‘R’ Battery, Royal Marines
United Kingdom: February 1940 – February 1941
No.11 Searchlight Regiment, R.M.
The ‘R’ Battery, Royal Marines was formed in February 1940 at Portsmouth as part of No.11 Searchlight Regiment, R.M. Between 12th and 15th February the Battery went to Taunton to join the 222nd Searchlight Training Regiment, R.A. In January 1941, the ‘R’ Battery was at Havant from where on 3rd February it went to Glasgow to board ship for Egypt. At Glasgow, the men embarked on H.T.12, H.M.T. Almanzora with other elements of the Regiment and of M.N.B.D.O. I. The ship sailed in convoy WS 6A, the convoy departing from off Oversay on 9th February. At Durban on 28th March, the Battery transferred to the Costa Rica and sailed for Egypt on 1st April.[1]
Egypt: April 1941 – June 1943
No.11 Searchlight Regiment, R.M.
The Dilwara arrived at Port Said on 21st April 1941 where the Battery disembarked the next day and went to El Tahag Camp. At El Tahag Camp on 13th May, the Battery was organised as an infantry unit, known as ‘R’ Battalion. It was organised as four companies, each of three platoons. ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies were immediately deployed within the Suez Canal area on guard and internal security duty. The Battalion Headquarters, ‘C’ and ‘D’ Companies followed the next day. On 15th May, ‘R’ Battalion took over the operational role of the New Zealand 32nd Wellington Battalion and Battalion Headquarters was established at R.A.F. Spinney Wood, Ismailia. On 20th June, the Battery provided eight detachments to operate searchlights in the Canal Zone. The ‘S’ Searchlight Battery, R.M., less Battery Headquarters, came under operational control of the ‘R’ Battery on 1st July to provide additional guards. On 9th July, the ‘S’ Battery detachment at the R.A.S.C. depot at El Quirsh was relieved by a Libyan Refugee company. The following day, four searchlight detachments were deployed to the R.A.F. airfield at Abu Sueir, with the remaining two going to Geneifa aerodrome the next day. The ‘D’ Company, 1st Libyan Refugee Battalion took over a guard post at R.A.F. Spinney Wood on 13th July. The searchlight detachments at Geneifa moved to Abu Sueir on 16th July but four detachments moved back to Geneifa on 23rd July. Further adjustments in searchlight deployment in the Moascar-Ismailia area were made in August in response to German air raids on the Suez Canal. However, with the air threat dissipating, on 30th September, the ‘R’ Battery at Spinney Wood began six week’s infantry training.[2]
On 28th April 1942, the Battery left Ismailia for the Kabrit area and all searchlights were declared operational there two days later. The Battery remained at Catterick Camp into 1943 when in February orders were received from the Headquarters, 1 R.M. Group concerning the formation of an Emergency Brigade, in the event of an urgent need. The ‘R’ and ‘S’ Batteries were to form two infantry companies to serve with 51 Battalion, Royal Marines. However, no emergency arose and it seems that the batteries were never required to operate in this role. In April 1943, the 6th Searchlight Battery, Royal Egyptian Army became available for deployment in the Suez Canal area, allowing the withdrawal of the 304th Searchlight Battery, R.A. The ‘R’ Battery redeployed as a result of these changes. On 13th May, the Battery moved to Geneifa but the stay there was short lived. The No.11 Searchlight Regiment, R.M. moved to Port Tewfik docks on 16th June for embarkation for Ceylon, with other units of 1 R.M. Group, M.N.B.D.O. I. [3]
Ceylon: June – July 1943
No.11 Searchlight Regiment, R.M.
The ship carrying the Battery, known only as H.M.T. VV.1042, arrived at Colombo on 26th June 1943 where the Marines disembarked the next day and moved to H.M.S. Ukussa, Royal Naval Air Station, Katukurunda. Here, on 11th July, the Battery was reorganised as a Battery Headquarters, two troops of six detachments each and one spare troop of three detachments. The remainder of the men were earmarked for posting to the Royal Marine 24th Battalion, which formed on 24th July.[4]
Ceylon: August – November 1943
1 Royal Marines Group, M.N.B.D.O. I
The Headquarters, No.11 Searchlight Regiment, R.M. was dissolved on 31st July 1943. The ‘S’ Battery was assigned as an independent unit to the 3 Mobile Naval Base Brigade when this was formed on 24th July. The ‘R’ Battery also became an independent unit and was earmarked to join a second Mobile Naval Base Brigade being formed, to be known as the 1 M.N.B. Brigade. This formation came to be built around 1st R.M. A.A. Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Thomas, which by then was in India. In the end, it seems that the 1st R.M. A.A. Brigade retained its title and that of the 1 M.N.B. Brigade was never used. While the Battery waited to join its new formation the Battery was assigned to a training programme including small arms and jungle training. On 9th September, the Battery moved to the Royal Botanical Garden Camp at Peradeniya, near Kandy.[5]
India: November 1943 – January 1944
1st R.M. A.A. Brigade
The Battery did not move to India until November 1943. Having entrained on 5th November, it travelled by rail to Gulunche Camp, Nira where it joined the 1st R.M. A.A. Brigade on 11th November. During December the Battery participated in simulated amphibious landing exercises.[6]
[The war diary ends with December 1943.]
United Kingdom: March – May 1944
1st R.M. A.A. Brigade
The 1st R.M. A.A. Brigade and the Royal Marines units under its command left India in January 1944 to return to the United Kingdom. The Marines sailed from Bombay on 29th January for Egypt and then on to the United Kingdom, arriving in the Clyde, Scotland on or around 23rd March 1944. The ‘R’ Battery would have been disbanded between March or April and September 1944, with the men being posted to anti-aircraft units, landing craft crews or as Commandos.[7]
29 January 2021