9th (Londonderry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery

The 9th (Londonderry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery was a heavy air defence regiment of the Royal Artillery's Supplementary Reserve formed in Northern Ireland. The regiment was first formed originally in 1939 but disbanded in 1955 following the disbandment of Anti-Aircraft Command.

Origin
Northern Ireland never officially had a Territorial Army/Force group. Regiments and units, besides regular, were mostly formed from the Supplementary Reserve (Militia), one of these regiments was the Derry gunners.

The Territorial Army, or in the case of Northern Ireland the Supplementary Reserve, was rapidly expanded following the Munich Crisis, particularly the Anti-Aircraft (AA) branch of the Royal Artillery. The 9th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (Special Reserve) was among the new units raised in the Spring of 1939. This regiment, when formed, was completely organic meaning it was branch new with no existing units attached or being part of the original formation. The new regiment had the following structure following formation;


 * Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Londonderry
 * 24th AA Bty, Londonderry
 * 25th AA Bty, Londonderry
 * 26th AA Bty, Ballymena
 * 6th LAA Bty, Coleraine

The regiment was formed part of the 3rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade, defending northern Northern Ireland.

World War II
In June 1939, as the international situation worsened, a partial mobilisation of AA Command's TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA gun and searchlight positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations. In November the regiment was reorganised bringing 5th LAA Bty under command of the regiment and loosing 6th LAA Bty. Following mobilisation in September 1939, the regiment was placed under command of the Home Forces and tasked with providing AA defence for north Northern Ireland. On 10 November 1939 the regiment was up to full strength and organisation where the 26th battery manned the heavy guns in Belfast's AA defences following the departure of the 8th HAA Regiment and arrival of 309th LAA Battery from England. Following this reorganisation the regiment moved across the channel to France and south to Marseilles where they sailed for Alexandria, Egypt on 27 November. On arrival, it moved to Sidi Bishr and assumed the AA defence of Alexandria. In the summer of 1940, all RA units equipped with the older 3-inch or newer 3.7-inch and 4.5-inch guns were designated as Heavy AA (HAA) regiments to distinguish them from the new Light AA (LAA) regiments appearing in the order of battle. As a result, the regiment was reorganised to become 9th (Londonderry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA.

The regiment was located in Alexandria in the delta until January 1943 under the 2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade from January 1941. In October 1941 the regiment was moved under command of Middle East Forces where they were reorganised as follows;


 * Regimental Headquarters & Signal Section, Royal Signals
 * 24th HAA Bty
 * 25th HAA Bty
 * 26th HAA Bty

By December 1942 the regiment saw service in the North African Campaign and was moving towards Greece where it was brought under command of the Eighth Army and by May 1943 was back under command of Middle East Forces and based in Northern Africa. 25th HAA battery arrived at Port Sudan on 29 June 1941 where F section was diverted to Aden but returned by 31 August. G section moved to Atbara in November and later went to Kassala. In April G section moved back to Egypt. In January 1943 the regiment moved to Tripolitana and served in the Tripoli area under the same 2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade. 28th HAA battery had served in Palestine for 20 months as the only HAA battery being located in Haifa, and detchments of the battery served under the 234th Infantry Brigade on Leros (Greece) in October 1943.

The regiment then went on to serve in Italy from 9 September 1943 landing with the 12th Anti-Aircraft Brigade and later served under the 22nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade in Naples. The regiment then moved under the command of the 66th Anti-Aircraft Brigade in the Anzio area in May 1944. The regiment then remained there until July 1944 when it returned to the United Kingdom. It was then placed into suspended animation in Northern Ireland in September 1944.

Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted in 1947 the regiment was reformed in Londonderry under the new title of 246th (Derry) (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA). The term "Mixed" indicated that members of the Women's Royal Army Corps were integrated into the unit. Following their formation, the regiment was placed under command of the 51st (Ulster) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Brigade within the 12th Anti-Aircraft Division operating under the command of the 4th Anti-Aircraft Group. On 16 March 1949 the regiment went through another change of title and role becoming the 247th (Ulster) Light Anti-Aircraft/Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA).

Finally, on 10 March 1955 the Anti-Aircraft Command was disbanded and as a result the regiment amalgamated with the other three regiments of the Ulster AA brigade; 245th (Belfast) HAA, 248th (Ulster) LAA, and 502nd (Ulster) (M) HAA Regts to form the new 245th (Ulster) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA). Following a further round of amalgamations in 1966 and 67 the regiment was disbanded becoming part of the new 102nd (Ulster and Scottish) Light Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery. Today the regiment's traditions, lineage, and histories are carried on through 206 (Ulster) Battery of the 105th Regiment, Royal Artillery (V) based in Coleraine.