Richard Doherty, 1988 : North West Books, Limavady
ISBN 0 907528 13 9 - Ever Your Own, Johnnie – Britain 1938-42 – Edited letters of RSM John Kemp (53 & 88 HAA Regiments)
Nick Kemp, 2016 : Nickkempbooks@yahoo.co.uk
ISBN 978 1 326 59785 6 - Ever Your Own, Johnnie – North Africa 1942-43 – Edited letters of RSM John Kemp (76 HAA Regiment)
Nick Kemp, 2016 : Nickkempbooks@yahoo.co.uk
ISBN 978 1 326 59890 7 - Ever Your Own, Johnnie – Sicily & Italy 1943-45 – Edited letters of RSM John Kemp (76 HAA Regiment)
Nick Kemp, 2016 : Nickkempbooks@yahoo.co.uk
ISBN 978 1 326 59892 1 - The Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments RA – Part 2 79 HAA Regiment & Searchlight Battery
JD Sainsbury, 2003 : Hart Books, Welwyn
ISBN 0 948527 06 4
Light Anti-Aircraft
- Ack-Ack – A History of 15th (Isle of Man) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA (TA)
Curwen Clague, 1981 : Old Comrades Association 15th LAA Regiment - The Sparrows – 79 Battery, 21 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
Tony Paley, 1992 : The Self Publishing Association, Worcestershire
ISBN 1 85421 145 5 - True Loyals – History of 92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA 1940-46
Tom McCarthy, 2010 : Countyvise Ltd., Birkenhead
ISBN 978 1 906823 38 2
Searchlight
- Flames of Calais – A Soldiers Battle 1940 (Author in 2 Searchlight Regiment RA)
Airey Neave, 1972 : Pen & Sword Military, Yorkshire
ISBN 978 1 52674 851 5
Light & Air Landing
- The Gunners at Arnhem
Peter Wilkinson, 1999 : Spurwing Publishing, Northampton
ISBN 0 9535754 0 3
Survey/Locating
- Larkhill’s Wartime Locators – a history of the Survey Regiments
Massimo Mangilli-Climpson, 2007 : Pen & Sword Books, Barnsley
ISBN 9781781594445
Air OP
- From Auster to Apache – The history of 656 Squadron RAF/RCAF 1942-2012
Guy Warner, 2013 : Pen & Sword Aviation, Barnsley
ISBN 978 1 78159 -098 0 ; EPUB ISBN 978 1 47382 246 7
