The 120th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (120th LAA Rgt), was an air defence unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery during World War II. It landed on D-Day and saw action throughout the campaign in North West Europe, defending the vital Scheldt Estuary until the end of the war.

Origin The regiment was formed in January 1942 from the short-lived 86th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery (86th S/L Rgt) which had only been raised in the previous year as part of the rapid expansion of Anti-Aircraft Command.Farndale, Annex M.86 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45.120 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45.

86th Searchlight Regiment 86th S/L Regiment was formed on 23 January 1941 at Henderson Church Hall at Kilmarnock in Scotland during the height of the Luftwaffe'''s night Blitz on British cities. Major J.B. Allan was posted from 52nd (Queen's Edinburgh Royal Scots) S/L Rgt and promoted to lieutenant-colonel to command the new regiment, moving the Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) to Craigie House, Ayr, where it was joined by the advance parties of three S/L batteries that had been formed at the training regiments on 14 November 1940:Frederick, pp. 861, 874.86 S/L Rgt War Diary, 1941, The National Archives (TNA), Kew file WO 166/3106. 526 S/L Bty, formed by 233rd S/L Training Rgt at Saighton Camp from a cadre of experienced officers and men provided by 65th (Essex Regiment) S/L Rgt 527 S/L Bty, formed by 233rd S/L Training Rgt, cadre from 69th (3rd City of London) S/L Rgt 528 S/L Bty, formed by 234th S/L Training Rgt at Carlisle, cadre from 61st (South Lancashire Regiment) S/L Rgt

The regiment came under the command of 63rd AA Brigade in 12th AA Division, responsible for the air defence of West Scotland.Farndale, Annex D, p. 261.Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.

In mid-March the regiment began a partial deployment without searchlights to guard Vulnerable Points (VPs) in the light anti-aircraft (LAA) role, equipped with 20 mm guns (Oerlikon or Hispano) and Lewis guns. The regiment received its first 150 cm searchlights in April, by which time RHQ had returned to Kilmarnock. It became operational, equipped with 90 cm and 150 cm S/L projectors, sound locators and electrical generators, on 9 May during a Luftwaffe raid. The following night, Rudolf Hess landed by parachute some 200 yards from one of the regiment's sites and was apprehended by the local Home Guard unit.

The Blitz was ending by now, and the regiment spent the rest of 1941 uneventfully. As well as AA defence, it had a subsidiary role in spotting Parachute mines laid by Luftwaffe aircraft in the Clyde. At the beginning of 1942, the regiment gave up its searchlights and converted to the LAA gun role as 120th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment from 19 January. The establishment of an LAA regiment was smaller than that of a S/L regiment, so 275 other ranks (ORs) were transferred to 57th (Cameronian) S/L Rgt.Frederick, pp. 806–7, 838.120 LAA Rgt War Diary, 1942, TNA file WO 166/7706.

120th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment The new regiment consisted of RHQ and 393, 394 and 395 LAA Batteries. In February it moved to Holywood in Northern Ireland to attend 237 LAA Training Regiment, returning to Stranraer in Scotland in mid-April. It took over LAA gun sites in 63 AA Bde area equipped variously with Bofors 40 mm guns and Light machine guns, and established RHQ at West Kilbride. On 8 April 448 LAA Bty joined the regiment (this battery had been formed on 19 February from the fourth Troops of 97, 128 and 266 LAA Btys of 36th LAA Rgt). On 10 July 448 LAA Bty transferred to 84th S/L Rgt and 11 (Supplementary Reserve) LAA Bty joined from 4th (Ulster) LAA Rgt (formerly 3rd (Ulster) (SR) S/L RgtFrederick, pp. 800, 820.

