79th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 79th LAA Battery was an independent Territorial Army unit of the Royal Artillery

Royal Artillery

The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...

of the British Army

British Army

The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

. It was originally trained to defend key installations in the area of Walton on Thames

Walton-on-Thames

Walton-on-Thames is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England. The town is located south west of Charing Cross and is between the towns of Weybridge and Molesey. It is situated on the River Thames between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock.- History :The name "Walton" is...

, including water reservoirs supplying London. The battery

Artillery battery

In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...

contained mostly London volunteers eager to defend their homes from German air attack.

It was also known as:

21 LAA Rgt 79 Bty RA
79th (Timor) LAA Bty RA
79th (British) LAA Bty
B Troop 79th LAA Bty RA

The unit saw action during the Battle of Britain

Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...

where it served with distinction defending the Hawker Aviation

Hawker Aircraft

Hawker Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer responsible for some of the most famous products in British aviation history.-History:...

factory at Langley, Churchill’s country home at Ditchley

Ditchley

Ditchley is a country house and estate about northeast of Charlbury in Oxfordshire.-Archaeology:There are remains of a Roman villa on the Ditchley Park estate at Watts Wells, less than southeast of the house...

and the oil refinery north of Bristol

Bristol

Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

.

During the months the battery converted to using Bofors 40 millimetre automatic anti-aircraft artillery

Bofors 40 mm gun

The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...

the battery was preparing to become a mobile battery. Conscripted 19 year old cockney

Cockney

The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...

drivers were being trained in Blackpool

Blackpool

Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...

. Replacement gunners were sourced from the 79th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment trained at Hadrian's Camp in Carlisle. In November 1941 the men were all issued embarkation leave.

The battery was then formed with other batteries, including the 48th and 69th LAA batteries, into the 21st Light Anti Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery for service overseas.

After leaving Gourock

Gourock

Gourock is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde...

on the Warwick Castle at 8am on 7 December 1941 they were prepared to defend airfields and oilfields in Basra

Basra

Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...

, Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

. In Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

they were to learn that Britain

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

was now at war with Japan and their new assignment was to defend Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

. Singapore

Singapore

was under attack before they arrived and they were redeployed to Batavia on the jungle covered island of Java on 3 February 1942. Their ship was attacked as it arrived in port.

In Batavia the 79th LAA Battery was split in two. Troop B was sent to defend the airfield of Malang

Malang

Malang is the second largest city in East Java province, Indonesia. It has an ancient history dating back to the Mataram Kingdom. The city population at the 2010 Census was 819,708. During the period of Dutch colonization, it was a popular destination for European residents. The city is famous for...

while Troops A and C boarded the Ban Hong Leong on 9 February to defend Penfui airfield in Dutch Timor – the closest airfield to Australia.

After their ship was chased and attacked by two Japanese submarines the ship was attacked by Japanese bombers as they arrived at Koepang port on 16 February.

In Timor the battery of 189 personnel joined Sparrow Force

Sparrow Force

Sparrow Force was a detachment based on the 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion and other British and Australian 8th Division units, during World War II. The force was formed to defend the island of Timor, from invasion by the Empire of Japan...

– a contingent of 1400 Australian troops, - under the command of Australian Lt. Colonel William Leggatt.

To cope with jungle conditions the 79th Battery were issued with the Australian Akubra

Akubra

Akubra is an Australian brand of bush hat, whose wide-brimmed styles are a distinctive part of Australian culture, especially in rural areas. The name is believed to be derived from an Aboriginal word for head covering....

slouch hat which they wore with the Royal Artillery

Royal Artillery

The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...

cap badge. They are the only non-Australian troops to ever be issued with Australia’s traditional hat.

The 79th (British) LAA Battery were the only anti-aircraft artillery on Timor

Timor

Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...

and certainly proved an important part of Sparrow Force. In Leggatt’s log he praised the 79th (British) LAA Battery:

“This unit showed its excellent discipline and training during the four days of action. Their guns registered eighteen hits upon enemy aircraft and reported 14 aircraft destroyed, including one four-engined troop carrier, and a twin-engine flying boat. Dive bombing did not deter them in the least, only ammunition shortages prevented them from engaging all enemy aircraft presented.”

The 79th were potent against invading ground forces. The exploding Bofors shells amongst the coconut palms killed many advancing infantry.

After capitulation on 23 February 1942 the battery was held at Usapa Besar POW camp until 23 September 1942. They were then herded into the hold of an old Chinese freighter, the ‘hellship

Hell Ship

A hell ship is a ship with extremely unpleasant living conditions or with a reputation for cruelty among the crew. It now generally refers to the ships used by the Imperial Japanese Navy to transport Allied prisoners of war out of the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore during World War II. The...

’ Dai Nichi Maru, with the rest of Sparrow Force and transported to Surabaya

Surabaya

Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...

via Dili

Dili

Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....

coming under attack from Royal Australian Air Force

Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

bombers and Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

and Dutch submarines. From there they travelled by train to Batavia and marched 11 miles to Makasuru where they were separated from the Australians and Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

to join the R.A.F. POWs in #5 camp. There they rejoined their comrades from B Troop.

On 15 October the Battery was broken up and sent to different parts of South East Asia. Some were held on Java while on 18 October the rest of the battery boarded the notorious Singapore Maru freighter to endure a one week voyage to Singapore.

At Singapore

Singapore

the battery were marched 15 miles to Changi

Changi

Changi is an area at the eastern end of Singapore. It is now the site of Singapore Changi Airport/Changi Air Base, Changi Naval Base and is also home to Changi Prison, site of the former Japanese Prisoner of War Camp during World War II which held Allied prisoners captured in Singapore and Malaysia...

