8th Field Regiment & 12th Field Regiment.

[David W]

I'm trying to find out more about the 8th Field regiment; 1940 - 1942. But information is sketchy, to say the least!

Can anyone help?

[daveh]

8th Field Regiment R.A.
had AA, V, W and X batteries

3.9.39 Stationed in Lucknow, India with the 6th Indian Infanrty Brigade
25.8.40 Leaves India
13.9.40 Arrives Egypt.
Under command Matruh fortress
all the above from (1)

9.12.40 Mersa Matruh Fortress Command with 8 x 18pdr. , 8 x 4.5" How (3)

26.4.41
V/AA and W/X batteries at Buq Buq
B and D troops plus A and E troops at Sidi Barani ((2) p168)

15.5.41 Under HQ Western Desert Force, 7th Support Group with 16 x 25pdrs for Operation Brevity ( (3) )

15.6.41 Part of Artillery Group, Escarpment Force ( (3) p.120) Parent formation 22nd Guards Brigade ( (1) p.190)

16.9.41 51st Field Regt with the 1st S. A. Inf. Bde. "handed over" to 8th Field Regt ( (3) p.209 )

"late" 1941 under HQRA 8th Army, Western Desert ( (3) p.265)

2.1.42 joined 2nd Armoured Brigade
12.2.42 under command 6 Ind Inf Bde, 4th Ind Inf Div
28.2.42 under command 70 Inf Div
6.3.42 leaves Egypt
23.3.42 arrives India
above from ((3) p501)

when 70 th Inf Div was converted into Chindit units the 8th Field Regiment was assigned to the 25th Indian Division

Sources:
1) Gen Farndale: History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery - The Years of Defeat 1939 - 1941
2) Joslen: Orders of Battle Second World War
3) David A Ryan: The British Armies in WW2 An Organisational History
Supplement 1 O.B. 1939 to 1941

Note I have no detailed references for the Crusader period battles and any role the 8th Field Regiment may have had therein

[David W]

Excellent info daveh. Thank you.

[David W]

I don't suppose that you could do the same for me, regarding the 12th Field Regiment, could you?

[daveh]

12th Field Regiment, RA

3.9.39 12th Field Regiment, RA (49th/91st Battery) was at Dunbar under Scottish command
(http://home.adelphia.net/~dryan67/orders/sc.html)

12th Field Regiment RA (96/23rd and 49/91st batteries) ordered to Malta, from England, in October 1940.
Initially equipped with 18 pdrs it later had 25 pdrs. The 18 pdrs were given to the 13th defence Battery RMA for the beach defence role.
(1) p.128

9.6.41 under Malta Command ( (2) p.464)

Malta Command passed under GHQ MEF from 11.3.42.
The 12th Field Regiment RA is listed as being under GHQ MEF on 14.6.42, and 20.12.42, probably still on Malta.
( (2) p.483)

Andy H notes on January 1st 1942 the 12th Field Regt RA was still on Malta (this forum topic: Malta Garrison 1942)

Davide Pastore notes that in early July 1942 the 12th Field Regt RA was still on Malta (this forum topic: Malta Garrison 1942)

1) Gen Farndale: History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery - The Years of Defeat 1939 - 1941
2) Joslen: Orders of Battle Second World War

[David W]

Andy H notes on January 1st 1942 the 12th Field Regt RA was still on Malta (this forum topic: Malta Garrison 1942)

Davide Pastore notes that in early July 1942 the 12th Field Regt RA was still on Malta (this forum topic: Malta Garrison 1942)

Those guys know what they are talking about. So it blows away my theory of an arrival on North African soil in March of 1942.

can we place this unit post July 1942? Or in 1943 somewhen perhaps?

[daveh]

12th Field Regiment RA post 6.42

http://members.tripod.com/~nigelef/regtsumm.htm#fdregt

notes the 12th Field Regiment RA as being on Malta 1941-1943

Then "To 17 Med Regt 1/44 (N Africa)"

Joslen: Orders of Battle Second World War has the The 12th Field Regiment RA as being under GHQ MEF on 20.12.42 and 10.7.43.

GHQ MEF includes Malta Command for the period 6.42 onwards. However it also includes eg Aden, Sudan, Palestine and Transjordan as well as 8th 9th and 10th Armies. A note on the OOB listing for these dates states that there are seperate OOBs given for 8th 9th and 10th armies and the 12th Field Regiment RA does not appear on any of these.

This suggests that the 12th Field Regiment RA probably stayed on Malta until it was decided to transform it into the 17th Medium Regt. at which stage it appears to be transferred to N Africa.

I have not seen the 12th Field Regiment RA in any OOB listing for N Africa suggesting its presence there in 1942...though I have only a few such details outside listings for the 8th army itself at various dates.


I have not seen a copy of

Regiments of the British Army 1939-1945 (Artillery)
Malcolm A Bellis: Pub. Military Press International, London, 1995 - ISBN 0 85420 110 6

which may be of use.

[David W]

Malta still looks favourite then?

[David W]

Especially in the light of this......

http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk ... age12.html

[Wargames]

How many 18 pounders did 12th Field Artillery have? I see reference to Malta having 60 such guns on the island. Were they there in June 1940 or arrive after?

Thanks!