58th (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery

58th (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) raised just before World War II. It defended the East Midlands of England during The Blitz, and later served as infantry in North West Europe at the end of the war, converting to the anti-aircraft (AA) artillery role postwar.

Origin
This searchlight unit was formed as part of the doubling in size of the TA at the time of the Munich Crisis in late 1938. Formally, it was a duplicate of 36th (Middlesex) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers, based on 344 AA Company at Harrow, which was transferred from 36th AA Battalion to provide a cadre of trained men. Two new companies were then formed to give the unit the following organisation:

58th (Middlesex) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers
 * HQ at Elmgrove Road, Harrow
 * 344 AA Company at Harrow
 * 425 AA Company at Drill Hall, Roxeth, South Harrow
 * 426 AA Company at Harrow

World War II
The outbreak of World War II saw 58 AA Battalion forming part of 40th Anti-Aircraft Brigade in 2nd AA Division. Based at RAF Duxford, the brigade was responsible for providing AA defence for RAF airfields in East Anglia.

During 1940 the Royal Engineers' AA battalions were transferred to the Royal Artillery (RA), being redesignated searchlight regiments. 58th (Middlesex) transferred in August 1940, at which time it had been moved to 32nd (Midland) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, still in 2 AA Division, but now responsible for AA defence of the East Midlands during the forthcoming Blitz.

By the end of 1944, the German Luftwaffe was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious aerial attacks on the United Kingdom could be discounted and the War Office began reorganising surplus anti-aircraft regiments in the UK into infantry battalions for duties in the rear areas. In November, 58th Searchlight Regiment was one of the units selected for conversion, and redesignated 58th (Middlesex) Garrison Regiment, RA.

Meanwhile 21st Army Group fighting in North West Europe was suffering a severe manpower shortage, particularly among the infantry. In January 1945, the War Office accelerated the conversion of surplus artillery into infantry units, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties, thereby releasing trained infantry for frontline service. 58 Garrison Regiment was redesignated again, becoming 611 (Middlesex) Infantry Regiment, RA in February. It went to North West Europe the following month and did duty with Second Army until VE Day.

Postwar
In 1947 the regiment was reconstituted in the TA as 593 (Middlesex) (Mixed) Heavy AntiAircraft Regiment, RA at Harrow, ('mixed' indicating that it was composed partly of members of the Women's Royal Army Corps). Its title was later changed to 593 (Harrow) HAA Regiment. It was assigned to 82 AA Bde based at Heston

In March 1955 Anti-Aircraft Command was disbanded, and many of its TA regiments were reduced: 593 HAA Regiment was placed in suspended animation, and completely disbanded in July that year.

Badge
During 1941, the regiment adopted as its arm badge a blue Cornflower embroidered on a khaki disc. The cornflower is the traditional buttonhole worn by supporters of Harrow School at the Eton-Harrow match, the annual cricket match against Eton College held at Lord's Cricket Ground. The regiment and its successors continued to wear the badge until disbandment in 1955.

Online sources

 * British Army units from 1945 on


 * British Military History


 * Orders of Battle at Patriot Files


 * The Royal Artillery 1939–45


 * Graham Watson, The Territorial Army 1947