7th Battalion Essex Regiment 1930- 1935 & 59th & 459th(Essex Regiment) Anti Aircraft Brigade RA
The Territorial 7th Battalion was converted to the 59th (Essex Regiment) Anti Aircraft Brigade Royal Artillery on 15 December 1935.
Although the men wore Royal Artillery Uniform they wore Essex Regiment cap badges and buttons.
With the onset of World War Two it was reformed on 2nd November 1939 for home service where it was used for home defence.
The manpower was drawn from men who were not suitable for front line duty due to age or fitness and some soldiers aged under 19 years of age as soldiers could join up at 18 although they were not allowed to serve overseas until they were aged 19.
The 59th was quickly mobilised and operational although until 1940 there was little action with few German aircraft over the UK.
By 1940 and through the Battle of Britain they were in the thick of the battle with losses due to enemy action at gun posts at Hadleigh and Stanford le Hope. In May 1941 the German tactics changed and so the 59th was trained as a mobile unit and saw action at Newcastle and by the Clyde River in Scotland, Sittingbourne, Bristol, Weston super Mare, Exeter, Yeovil and Plymouth to deal with German raids.
On 11 September 1942 the 59th was mobilised for foreign service and sailed for North Africa on the SS Eastern Pride having a narrow escape when the neighbouring troopship was sunk by a U boat with heavy loss of life.
On arrival they were immediately based in the defence of the port of Bone in Algeria which in the first 9 months of 1943 was attacked by 900 German aircraft of which 135 were either destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
In August 1943 they were re equipped and trained before sailing for Italy on 12 November 1943 where they were involved in the defence of Naples until 1 January 1945 where they moved forward to the port of Leghorn.
In May 1945 operations as anti aircraft ceased with members posted away and were being used for transport and military policing duties until they were disbanded.
On 1 May 1947 the Territorial Army was reformed and the 59th was reformed at Walthamstow as the 459th ( Essex Regiment) Mixed Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment RA TA. The mixed denoted that men and women were accepted to serve in the regiment.
In 1955 there was a merger with other HAA regiments and in 1961 a further merger saw the Essex designation lost and the Regiment became part of the 300 ( Tower Hamlets) Light Air Defence Regiment.
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