Training continued during the summer, and in August the regiment sent a cadre of trained officers and ORs to form a new 488 LAA Bty at 212 LAA Training Regiment at Chester (this battery later formed part of 145th LAA Rgt). At the end of August the regiment moved to Stamford, Lincolnshire to join 32nd (Midland) AA Bde in 2nd AA Division. Here it took over VPs at places across the East Midlands such as Grantham, Peterborough, Cottesmore, Coleshill and Nuneaton.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 1 October 1942, TNA file WO 212/82. On 3 October 1942 11 LAA Bty transferred to 144th LAA Rgt (it later served in the Faroe Islands garrison).Frederick, p. 795.Joslen, p. 561.Routledge, pp. 209–10.

Mobile training In late 1942, 120th LAA Rgt began to prepare for mobile warfare. In November, a draft of 119 drivers was posted in from 227 Driver Training Regiment, and that month the regiment transferred to 50th AA Bde in the North Midlands. RHQ moved to South Collingham with the batteries moving to sites in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. In December–January the regiment was at Haltwhistle battle training area, next it went to 11 AA Bde Tactical School at Leigh-on-Sea for a month's mobile training, and then to Oulton Park Camp near Tarporley, Cheshire.120 LAA Rgt War Diary, 1943, TNA file WO 166/11738.

On 13 March 120th LAA Rgt was ordered to mobilise as part of the field force, and it began receiving its own towed Bofors guns (previously it had operated static guns at fixed sites). Mobile LAA regiments had an establishment of three Batteries each of three Troops equipped with six towed Bofors. As a mobile unit, it was also given its own Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) workshop and Royal Corps of Signals detachment.Routledge, p. 305.

Upon mobilisation, 120th LAA Rgt was withdrawn from Air Defence of Great Britain and came under War Office control; however it was immediately lent back to AA Command, which required more LAA guns to deal with Luftwaffe 'hit and run' attacks, and deployed to the Southampton area. At first it formed part of 73rd AA Bde,Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional Units), 18 February 1943, TNA file WO 212/9. but on 1 June 1943 it came under the command of the newly formed 76th AA Bde in Cheshire, which was training for the planned invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord).76 AA Bde War Diary, 1943, TNA file WO 166/11247.

In June 1943 the regiment attended No 16 AA Practice Camp at Clacton-on-Sea before returning to Cheshire in July, with RHQ at Marbury Hall. After a second course at Clacton, the regiment stayed in Essex, first at Wakes Colne, near Colchester, and then at Wimbush Camp near Saffron Walden. In September it received 18 self-propelled (SP) Bofors guns (these were usually mounted on Morris C9B 4 x 4 lorries) and handed in its towed Mk II and Mk III Bofors in exchange for Mk I guns using 'Stiffkey Stick' sights. In October, the regiment was in Bournemouth for beach landing exercises in cooperation with 113th Heavy AA Rgt, under whose command it would operate on D-Day. After visits to No 14 LAA Practice Camp at Nethertown, Cumberland, and Harlech Anti-Tank Range in Wales, the regiment returned to Bournemouth at the end of the year.

At the beginning of 1944, 120th LAA Rgt moved to Southend-on-Sea, where in late March it received nine Crusader AA Mark I tracked self-propelled (SP) Bofors guns, which would have a special role in the assault landing on D-Day. In addition, 76th AA Brigade assigned 1618 LAA Rgt Platoon of 323rd Company, Royal Army Service Corps (RASC), to the regiment to provide mobility. In March the regiment moved back to Southampton for exercises, where it remained until May, when the units required for the assault phase of Overlord began to gather in southern England. 120th LAA Rgt was already at Southampton while the rest of the brigade (including the rear echelons of 120th LAA Rgt) concentrated at Southend.76 AA Bde War Diary, 1944, TNA file WO 171/1084.120 LAA Rgt War Diary, 1944, TNA file WO 171/1135.

