page_title: Preston Rifles
section_title: 150th LAA Regiment
hierarchical_section_title: Preston Rifles / Second World War / 150th LAA Regiment
caption_attribution_description: English: The crew of a Bofors anti-aircraft gun view vapour trails in the sky high above the Dutch-German border near Brunssum, 25 December 1944. The crew of a Bofors anti-aircraft gun view vapour trails in the sky high above the Dutch-German border near Brunssum, 25 December 1944.
context_page_description: The Preston Rifles, later the 4th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1859 until the 1950s. It served as infantry on the Western Front and in Ireland during the First World War, and as an air defence unit during The Blitz and the campaign in North West Europe during the Second World War.
context_section_description: In late 1942 AA Command had begun a process of converting S/L units into Light AA (LAA) gun units, primarily equipped with the Bofors 40 mm gun. 62nd Searchlight Regiment was one of those selected for conversion, becoming 150th (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA on 7 April 1943. Regimental HQ, 435 and 436 SL Btys converted at Downpatrick, Northern Ireland (the batteries becoming 504 and 505 LAA Btys), while 437 S/L Bty was converted into 506 LAA Bty at Deepcut Barracks. The new unit was designated as a 'Base & Port Defences' unit and was assigned to 21st Army Group, which was being assembled for the planned invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord).
  On 5 July 1943, having completed training, 150th LAA Rgt under the command of Lt-Col S.C. Guillan, TD, joined 103 AA Bde in Cornwall. The brigade was a component of the Field Force while retaining defence commitments under AA Command.
  The regiment deployed as follows:
  RHQ at Camborne
  504 LAA Bty at St Ives
  A Trp at St Ives
  B & C Trps at Hayle
  505 LAA Bty at Falmouth
  D, E & F Trps at Falmouth
  506 LAA Bty at Penzance
  G & H Trps at Penzance
  I Trp at Marazion
  The regiment was relieved in September 1943 and moved to Leeds.
  On 2 March 1944 the 150th became the divisional LAA regiment for 9th Armoured Division, but the division never went overseas and was disbanded at the end of July 1944. The regiment transferred to 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division, but that too remained in the UK throughout the war. Between 1 September and 28 November 1944 504 and 505 LAA Btys were acting independently. On 24 February 1945 the regiment left the UK and rejoined 21st Army Group fighting in North West Europe. It ended the war serving in 50th AA Bde in the defence of Antwerp against V-1 flying bombs ('Divers').
  The regiment was ordered into suspended animation in British Army of the Rhine on 4 February 1946, completing the process by 22 February.
caption: A Bofors gun crew in NW Europe during the winter of 1944–45.
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