The 283rd (County of London Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Battery RA
The 283rd (County of London Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Battery RA, was the anti-air unit of the 1st Airborne Division in 1942 alongside the 2nd Airlanding Anti-Aircraft battery which supported thr 6th Airborne Division. Nicknamed the 'Rough Riders' they were formerly a territorial unit based in London with their sister regiment, 'The Sharpshooters' - 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry.
They wore Imperial Purple 'Rough Riders' shoulder titles accompanying the Pegasus and Airborne flashes along with an imperial purple square backing on the beret with the 'collardog' capbadge which was RR on a spur, the same as the regimental collar dogs for Service Dress. Being an artillery unit, they also wore the white, braided artillery lanyard.
In December 1942, it was renamed the 1st Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft battery RA and served with the 1st Airborne Division until February 1944 when it was disbanded, some of the men went into the 2nd Airlanding Anti-Aircraft Battery. The 2nd Airlanding Anti-Aircraft Battery took over the role and instead of being part of a division was part of the British 1st Airborne Corps. The battery was to be attached to either airborne division (1st & 6th) when necessary.
For the Normandy invasion, the unit provided a detachment of men and equipment to the 6th Airborne Division and would be flown to Normandy in 4 gliders. Only 2 gliders made it, one crashed into the sea and one crashed over France. While in Normandy the unit fought in arduous battles and skirmished alongside other divisional troops despite being a 'rear echelon' unit. Members of the unit were employed on the Anti-Tank and Howitzer artillery pieces with other members of the divisions' Royal Artillery units.
While the detachment was fighting in Normandy, the remainder of the battery stayed in the U.K. and conducted parachute training at RAF Ringway in Manchester, with the detachment returning to U.K. in August. In September, the battery supported the 1st Airborne & 82nd Airborne Divisions in Operation Market Garden. It provided anti-air defence at an Airstrip near Grave in the Netherlands and for the 1st Airborne Corps HQ in Nijmegen, where General 'Boy' Browning was based. Some members of the battery were attached to General Urquhart's staff in the Arnhem/Oosterbeek area, mainly at the 1st Airborne Division headquarters at Hartenstein Hotel.
On the withdrawal of the 1st Airborne from Arnhem, the division (including the battery) returned to England and in November moved from Marlborough Barracks in Bulford to Monkton Farleigh, Corsham Garrison, in Wiltshire. A few months later in the new year, the battery was confirmed by the War Office that is was to be split and reformed into the 5th & 6th Airlanding Anti-Tank Batteries. On the 22nd January 1945, the battery was returned to War Office control which was finalised on the 24th January. Following this, the battery was disbanded along with many other units within the airborne divisions."
The 283rd (County of London Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Battery RA, was the anti-air unit of the 1st Airborne Division in 1942 alongside the 2nd Airlanding Anti-Aircraft battery which supported thr 6th Airborne Division. Nicknamed the 'Rough Riders' they were formerly a territorial unit based in London with their sister regiment, 'The Sharpshooters' - 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry.
They wore Imperial Purple 'Rough Riders' shoulder titles accompanying the Pegasus and Airborne flashes along with an imperial purple square backing on the beret with the 'collardog' capbadge which was RR on a spur, the same as the regimental collar dogs for Service Dress. Being an artillery unit, they also wore the white, braided artillery lanyard.
In December 1942, it was renamed the 1st Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft battery RA and served with the 1st Airborne Division until February 1944 when it was disbanded, some of the men went into the 2nd Airlanding Anti-Aircraft Battery. The 2nd Airlanding Anti-Aircraft Battery took over the role and instead of being part of a division was part of the British 1st Airborne Corps. The battery was to be attached to either airborne division (1st & 6th) when necessary.
For the Normandy invasion, the unit provided a detachment of men and equipment to the 6th Airborne Division and would be flown to Normandy in 4 gliders. Only 2 gliders made it, one crashed into the sea and one crashed over France. While in Normandy the unit fought in arduous battles and skirmished alongside other divisional troops despite being a 'rear echelon' unit. Members of the unit were employed on the Anti-Tank and Howitzer artillery pieces with other members of the divisions' Royal Artillery units.
While the detachment was fighting in Normandy, the remainder of the battery stayed in the U.K. and conducted parachute training at RAF Ringway in Manchester, with the detachment returning to U.K. in August. In September, the battery supported the 1st Airborne & 82nd Airborne Divisions in Operation Market Garden. It provided anti-air defence at an Airstrip near Grave in the Netherlands and for the 1st Airborne Corps HQ in Nijmegen, where General 'Boy' Browning was based. Some members of the battery were attached to General Urquhart's staff in the Arnhem/Oosterbeek area, mainly at the 1st Airborne Division headquarters at Hartenstein Hotel.
On the withdrawal of the 1st Airborne from Arnhem, the division (including the battery) returned to England and in November moved from Marlborough Barracks in Bulford to Monkton Farleigh, Corsham Garrison, in Wiltshire. A few months later in the new year, the battery was confirmed by the War Office that is was to be split and reformed into the 5th & 6th Airlanding Anti-Tank Batteries. On the 22nd January 1945, the battery was returned to War Office control which was finalised on the 24th January. Following this, the battery was disbanded along with many other units within the airborne divisions."