66th (LEEDS RIFLES) HAA REGT R.A. (TA)

The Royal Armouries Library has one book entitled "The Leeds Rifles 1859-1993" by Mr A.J. Podmore of 31 Lee Lane East, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 5RF.  Our copy is a pre-publication draft and is dated 1996.

Pages 72-4 deal with the air-defence role of the 66th (Leeds Rifles) Anti-Aircraft Regiment.  It mentions deployment of its anti-aircraft batteries during the Munich crisis, and later in the Humber/Tees area, the Tyne area, Freetown in South Africa, the Orkneys, Sheffield and Birmingham.

The Regiment moved by train to Glasgow in March 1942 and embarked on SS Orion to Bombay, India.

"On arrival in India several weeks were spent at the Barrakpur Racecourse Calcutta, where new equipment was drawn and acclimatisation carried out.  184 Battery was detached for airfield defence in Assam, and the remainder of the Regiment deployed to defend the key steelworks and airfield at Asansol.  The Regiment later moved to the Manipur Road base, and six months later, joined the air-defences of the Assam Oil Company refinery at Digboi, and the American air base at Ledo.

The advance of the British 14th Army into Burma meant that the Japanese air force could no longer threaten the key installations in Burma.  The Leds Rifles had completed their air-defence role, and the Regiment, with 184, 185 and 297 Batteries, was placed in 'suspended animation' on 15th March 1945.  The Regiment waas split up with officers and men being posted to various units..  Lieutenant Colonel J.H. Gale, who had commanded the Regiment throughout the war, was posted to command the 53rd (City of London) Heavy anti-Aircraft Regiment RA (TA) to replace their commanding officer who had been seriously wounded when ambushed by a Japanese patrol."

The bulk of the material in the book relates to the North African and Italian campaigns.

I hope this of some interest.  For detailed information on units of the British Army, the main UK collection of records and artefacts is housed at the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Rd, Chelsea, London, SW3 4HT.

Kind regards

Stephen Howe
Assistant Librarian

Royal Armouries' Museum
Armouries Drive
Leeds LS10 1LT
United Kingdom

Telephone: (00 44) 113 220 1832
Fax:          (00 44) 113 220 1934

History of the Royal Artillery, the Far East Theatre 1941-46

The book is authored by General Sir Martin Farndale and the ISBN number is: 1-85753-302-x. You may have trouble finding it. The book was published in late 1999 but was withdrawn by the RA Institution about three weeks after publication because of the numerous typos and misspellings of officer's names. It is to be republished later this year.

Here is what it has on the 66th (Leeds Rifles) HAA Regiment, RA Made up of the 184th, 185th and 296th HAA Batteries and commanded by LCol J H Gale, RA Arrived in Bombay on 11 May 1942 with 24 3.7-inch AA guns.

Moved to Calcutta under 1st Indian HAA Brigade

In Jan 43 it was in the Manipur Road Area

Moved to Digboi in July

Went into suspended animation in Jan 45