36 Regiment Royal Artillery
37 Regiment Royal Artillery
As 36 and 37 Regiment's were so very closely related in Role, Equipment,
Batteries and Personnel, I have decided to dedicate a page on this Web site to this fine Regiment.
Dedicated to all who served in:
63rd Heavy Anti- Aircraft Regiment
37th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
37th Guided Weapon Regiment (Anti-Aircraft)
37th Heavy Air Defence Regiment
History of 37th Regiment
Royal Artillery
1900 First formed as 36 Brigade RFA, Comprising of 15 Battery in Meerut, 48 Battery in Barrackpore and 71 Battery in Mooltan, India
1902 15 Battery in Fyzabad, 48 Battery in Lucknow and
71Battery in Bareilly, India
1904 15 Battery in Waterford, 48 Battery in Fethard and
71 Battery in Clogheen, Ireland
1905 Regiment in Kildare
1908 Regiment in Dundalk
1909 Regiment in Athlone
1911 Regiment in Sheffield
1913 Regiment in Ewshott
1914 - 1918 Service on the Western Front
1919 Regiment in Ireland
Nov 1922 Redesignated 26 Brigade RFA, Comprising of 116, 117, 118 and 141 Battery. Stationed in Jubbulpore, India
June 1924 Retitled 26th Field Brigade Royal Artillery
1929 Regiment in Bulford
1933 Regiment in Larkhill
Feb 1937 Regiment in Bulford
Oct 1938 Became 26th Anti-Tank Regiment, Comprising of 15, 40, 48 and 71 Batteries
1939 Regiment in Malta
Sept 1940 Became 13th Coast Regiment
Feb 1941 Became 17th Defence Regiment
June 1941 Became 26th Defence Regiment
Sept 1943 Became 26th Medium Regiment
Home Forces 15 Bty became A Troop 40 Med Bty, 48 Bty became 48/71 Med Bty
Nov 1943 Middle East Forces, North Africa
Jan 1944 9th Army, Palestine
Apr 1944 Middle East Forces, North Africa
June 1944 8th Army
The Regiment was granted to use of the "Syrena" Badge, which is the badge of
2 Polish Corps. The Regiment fought under Polish Orders at the
Battle of Monte Cassino and in the
Adriatic Campaign, Italy
March 1946 Became 26th Field Regiment, 15 & 48 Btys restored
1.1.1947 Became 37th Field Regiment, 15 & 48 Btys became
10 & 111 Btys, 25 Pdr Gun
20.10.1948 Retitled 37th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
RHQ and Btys converted to HAA Units, Comprising
10, 111 and 171 (The Broken Wheel) Batteries, 3.7" Gun
1951-1955 37 Regiment stationed at Tonfanau Camp,
Tywyn, North Wales, Anti-Aircraft Command, 3.7" Gun
1.1.1947 63rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
1948 Regiment moves to Horseshoe Barracks, Shoeburyness
Comprising of 91Bty (Prev 156 HAA Bty)
194 Bty (Prev 193 HAA Bty), 220 Bty (Prev 256 HAA Bty)
2.6. 1955 Amalgamation of 63 and 37 Regiments
91 Bty to 72 LAA Regt,
194 & 220 Btys into Suspended Animation
Shoeburyness
91 Bty into Suspended Animation
in March 1958
72 LAA Regt disbands
Aug 1955 Retitled 37th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
Shoeburyness, 3.7" Gun
Sept 1956 The Regiment moves to Malta during the Suez crisis
Troopship Empire Ken, St Patricks Barracks
Late 1956 Regiment moves into Tigne Barracks Siliema, 10 Battery
at Mellieha Bay Camp
1958 10 Battery at Paradise Bay, 111 Battery at Tigne
and 171 Battery at Spinola
Sept 1959 Regiment moves to UK and renamed, Blandford, Dorset
1.10.1959 Re-titled 37th Guided Weapon (AA) Regiment
10 and 111 GW Btys
Oct 1959 171 Battery placed into Suspended Animation
Nov 1959 Equipped with Thunderbird 1 Missiles
1960 Regiment moves to Piddlehinton Camp, Dorset
Thunderbird 1
1963 111 Battery in Aden for 6 months, Falaise Camp
18.3.1964 Re-titled 37th Heavy Air Defence Regiment
Llanion Barracks, Pembroke Dock
Feb 1967 Regiment at Shoeburyness, Commanding Officer
Lt Col J A Gallie
1.4.1968
Amalgamated with
36 Heavy Air Defence Regiment at Shoeburyness
Feb 1969
36 Regiment Dine out Lt Col Gallie
New CO Lt Col A J A Brett
In 1948 63rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment came to Horseshoe Barracks, Shoeburyness and
remained there under that title until 1955. In August of that year the Regiment was renamed
37th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment. In September 1956 37th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
moved to Malta during the Suez crisis. A small rear party remained at Shoeburyness.
37 Regiment's Thunderbirds on exercise, November 1960
Thanks to George Stacey for the photo.
