6th Australian Infantry Division in 1941

[David W]

Also, did the Division's 2/1st Light Anti Aircraft Regiment serve in North Africa? Or was it parcelled off elsewhere?

[Tom from Cornwall]

David,

Found a reference to 2 AA Regt RAA being attached to 6th Australian Infantry Division in Palestine in June 1941 (on AWM war diary site - page 43 of the 6 Div May-June 41 WD). Nothing about the 1st AA Regt though.

Regards

Tom

[David W]

That's interesting Tom. I don't know what to make of it though.

[Tom from Cornwall]

David,

I've checked the war diaries for 9 Div in Tobruk (only British AA units) and of 7 Div at start of Op Exporter (57 British LAA Regt with 20 Bofors seemingly). So the obvious question, is "where did the Australian AA units go?"

I will continue looking...

Hmmm...according to the WD of the 1 Australian Corps in Jun 41 the following Australian AA Regts were Corps Troops under HQ 1st Australian AA Bde: 1st and 2nd Australian AA Regts and 3rd Australian LAA Regt.

It looks to me like the AA regts were never under command of the divisions.

Regards

Tom

[Tom from Cornwall]

David,

looking at Annexure 1 to Annex A of the 1 Aus Corps WD - on the Australia War Memorial site - it looks as if when 6th Division was first formed in 1939 it did not have an AA unit. The artillery was limited to 2/1, 2/2 and 2/3 Field Regts; 1st AT Regt was listed as a Corps unit at this time.

Of course the Australians didn't have any AA guns so I guess it's not that surprising that we can't find anything about AA units!!

Regards

Tom

[David W]

So it looks like a "Did not exist" for the A.A regiments of all three Australian Divisions in the Middle East in 1941.

And 1942?

[David W]

When did the Infantry Companies receive some anti tank guns?
Or were they only ever present in the Anti Tank Regiment?

[Tom from Cornwall]

David,

According to WO169/949 - HQ RA GHQ ME - Artillery Sit Rep for Jan 41, kindly posted by Shane Lovell on the MissingLynx site ,on the 18 Jan 41 6th Australian Div was equipped with:

16 Aus Inf Bde A/Tk Coy - 9 x 2-pdrs
17 Aus Inf Bde A/Tk Coy - 2 x 2-pdrs.

We'll have to persuade Shane to post similar documents from 1940 to exactly answer your question, but I think we can assume that when 6 Aus Div first went into action these were their organic anti-tank resources.

BTW re Anti-Aircraft regiments for the 6, 7 and 9 Australian Divs - I think I managed to confuse you, sorry . There were three Australian AA regts, but they belonged to 1 Aus Corps. Do you know whether early war British infantry divisions were provided with AA regts, or were they Corps assets for the British as well?

Cheers

tom

[David W]

Tom.

Is that 2x 2Pdrs in 17th Brigade A/Tk Coy or a typo?

I'm not sure about the answer to your query regarding the British AA Regiments in the early war.

Where were the 1 Aus Corps AA Regts in late '40 - early '41?
(Confusing me is not difficult, especially in the early hours!)

[Tom from Cornwall]

David,

not a typo - two 2-pdrs.

Which makes me wonder what the guys in the 17 AT Coy thought when they looked at their lucky mates with nine in the 16 AT Coy. First come, first served I suppose!

Not sure about location of Australian AA regts in that time period - but I don't think they had any guns anyway.

The AWM has the war diaries of 1 Aus Corps online - I imagine their arrival and final outfit is in them somewhere.

Regards

Tom

[Tom from Cornwall]

David,

From the 1 Corps WD for Feb - Aug 40 there is a document detailing the plans to form a second division (ie the 7th) and corps troops including one AA and one Light AA Regt dated Mar 40. Then on 20 May 1940 a decision was announced to form HQ 1st AA Bde and another AA regt (2nd AA Regt). Nothing up to Aug 40 about them being shipped out of Australia though.

Regards
Tom

[David W]

Thanks & Double thanks Tom.

[Tom from Cornwall]

David,

From 1 Australian Corps HQ G Branch WD for Jun - Nov pt 2 - page 46 - there is a staff appreciation of arrivals in ME dated 18 Oct 40:

This forecasts that 3rd Australian LAA Regt would leave Australia in the December 1940 convoy, and this seems to be the only AA unit forecast to leave Australia in 1940.

regards

Tom

[David W]

OK.
Thanks again. I'll see what I can find for 1941.

[Tom from Cornwall]

David,

Page 34 of 1 Australian Corps G Branch war diary for Dec 40 - Jan 41 contains a location statement for 25 April 41 - well organised files obviously!!

DABA - HQ 1 AA Bde, 3 Lt AA Regt less 7 and 8 Lt AA Btys

8 Lt AA Bty is recorded as being with 9 Div in the Tobruk Fortress

7 Lt AA Bty is recorded as being on Crete with "static" in brackets next to it.

2 (Hy) AA Regt is listed as being with HQ 1 Aus Corps in Palestine.

Regards

Tom