Barracks where they would be medically examined and assessed for labour camps throughout South East Asia. Some were sent to work on the Siam-Burma ‘Death’ Railway, sent on a one month voyage in the hold of a freighter to work in labour camps all over Japan, or remain in Singapore

Singapore

at the notorious Changi Prison

Changi Prison

Changi Prison is a prison located in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore.-First prison and POW camp:...

.

Only one casualty, Gunner Fred Watkins, occurred in combat while the rest were in Japanese captivity.

Those who travelled to Japan to work in labour camps endured 46 days by hellship. Most casualties were aboard these hellships – either from disease or from being attacked by allied planes and submarines.

Many died from disease or accidents in labour camps on the Siam-Burma ‘Death’ Railway, in Japan, Java

Java

Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...

, Borneo

Borneo

Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....

, and Changi Prison

Changi Prison

Changi Prison is a prison located in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore.-First prison and POW camp:...

. In 1945 several died during American bombing raids on Japanese industrial cities including Fukuoka

Fukuoka, Fukuoka

is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...

, Nagasaki and Hiroshima

Hiroshima

is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...

.

After the war ended Bombardier A.H. 'Jock' Compton fell through the bomb bay doors of a converted B-24 Liberator bomber transporting liberated POWs from Okinawa

Okinawa Prefecture

is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...

to Manila

Manila

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...

. 30 other bombers were brought down by a typhoon on the same day on the same route killing almost a thousand liberated prisoners of war. To put this number in perspective, 1036 prisoners of war in Japan died during the war.

After the war the 79th LAA Battery was disbanded and it would thereafter be recorded as the 79th (Timor) LAA Battery – the ‘Sparrows.’

C Troop of the 79th LAA Battery in Scilly November 1941.

Officers

Major Jack P.H. Dempsey, Commanding Officer

Captain Craig, Second in Charge

Warrant Officer (II Class) Ron 'Abdul' White, Battery Sergeant Major

Captain Jim White, Transport

Lieutenant Charles Scott, A Troop

Lieutenant Andrew Baillie, C Troop

Non Commissioned Officers

Sergeant Alfred Lucas, Transport Sergeant

Sergeant Richard 'Dickie' Birkhead, Battery Sergeant Fitter

Sergeant Harry Lucas

Sergeant Robert Jones

Sergeant Ronald J. Weston

Sergeant 'Nobby' Brockway

Sergeant Jim 'Paddy' Storey

Sergeant Jim R. Hepburn

Sergeant Dennis Kember

Sergeant Gibson H. Brown

Sergeant Henry Evans

Sergeant George H. King

Lance Sergeant Edward Sawyer

Primary weaponry

Timor

8 x Bofors 40 millimetre automatic anti-aircraft artillery
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
12 x Mark 2 Bren Guns

Malang

4 x Bofors 40 millimetre automatic anti-aircraft artillery
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
6 x Mark 2 Bren Guns

Secondary weaponry

No.1 Mk.III* [Lee-Enfield] rifles
No. 69 grenade
No. 69 grenade
The British No 69 was an offensive hand grenade developed and used during World War II. It was adopted into service due to the need for a grenade with smaller destructive radius than the No 36M "Mills bomb". This allowed the thrower to use a grenade even when there was little in the way of...

s
.38 Enfield revolver
Enfield revolver
Enfield Revolver is the name applied to two totally separate models of self-extracting British handgun designed and manufactured at the government-owned Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield; initially the .476 calibre Revolver Enfield Mk I/Mk II revolvers , and later the .38/200 calibre Enfield No...

s (used by officers)

Primary transport

Timor

8 x Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

5 tonne trucks/tractors

Malang

4 x Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

5 tonne trucks/tractors

Secondary transport

Timor

2 x Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

1.5 tonne utility trucks
4 x motorcycles with sidecars

Malang

1 x Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

1.5 tonne utility trucks
2 x motorcycles with sidecars

Roll of honour

Name Died Place Cause

F.K. Watkins 22 February 1942 Timor K.I.A.

J. Mills 10 March 1942 Timor Wounds

J. Wallace 1 June 1942 Timor Wounds

H. Evans 2 July 1942 Timor Wounds

A. Mackie 6 December 1942 Japan Illness

A.E. Casey 9 December 1942 Japan Illness

R.J. Weston 9 December 1942 Japan Illness

J.B. Moth 10 December 1942 Singapore Illness

W. Cockaday 18 December 1942 Japan Illness

R. Mitchell 4 February 1943 Japan Illness

H. Chandler 23 February 1943 Japan Illness

A.J Coe 4 March 1943 Japan Illness

M.B. Pascoe 4 March 1943 Japan Illness

W.F. Charman 6 April 1943 Japan Illness

H.L.J. Martin 16 June 1943 Timor Executed

R.J. Burnett 25 June 1943 Siam Illness

G.H. King 17 August 1943 Japan Illness

J.C. Challoner 20 November 1943 Amboina Illness

A. Barker 2/40 Bn AIF 29 November 1943 Siam Illness

W.J. Bennell 29 November 1943 Drowned

C.V. Saban 29 November 1943 Drowned

K. Smith 29 November 1943 Drowned

S. Stearn 29 November 1943 Drowned

J.R. Skinner 18 September 1944 Japan Illness

G. Marshall 27 February 1945 Japan Illness

J.F. Buchan 11 March 1945 Japan Accident

O. Crowdell 11 March 1945 Japan Accident

D.A.C. Jarvis 12 March 1945 Japan Illness

J. Foster 28 March 1945 Japan Accident

A.J. Goff 26 July 1945 Sarawak Illness

J. Barkin 3 August 1945 Palembang Illness

A.F. Compton 10 September 1945 Accident

The Battle of Timor

For a detailed description of the Battle of Timor see Battle of Timor (1942-43).

External links

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