Walter Smith
My thanks to Walter for the following account of his time in
37 Regt RA March 1958 until September 1963
I joined the Regt in Malta March 1958 and was posted to 10 Assaye Bty which was up the
end of the island now called paradise Bay. There was also 111 Dragon Bty stationed at
Tigne and 171 (I think that is the No) stationed at Spinola.
In 1958 10 Bty moved to Tigne Barracks 171 stayed where it was, later 171 was disbanded
or at least it did not return to the UK I think it was disbanded..it is a long time ago…Malta was
a very good posting lots to do and no real problems. A couple of times we had to do IS duties when
Dom Mintoff fired up the Maltese but it was nothing …..silly road blocks that our 6 wheelers
and Matadors sent flying.
Some time in 1959 45 Commando decided to go to North Africa on a scheme and as
all people in 45 were Commandos they drew from 37 drivers ,cooks ,etc. I went as a driver
it was good……. on board HMS Striker an LCT and away to Omns beach.. Benghazi and Tripoli.
I was glad not to be a Commando as they seem to run everywhere.
At about Sept 1959 we sailed for the UK on the TT Devonshire, Leaving the London Fusiliers
as the Garrison Regt. The Royal Regt of Artillery had been Garrison Regt since time immemorial
so it was with much pomp and ceremony we handed over, there was lots of aggro between the
London Fusiliers and the Commandos as to who were top dogs on the Island we kept out of it.
Worth noting here that 37 was sent to Malta at the time of the Suez crisis code name Magic,
it was stamped on all the MFO boxes.
On return to the UK we were at Blandford in Dorset where we handed in our 3.7 HAA guns…
we were going to be GW in the meantime we had nothing in the way of equipment so they doubled
the guard and did a few more things to keep us occupied like running a Cadre course which
I went on and became a L/Bdr. They then mixed us all up and I was posted to 111 Dragon Bty RA
at the time I was not pleased but later came to love this fine old Bty.
In due course we received our Missiles, English Electric Thunderbird with all that goes
with them, we learn to use them………….Then 37 Regt RA goes to Piddlehinton 5 miles from
Dorchester Dorset now we are at home this is our camp we that is I…. live in married quarters at
Marabout Barracks (sub standard) at 18 shillings a week. Cant be bad….Next that happens is some of us
are sent all over England and Scotland with said Missile on a sort of recruiting drive. By now you may
have seen that if it was going good or bad I was there. This is true. We were testing Multi fuel vehicles
that is can run on diesel or petrol can you imagine the POL point fill it with petrol …….
IT'S A diesel is it ? oh well fill it with petrol anyway…Panic…funny but my job in life is the repair of
cars etc I have never come across this idea but it did work very well.
Then Some of Dragon Bty me as well of course are sent to the outer Hebrides to support the firing
Regts from Germany both English and American………the range in Benbecula was for Corporal
ground to ground missiles.
Now we move to my last 6 months, 111 Bty was sent to Aden for 6 months terrible place. Our missiles
were set up and every 2 hours their temps were taken…. never less than 85 f and that is in the middle
of the night. There were over 8000 troops in Aden at that time and they all came to see the Thunderbird
Missile. We were stationed with the Royal Scots Greys a tank Regt way out at Falaise camp. The
Commandos ran up to see our missiles everyone else coming by truck…that is a fact. I must add here
that having seen and met these “boot necks” they are without doubt the best soldiers you will ever see.
We later found out that this missile system was to be sold to an Arab state and they wanted to know what
effect the heat would have on them.
I returned to UK Sept 3 and was demobbed 16 Dec 1963
My last address in the Regt…
23533206 Bdr Smith WA
HQ Troop
111 GW BTY RA
37 GW Regt RA
Piddlehinton Camp
Piddlehinton nr Dorchester
Dorset
111 (Dragon) Battery in Aden 1963
Thanks to Walter Smith for this photo.
Press Release Dated 2nd June 1963
Aden: Hot Weather Trials for Thunderbird Missile
In the hot, arid desert near Little Aden, a complete
Thunderbird Rocket unit has been installed with it's full crew and
civilian technicians. During the next months it will be closely observed
to see the effects of intense heat and humidity on the entire unit.
These heat trials are being conducted by one of the first
British Army Artillery Regiments to be trained in the tactical
use of these ground to air missiles. Later, tests will be made
on the soldiers who will work on shifts throughout the day
and night in the Radar cabins.
Tests are being made every two hours to check the effect
the heat-always about 100 degrees F-on the missiles, the electrical
components, and the explosives, three tons of high explosives are being
left in the sun to see how they stand up to the conditions.
The British made Thunderbird is a surface to air missile designed to
help protect fighting troops from high altitude attacking aircraft.
The 4,000lb solid fuelled missile has
a Radar homing system to shoot down aircraft.
Falaise Camp, 1963
Aden 1963: 18 year old Gunner Bernard Currie from
Edinburgh operating the Radar from the BCP.
Aden 1963
Michael Tinsley
37 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment
Malta 1956 - 1959
Passed Away 10 July 2022
