page_title: 45th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
section_title: Home Defence
hierarchical_section_title: 45th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery / Home Defence
caption_attribution_description: English: The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun of 198th LAA Battery, Royal Artillery, Farnborough in Kent, 24 May 1941.
context_page_description: 45th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, was a British Territorial Army unit formed in July 1940. After serving in Anti-Aircraft Command during the Battle of Britain and The Blitz, it went to North Africa as part of Operation Torch] and fought in Tunisia and Italy. It ended World War II as a garrison regiment.
context_section_description: As AA Command expanded, 4th AA Division was split, and 1st AA Bde at Crewe was assigned to a new 11th AA Division. The West Midlands was badly hit during the Blitz of November 1940 to May 1941. By the end of the Blitz 45th LAA Rgt with its three batteries had transferred to the command of a new 68th AA Bde in 11th AA Division.
  The regiment sent a cadre of experienced officers and men to 224th LAA Training Rgt at Aberystwyth where they provided the basis for a new 265 LAA Bty formed on 12 June 1941. When this battery was regimented with 45th LAA Rgt on 4 September, 102 LAA Bty transferred to a new 82nd LAA Rgt forming in Norfolk. Later that month, while the regiment was at Meriden, it was also joined by 306 LAA Bty, which had been formed from the fourth Troops of 70, 72 and 141 LAA Btys of 22nd LAA Rgt. Then on 20 November the fourth Troops of 135, 142 and 265 LAA Btys were detached from 45th LAA Rgt to form a new 326 LAA Bty at Shifnal, which was regimented with 76th LAA Rgt. By December 306 LAA Bty had also left to help form a new 98th LAA Rgt at Albrighton, which replaced 45th LAA Rgt in 68 AA Bde.
  After 45th LAA Rgt left 68 AA Bde it transferred to 66 AA Bde in 2nd AA Division. This division was responsible for the defence of the East Midlands. During the spring, 142 LAA Bty was attached to 41 (London) AA Bde and 265 LAA Bty to 10th AA Division.
  At this stage of the war, experienced AA units were being trained for service overseas. By April 1942 45th LAA Rgt had come under War Office Control while remaining deployed with AA Command. 66 AA Brigade HQ left AA Command in August 1942 to join First Army preparing for the invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch), and 45th LAA Rgt came under 32 (Midland) AA Bde, though it was also part of the War Office Reserve.
  In the autumn of 1942 45th LAA Rgt also left AA Command and came fully under War Office control, with the following organisation for mobile operations:
  135, 142, 265 LAA Btys
  45 LAA Rgt Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals
  45 LAA Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
  45 LAA Rgt Platoon, Royal Army Service Corps
caption: Bofiors gun and crew in England, May 1941.
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