On the outbreak of war in September 1939, 8th AA Rgt mobilised at Belfast under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel J. Patrick. The AA units in Northern Ireland were grouped under
3rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade (SR). Unlike the TA units, who came under
Anti-Aircraft Command, the wartime role of the SR was to reinforce the
Regular Army. The regiment left for practice camp in
Cornwall in October, and in November 1939 3rd AA Bde began deploying to France as part of the
British Expeditionary Force (BEF). 3rd AA Brigade's role was to defend ports, bases, railway yards and line of communication routes. By the end of the '
Phoney War' in May 1940 21st HAA Bty was detached from 8th HAA Rgt and was serving under
4th AA Bde on GHQ tasks, including defence of supply points and airfields.
Battle of France Following the
German invasion of the
Low Countries on 10 May 1940, all units were soon in action, but the fortunes of war resulted in evacuation from
Dunkirk,
Cherbourg,
Saint-Malo and other ports during late May and early June. One troop successfully brought back four of its
3.7-inch guns and some vital gunnery instruments, despite having orders to blow them up.
Blitz AA units returning from France were rapidly reinforced, re-equipped where possible, and redeployed for future integration into existing defence plans. 8th HAA with 21, 22 and 23 Btys under command went to
Blackpool where it re-equipped with 3.7-inch guns. The regiment was soon in action again during the
Battle of Britain and
the Blitz, first in
Coventry, then ordered to London (
Clapham Common) three days before Coventry was blitzed, the units road convoy took two hours to pass Green Road Roundabout on the outskirts of
Oxford, such was its size,
London and then on
Teesside. On 15 October 1940 5th LAA Bty left to join 2nd LAA Rgt, which was being formed at
Aldershot. At the beginning of 1941 the regiment supplied a
cadre of experienced officers and men to help form a new 414th HAA Bty at 210th HAA Training Rgt at
Oswestry. This was formed on 16 January and joined 8th HAA Rgt on 25 March 1941.
Burma In the spring of 1942, the regiment with 21st, 22n dead 23rd HAA Btys embarked for the
Far East in the Belfast-built liner
RMS Britannic, and after a long voyage, escorted for a long way by battleships HMS
Rodney, HMS
Nelson & HMS
Valiant at different times, reached
Bombay. The guns and equipment were unloaded at
Karachi and both elements assembled at
Lahore before driving some 2,000 miles in convoy down the
Grand Trunk Road to
Calcutta. It was later transferred to
East Bengal, before moving south to join
XV Corps in
Burma. For the next two and a half years. the regiment took part in the
Arakan campaigns, firing effectively against the Japanese Air Force and ground targets. Their accuracy at long range earned them the nickname “The Twelve Mile Snipers.” Some elements took part in the famous
Battle of the Admin Box at Ngakyedouk (“Okeydoke”) Pass. Several officers and men received awards for gallantry following this heroic stand, which proved to be the turning point in the Arakan. At
Easter 1945, a tablet to the memory of members of the regiment who died in the Arakan was unveiled in St. Mark’s Church,
Akyab. This little, battle-torn church was one of the first in all Burma to be retaken, and men of the regiment assisted in restoring the building. ==Postwar==