Manx Regiment
Encyclopedia
The Manx Regiment - the 15th (Isle of Man) Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
- was raised in 1938 as a Territorial Army unit of the British Army
. It recruited on the Isle of Man
.
The Regiment was mobilised shortly before the outbreak of World War II
and sailed from the Isle of Man
to Liverpool to take up air defence of the River Mersey
. A further Battery - 129 Battery - was raised to take the Regiment to its full complement of three Batteries.
In November 1940 the Regiment was sent to Egypt
, with 41 Battery being deployed in East Africa, 129 Battery in Crete
(where it was to be overrun by German forces in 1941) and 42 Battery remaining in Egypt, seeing action with the 7th Armoured Brigade (the Desert Rats), including at the Battle of El Alamein
.
The Regiment was later to be involved in the invasion of Italy
and returned to the UK in January 1944 in time for training for the invasion of Normandy (D Day) on 6 June 1944, seeing action in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and finally in the Hamburg
area.
The Regiment was disbanded after the Second World War.
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:...
- was raised in 1938 as a Territorial Army unit 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 recruited on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
.
The Regiment was mobilised shortly before the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and sailed from the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
to Liverpool to take up air defence of the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
. A further Battery - 129 Battery - was raised to take the Regiment to its full complement of three Batteries.
In November 1940 the Regiment was sent to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, with 41 Battery being deployed in East Africa, 129 Battery in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
(where it was to be overrun by German forces in 1941) and 42 Battery remaining in Egypt, seeing action with the 7th Armoured Brigade (the Desert Rats), including at the Battle of El Alamein
Battle of El Alamein
There were two battles of El Alamein in World War II, both fought in 1942. The Battles occurred in Egypt in and around an area named after a railway stop called El Alamein at .* First Battle of El Alamein – 1–27 July 1942...
.
The Regiment was later to be involved in the invasion of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and returned to the UK in January 1944 in time for training for the invasion of Normandy (D Day) on 6 June 1944, seeing action in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and finally in the Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
area.
The Regiment was disbanded after the Second World War.