http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq96-1.htm
and the second fuse that went into service was British Royal Navy in Sept 1943, place unspecified --This test firing of proximity fuzed 5"/38 projectiles against drones was carried out in August 1942 aboard the cruiser [USS] Cleveland [CL-55]. Results of this test were entirely satisfactory and accordingly, full-scale production of proximity fuzes was initiated at the Crosley Corporation in September 1942. Early production was plagued with numerous difficulties but satisfactory material was finally produced. This fuze, which was designated the Mk 32, was delivered to the Fleet during November and December 1942, and the first Japanese plane was shot down with proximity fuzed projectiles by the cruiser [USS] Helena [CL-50] in January 1943.
In general, all work on the British fuze paralleled the work on the Navy's Mk 32 fuze. About the fall of 1942 a contract was placed with the Radio Corporation of America for production of these fuzes, and shortly after the first of the year 1943, Eastman Kodak Company was also brought into the program on this fuze. Early work on the Mk 33 was rather unsatisfactory and although production was carried along at a small rate, acceptable material was not available for sometime. In about May 1943 an emergency program was set up to iron out the remaining difficulties in the Mk 33 fuze with the hope of obtaining satisfactory material before the end of the summer of 1943. By September of that year the fuze was in fairly satisfactory production and deliveries were commenced to the British. This fuze was designed specifically for the British 4".5 gun which was carried aboard aircraft carriers. In addition, it was contemplated that the fuze would also work in the British 5".25 Navy gun, but because of more severe treatment of the fuze in this gun, the fuze was not at that time satisfactory for use in the 5".25 British gun.
"APL and the VT FUZE," APL Technical Digest September-October 1962 pages 18-22 states further --
Short Form -- The proximity fuse could have been available to defend Britain in large numbers in 1943 with 4.5" heavy AA guns.Early experience gained in the Pacific could be used to modify defects in the fuze, develop the most effective tactics for its use, and check out logistics and handling problems.
Successful introduction of the fuze The VT fuze on Iwo Jima in 1945. into the Atlantic and Mediterranean areas would be greatly aided by this
experience, especially if its safety and performance record proved to be all that was desired.
The Navy's indoctrination team arrived in the Mediterranean in the closing days of the North African campaign and had completed introductory
instruction for all concerned by the time the Sicilian operations got under way. Confidence in the new fuze was more easily built up because
action reports from the Pacific were available to bear out the claims of the instruction teams.
