page_title: 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers
section_title: India
hierarchical_section_title: 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers / World War II / 139th (4th London) Field Regiment / India
caption_attribution_description: THE BRITISH ARMY IN BURMA 1944 A 3.7-inch howitzer of 158th Field Artillery Regiment, 36th Infantry Division, in action against Japanese positions south of Mawlu
context_page_description: The 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers, later 4th London Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, popularly known as the Lewisham Gunners, was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1860 until 1967. Initially raised in suburban West Kent, its recruiting area was later incorporated within the County of London. It provided two active service units in each of the World Wars, operating as far afield as Sicily, Burma and Madagascar, and later provided an airborne unit in the Territorial Army of the 1950s.
context_section_description: During the voyage the ship carrying the regiment's guns and equipment was sunk by enemy action off the coast of Africa. The regiment therefore had to be re-equipped again when it arrived in India. It landed at Bombay on 17 October 1942 and moved to Havelian where it joined 7th Indian Infantry Division, training for operations in Egypt. A month later the division moved to Nowshera. Early in the new year it moved to Jubbulpore and in May 1943 to Ranchi, the base for operations in Burma.
  In July 1943 the regiment was converted into a Jungle Field Regiment, 362 Bty equipped with 16 x 3-inch mortars and each of the other two batteries with 8 x 3.7-inch howitzers. The whole regiment was towed by or carried in Jeeps. In August it was moved via Madras to the Arakan coastal area in Burma.
caption: 3.7-inch Howitzer in action in Burma, 1944.
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