Source:http://www.abc.net.au/wa/anzac/land.

htm#23alaa accessed 03Sep07

ABC Western Australia, Anzac Day

Ex-Services Contingent - Land Forces

2/3rd Australian Lt. A. A. Regt Association WA Branch

as at 7/4/99

The Regiment came into existence on 18 July 1940 with the appointment of Major J
W Rhoden 2/1c 2/2nd Medium Regiment as Commanding Officer 2/3rd Lt A.A.Regt.
The appointment of other Senior Officers followed. At the end of July 1940, Major
Rhoden was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. The men were recruited from reception
Depots at Geelong, Caulfield and Royal Park, Victoria. These drafts moved to
Werribee Racecourse on 27 August 1940. Training as a Regiment began at once.

2/3rd Regt. Consisted of three Batteries, 7, 8 and 9 plus RHQ W/Shops and Signal
Section. The Regiment was to be equipped with Bofors Guns on arrival in the Middle
East. These Guns fired a 2lb shell at the rate of 120 rounds per minute.

The regiment embarked on HMT Maurentania at Port Melbourne on 29 December

1940. The convoy arrived at Fremantle on 3 January 1941, leave was granted from
0900 hrs to 2359 hrs. The Convoy sailed the following morning, Colombo was
reached on the 14th and following shore leave the regiment transferred to HMT
Devonshire. On 30 January the regiment arrived at Haifa, the following day
disembarked and moved by train and bus to Kassa Camp, where the 2/16th Infantry
Battalion had erected tents and had an evening meal waiting for the Regiment. On 6
February 1941, 8th Battery moved out for Libya; this Battery had not been issued
with any guns and on arrival at Tobruk had to make do with captured Italian 20mm
Breda LtA.A. Guns. Useful Guns, but much inferior to the Bofors Gun.

On 11 April 1941, 7 and 8 Batteries moved out of Kassa to join Lustre Force to
defend Greece. Due to the rapid change in events in Greece, 7 Battery was ordered to
Crete to take-over defence of British Air Bases on the island. 9 Battery was ordered to
the Western Desert to defend Air Bases in that area.

At a later date 9 Battery plus one Troop of 7 Battery took part in the Syrian
Campaign.

Early in January 1941 the scattered elements of 3rd. Regt. were brought together at
Suez Transit Camp, prior to embarking on various ships for return to Australia.
Embarking began on 4 February and continued through to March.

The main body of the Regiment embarked on the HMT Andes on 18 February; the
Andes was a British passenger ship built just prior to the outbreak of war, and was
still on her maiden voyage. The Andes reached Fremantle on 10 March 1942. WX
numbers were allowed overnight leave. On 15 March the Andes berthed at Adelaide.
 2

At the end of its service in the Middle East the Regiment had accounted for 101
Enemy Planes, but the loss in Officers and Men was very high; 162 Killed in Action
or Prisoner of War.

On 12 April 1942, 9 Battery moved out from their Billets in the Adelaide of Paradise,
en route to Queensland for Jungle Training, thence via Port Moresby to Milne Bay.
On 14 April 1942 RHQ 7 and 8 Batteries moved out bound for Western Australia.

On arrival in Perth, 7 Battery was deployed with two troops to cover RAAF Base at
Pearce and one troop at Leighton, 8 Battery had two troops at the Fremantle Harbour
area, and one troop at the Catalina Flying Boat Base at Crawley Bay. RHQ was
situated at Guildford.

By mid 1943, 7 and 8 Batteries were providing AA Defence in the Northern area of
WA, at Geraldton Air Drome, Onslow and Exmouth Gulf; at this time the decision
was made to disband 2/3rd Lt.A.A. Regiment

As from 24 August 1943, 7 Battery became part of 2/2nd Composite A.A.Regiment

(LE). As a result of a reorganisation of antiaircraft units, 8 Battery became an
independent airborne battery, with the novel idea of transporting dismantled Bofors
Guns with their crews in DC-3 aircraft to newly-captured airstrips. 9 Battery at Milne
Bay was joined with 2/6 HAA Battery to form 2/3 Composite AA Regiment. This
Regiment also had a Searchlight Battery attached. Many of the members of the
Searchlight Battery were Westralians from the 55th A.A. Company.

Elements of 2/3rd LT.A.A. Regiment took part in one form or another in various
actions in New Guinea, the last one being Labuam In Borneo in June-July 1945.

No records are available in regards to Japanese Planes shot down during operations in
New Guinea and Borneo.

Total Casualties:- K.I.A.: 66, POW: 135 Honours and Awards:- 2 Military Medals. 8
Mention in Despatches. Battle Honours:- Tobruk. Crete. Western Desert. Syria. Port
Moresby. Milne Bay. Lae. Buna. Borneo.

For further information is available at http://www.antiaircraft.org.au