71st (Forth) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery

The 71st (Forth) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed in Scotland just before World War II. It served in North Africa and Italy during the war. Its successors continue to serve in the Army Reserve as part of the Royal Logistics Corps.

Origin
The regiment was raised in the Royal Artillery (RA) in January 1938 as part of the expansion in Britain's anti-aircraft (AA) defences in the period of tension before World War II. The cadre for the new unit was provided by 224th (Fife) Medium Battery at Dunfermline, transferred from 56th (Highland) Medium Regiment, RA, descended from the Highland (Fifeshire) Heavy Battery of World War I. 224 Battery was redesignated 227 AA Battery and two new batteries were raised:

71st (Forth) AA Regiment
 * HQ at Dunfermline
 * 227 AA Battery, Dunfermline
 * 228 AA Battery, Edinburgh
 * 229 AA Battery, Dunfermline

The Commanding Officer, Lt-Col A.R. Black, and senior Major, Sir Eric Hutchison, 2nd Baronet of Hardiston, were veterans of World War I. The Honorary Colonel was the 10th Earl of Elgin and Kincardine (who, as Major Lord Bruce, had been commander of the Highland Heavy Battery in World War I).

The regiment became part of 36th (Scottish) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, based at Edinburgh, when that was formed on 1 May 1938 to take responsibility for the AA defence of the city of Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth. That formation in turn was subordinated to the new 3rd Anti-Aircraft Division formed at Edinburgh on 1 September 1938. 3rd AA Division commanded all the AA units within Scottish Command, transferring to Anti-Aircraft Command when that formation was created on 1 April 1939.

Early in 1939, 228 Battery was transferred to provide the cadre for another new regiment in 36 AA Bde, 94th AA Regiment.

Home Defence
AA Command was mobilised in late August 1939 as the crisis in Europe developed. Together with other units of the Forth defences, 71 (Forth) AA Regiment has a claim to be among the first British units to open fire on the enemy during World War II, engaging German aircraft attacking the Forth Bridge on 16 October 1939.

AA Command expanded and reorganised as the war progressed. The AA regiments of the RA were designated 'Heavy AA' (HAA) from 1940 to distinguish them from the newer Light AA (LAA) units. 71 HAA Regt continued to defend the Edinburgh and Firth of Forth area during The Blitz. Additional batteries were added to the regiment: 352 Bty in July 1940 and 382 Bty on 8 February 1941. 382 Battery was replaced by 317 Bty on 18 June 1941, then 317 Bty left on 19 February 1942.

North African campaign
In November 1942 the regiment sailed for North Africa, landing in December after Operation Torch to join 52 AA Brigade (formerly defending Edinburgh) under Allied Force Headquarters in Algeria. By January 1943 it was located in the Philippeville area. In May 1943 it was detached to XIX French Corps, and at the end of the Tunisian Campaign it was at Tunis under 22 AA Brigade.

Italian campaign
71 HAA Regiment followed AFHQ to Italy in September 1943 and served under Eighth Army. It joined 66 AA Brigade covering the Salerno area in January 1944, and the brigade took over defence of the Anzio area as well in July 1944. From October the regiment formed part of 62 AA Brigade. The regiment left Italy in January 1945 and returned to the UK where it rejoined Home Forces in February.

71st (Forth) HAA Regiment was placed in suspended animation in 1945.

Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted in 1947, 71st HAA Regiment was reformed at Dunfermline as 471st (Forth) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (TA), forming part of 78 AA Bde (the former 52 AA Bde in North Africa) at Perth. (The postwar 71st HAA Regiment was a Regular Army unit formed in Libya from personnel who had been serving with the former 51st (London) HAA Regiment when it was demobilised.) 471 Regiment was designated 'Mixed', indicating that members of the Women's Royal Army Corps were integrated into the unit.

In 1954 the regiment absorbed 494 (City of Edinburgh) HAA Regiment (the former 94th HAA regiment for which 71st HAA Regiment had provided the cadre). The 494 Regiment personnel formed R (City of Edinburgh) Battery. However, AA Command was disbanded in March 1955 and there was a major reduction in AA units of the TA. R Battery left again to merge with other Edinburgh units, and 471 HAA Regiment absorbed 531 Light AA/Searchlight Regiment from Perthshire to form 433rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (TA):
 * RHQ at Dunfermline – ex 471 Rgt
 * P (Forth) Battery – ex 471 and 533 Rgts
 * Q (Forth) Battery – ex 471 Rgt
 * R (Alloa) Battery – ex 531 Rgt
 * S (Perth) Battery – ex 531 Rgt

The following year the regiment absorbed a battery from 413 (Fife) Coast Regiment, RA, which was being broken up.

A further reduction in the TA in 1961 saw the regiment converted to the transport role as HQ and 512 and 531 Companies of 433 (Fife) Transport Column, Royal Army Service Corps based at Dunfermline. This unit was later designated 433 (Forth) Regiment, Royal Corps of Transport and now forms part of the Scottish Transport Regiment of the Royal Logistics Corps.

Honorary Colonel

 * Colonel Edward Bruce, 10th Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, KT, CMG, TD, appointed 28 January 1939.

Online sources

 * British Army units from 1945 on
 * British Artillery in World War 2
 * British Military History
 * Orders of Battle at Patriot Files
 * The Royal Artillery 1939–45
 * Graham Watson, The Territorial Army 1947
 * WW2 Talk