The regiment spent August defending Syracuse against 'slight air activity' while the ground troops completed the capture of Sicily and prepared for the assault crossing of the Straits of Messina (Operation Baytown) on 3 September. Once Eighth Army was established on the 'toe' of Italy, 276 LAA Bty was moved up, first on 17 September to defend Messina, and then back to Augusta. The war having moved on, the regiment caught up on some training, including anti-tank practice, while the rear parties and transport arrived from Egypt. In November it carried out mobile training. By now the regiment was under the command of the Royal Marines' Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation (MNBDO). When this too was closed down and 73 AA Bde took over at the beginning of January 1944, 66th LAA Rgt was redeployed, with 175 LAA Bty covering Gerbini Airfield, 176 in Syracuse, and 276 at Catania Airfield, while RHQ and the REME workshop moved from Syracuse to Catania.