D-Day

In Second Army's plan for Overlord, 76th AA Bde was to support XXX Corps in its landing on Gold Beach. LAA defence was emphasised at the start of the operation, since low-level attack by Luftwaffe aircraft was considered the most likely threat. Assault units were to be landed with minimum scales of equipment, to be brought up to strength by parties landing later.Routledge, pp. 305–7.80 AA Bde Operation Order No 1, 20 May 1944, TNA file WO 171/1085.

For the assault phase, RHQ, 394 and 395 Btys of 120th LAA Rgt formed part of the AA Assault Group assigned to 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division landing on Gold Beach, under the command of RHQ 113th HAA Rgt.Joslen, p. 581. 320 Bty (A, B and C Trps) of 93rd LAA Rgt was also placed under command of 120th LAA Rgt for the landing; this battery was equipped with 18 triple mountings of 20 mm guns (Oerlikon or the new Polstens), half of them mounted on Crusader chassis.93 LAA Rgt War Diary 1944, TNA file WO 171/1124.

394 Battery landed two guns on King Sector of Gold Beach by 08.45 (75 minutes after H-Hour). The first of E Trp's Crusaders bogged down and its engine was flooded, but the gun remained manned although the Mk I Bofors it was towing was 'drowned'. The rest of E Trp had been diverted. F Trp's recce party beached at 09.15, but its first Crusader, towing a Mk I Bofors, did not arrive until 17.00, and the remainder at 20.30.120th LAA Rgt, D-Day Diary of Events, included in June 1944 (TNA file WO 171/1135) and July 1945 (TNA file WO 171/4966) War Diaries.

On Jig Sector, H Trp's recce party landed 15 minutes after H-Hour and had got four guns ashore by 14.40, together with two triple 20 mm mountings of B Trp 320 Bty. But fighting was still going on around Le Hamel and rough seas meant that further unloading was delayed. J Troop got three guns ashore (one towed gun being drowned) but the LCT carrying the rest of the troop suffered an engine failure and could not land until D + 3 (9 June). By the end of D-Day, 395 Bty had 9 Bofors and two 20 mm mountings ashore, covering the beach exits, where men of H Trp had helped the Royal Engineers to clear mines.

The landing beaches were 'solid with tracked vehicles' and the landing craft carrying the guns had to wait, so detachments of 120th LAA Rgt acted as infantry, clearing enemy positions while awaiting the arrival of their guns. While digging in on the beach, Gunner George Hurst saw a man washed off a drowned vehicle into the sea and swam out under fire in an attempt to save him, for which Hurst was awarded the Military Medal.Hurst's citation, endorsed by Lt-Gen Sir Bernard Montgomery, TNA file WO 373/49/274.

The RHQ command group had landed on King Beach about 2 hours after H-Hour, and spent the night in a shell crater.

By midnight, the AA Defence Commander on Gold Beach reported the situation:Routledge, p. 310.King Sector: 394/120 LAA Rgt – 8 x 40 mm 320/93 LAA Rgt – 6 x triple 20mmJig Sector: 395/120 LAA Rgt – 9 x 40mm 320/93 LAA Rgt – 2 x triple 20 mm

There was little enemy air activity during the night. For example, F Troop fired 50 rounds without success, but at 06.30 on D + 1 a lone Focke-Wulf Fw 190 crossed the beach and was shot down by the first round from Sergeant Appleby's No 3 Detachment. Later, No 2 Detachment shelled a German strongpoint that had caused casualties to 2nd Battalion Hertfordshire Regiment of No 9 Beach Group.

The rest of the regiment turned up between D + 1 and D + 4, some landing craft having had to return to England and been sent over again. 393 Bty and D Troop of 392 Bty had embarked in the Thames and sailed through the Straits of Dover under German shellfire. The gunners provided relief crews for the ships' Bofors and 20 mm guns. These guns arrived and deployed during D + 2 and D + 3.

Normandy

In the days following the landings, 76th AA Bde's guns moved inland to extend cover from the landing beaches to Port-en-Bessin and Arromanches, where a Mulberry harbour was being constructed.Routledge, Table XLIX, p. 319.