88th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA) was a volunteer air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) from 1939 until amalgamated in 1950. During World War II it defended South Wales and the Severn Valley during the Blitz and then took part in the North African and Italian campaigns, fighting in both the anti-aircraft (AA) and ground fire roles.
Origin
In the late 1930s the need for improved anti-aircraft (AA) defences for Britain's cities became apparent, and when the Territorial Army (TA) was doubled in size after the Munich Crisis a crash programme of raising new Royal Artillery (TA) units for Anti-Aircraft Command was begun. 88th Anti-Aircraft Regiment was formed on 1 April 1939 and consisted of Regiment Headquarters (RHQ) and 281st, 282nd and 283rd AA Batteries, based at City House, South Africa Road, White City, London. The first officers appointed to the new unit were transferred from 53rd and 54th (City of London) AA Rgts; 53rd (CoL) AA Rgt was also based at White City.
World War II
Mobilisation
In June 1939 a partial mobilisation of TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA gun positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations. On the outbreak of war the new 88th AA Rgt formed part of 26th (London) AA Brigade in 1st AA Division.
Blitz
On 1 June 1940 those AA regiments equipped with 3-inch or the newer 3.7-inch guns were termed Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) to distinguish them from the new Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) units being formed. The Royal Artillery's historian suggests that 88th AA Rgt was still being equipped with 3.7-inch guns in London during the summer of 1940. In July the regiment was assigned to 5 AA Brigade, which was being reformed after the Dunkirk Evacuation and taking over responsibility for the defence of the Gloucester area under 5 AA Division. However, 283 HAA Bty took up positions at Newport, Wales, where it came under the operational command of 45 AA Bde. In November, 5 AA Division was split, and 5 and 45 AA Bdes transferred to a new 9 AA Division.
After a few moves, 283 HAA Bty with its eight 3.7-inch guns was stationed at Pye Corner, Newport, (Site F) by the end of August. At the beginning of September four of these mobile guns were moved to Christchurch, Newport, (Site E), and by the end of the month the battery was manning Site E and eight 3.7-inch guns (four mobile and four static) at Nash, Newport, (Site N). Site E had a Gun-laying Mk I radar. During November the four mobile guns from Site N were moved to Boverton (Site I), where another GL radar set was installed. Site N was then handed over to 220 HAA Bty of 85th HAA Rgt, reducing 283 HAA Bty's manning commitment to the normal eight guns.
There were almost nightly nuisance air raids over South Wales and the Severn Estuary during the Battle of Britain, with some engagements for the guns, but when the Luftwaffe turned to night bombing of Britain's cities (The Blitz) in the autumn of 1940 the intensity of these raids increased, with the industrial towns of South Wales coming in for particular attention. Luftwaffe aircraft attempted to lay Parachute mines in the harbours and in the Bristol Channel. The Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton and the Gloster Aircraft Company at Hucclecote were particularly valuable targets in the area and suffered repeated attacks. Heavy raids also passed over the area on the way to other targets, such as Liverpool, Manchester, and the notorious Coventry raid on 14 November, which was engaged by the Newport guns. Bristol suffered major raids from November to April 1941, Cardiff during January 1941, and Swansea was heavily bombed on the nights of 19/20 and 20/21 February 1941.
Before the Blitz was over, 88th HAA Rgt was rostered for overseas service, and it joined the War Office Reserve in April 1941.