The process of dilution of Heavy Anti-Aircraft regiments consisted of replacing the majority of Other Ranks in a unit with men from the African Pioneer Corps. These men, Bechuana, Basuto and Swazi from Botswana (Bechuanaland Protectorate) Lesotho (Basutoland Protectorate) and Eswatini (Swaziland Protectorate) were trained as gun crews on the 3.7 inch Gun.
In 1943, in the Middle East and Italy, there was a shortage of men for the infantry. The idea was to replace the men in Heavy Anti-Aircraft units with Africans, so allowing the British troops to be employed elsewhere. Most men under 40 years of age went to the infantry while those older men remained in the RA to replace younger men. A few older men went elsewhere such as the Royal Signals.
The Africans were to take over all duties except for No’s 1 and 4 on each gun and the 12 men in the newly formed battery plotting detachment. They were formed into Companies with a British Subaltern and 3 NCO’s. The Company Sergeant Major and company clerk were both African’s.
The following is a brief record of those Bechuanaland Companies that served with the RA.
1971 Company
CSM G Mooketsi
| Jul 41 | Australian Engineers | Syria |
| Jul 42 | Guard Duties | |
| Jan 43 | 2 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment | Egypt |
| Aug 45 | Presumably shipped back to southern Africa before repatriation was halted until early 1946. |
Egypt |
1972 Company
CSM Elisha K Gwathe
| Dec 41 | Australian Engineers | Syria |
| Feb 43 | 73 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment | Egypt |
| Feb 45 | 73 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment disbanded | Italy |
| Feb 45 | 76 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment | Italy |
| Aug 45 | Presumably shipped back to southern Africa before repatriation was halted until early 1946. |
Egypt |
1973 Company
CSM’s S Seaomeng & Robert Moreri
| Dec 41 | Royal Engineers labourers | Syria |
| Feb 43 | 311 Battery, 78 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment & 76 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (to 1972 Company Feb 1945) |
Levant & Tunisia |
| Dec 44 | 78 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment suspended animation | Italy |
| Aug 45 | Presumably shipped back to southern Africa before repatriation was halted until early 1946. |
Egypt |
1974 Company
CSM G Selogoe Pilane
| Dec 41 | Australian & British engineers | Syria |
| Feb 43 | 61 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment | Libya |
| Aug 45 | Presumably shipped back to southern Africa before repatriation was halted until early 1946. |
Egypt |
1975 Company
CSM S Seaomeng
| Dec 41 | Australian & British engineers | Syria |
| Feb 43 | 69 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment | Libya |
| Aug 45 | Presumably shipped back to southern Africa before repatriation was halted until early 1946. |
Egypt |
1976 Company
CSM M Meese?
| Dec 41 | Royal Engineers labourers | Syria |
| Feb 43 | 87 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment | Libya |
| Sep 44 | 1 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment | Italy |
| Aug 45 | Presumably shipped back to southern Africa before repatriation was halted until early 1946. |
Egypt |
2301 Company
CSM S Letsholathebe
| 1943 | Formed in Middle East | |
| Feb 43 | 96 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment | Egypt |
| Jun 44 | 96 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment to suspended animation Company to 106 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment ?? (Regiment on its way to UK for disbandment) |
Italy |
| Sep 44 | 106 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment disbanded | Italy |
| Sep 44 | Men dispersed to fill gaps (men invalided out or on home leave) in other Bechuana RA gun crews |
2302 Company
CSM T Mosimaingape
| 1943 | Formed in Middle East | |
| Feb 43 | 89 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment | Libya |
| Aug 44 | 89 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment disbanded | Italy |
| Sep 44 | 57 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment | Italy |