25th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed in Liverpool just before the outbreak of World War II.

It ended the war with 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division in Germany, and was reformed in the postwar TA, eventually merging with other Liverpool units.

[1][2][3][4][5] In the late 1930s the need for improved anti-aircraft (AA) defences for Britain's cities became apparent, and a programme of converting some existing TA units was pushed forward.

[12][13] During the period of the Phoney War the AA defences of NW England were not tested in action, and the time was spent in equipping and training the TA units.

After the entry of Italy into the war in June 1940 there was an urgent need to reinforce British forces in the Middle East, and a series of convoys began shipping troops (including AA units) on the six-week journey via the Cape of Good Hope and the Red Sea to Egypt.

The battery proceeded to St Andrews Barracks where it became part of 74th LAA Rgt, which had been formed on the island the previous month.

[22][23] Defending against these attacks was an obvious role for searchlights (S/Ls) and LAA guns, but the numbers required for complete coverage were excessive.

[14][24][25] Occasional bombing raids by Junkers Ju 88s flying from Greece against Suez began in July and became almost nightly in August and September.

The targets were the Port Tewfik dock installations, the oil refinery, railway marshalling yards, Shallufa Airfield and shipping at the anchorage in the bay.

Despite a counter-attack by Gen Erwin Rommel that created confusion among the leading LAA units, Eighth Army attacked again, relieving the Siege of Tobruk and capturing the LGs around Sidi Rezegh, where 12 AA Bde established itself.

[29][30] The Gazala Line consisted of a series of occupied 'boxes' each of brigade strength set out across the desert with minefields and barbed wire watched by regular patrols between the boxes.

The Gazala Line was not equally manned, a greater number of troops covering the coast route leaving the south less well guarded.

While the northern boxes were pinned by direct attacks, the bulk of the Axis armour swung round Bir Hakeim.

Early in the afternoon 150th Bde was overrun by a series of concentric attacks, the brigadier was killed, and the survivors including most of 81 LAA Bty became prisoners of war.

On 16 June, 69th HAA Rgt was ordered back to the Egyptian border with its attached units: the convoy drove through the night to Sollum and therefore escaped the surrender of Tobruk four days later.

[48][49][50] 50th (Northumbrian) Division played no part in the subsequent Italian campaign, having been chosen to return to the UK and prepare for the Allied invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord).

50th (Northumbrian) Division was therefore brought up to full strength by the permanent addition of 231st Bde, originally part of the Malta garrison, which had fought as an independent brigade group in Sicily and the initial landings in Italy.

[9][40] The enlarged 50th (N) Division left Sicily on 10 October 1943 and sailed back to the UK as part of XXX Corps to train for Overlord.

Enemy air activity rose sharply on D + 1 and continued for the next two weeks, though the day and night raids were mainly directed against the landing beaches and harbours, and the airborne bridgehead over the River Orne.

LAA units fired tracer to guide night attacks onto their objectives, and the Bofors guns were much in demand for infantry support.

The AA brigades accompanying 21st Army Group quickly followed up to provided cover for these bridges, while 25th LAA Rgt was able to continue the advance with its division, which took part in the Liberation of Brussels on 3 September.

[68][69][70][71][72] More resistance was met at the Albert Canal, where 50th (N) Division had to make an assault crossing before pushing on to capture Gheel after bitter fighting (7–11 September).

It was now very weak and in view of 21st Army Group's acute manpower crisis it was broken up at the end of November to provide reinforcements for other formations.

[83][84][85] 53rd (Welsh) Division's role in Veritable was to capture the northern half of the Reichswald, and by 02.00 on 9 February it was through the Siegfried Line defences.

It was then engaged in a week-long fight through the forests as a thaw set in and turned the roads to mud, though the bad weather prevented much air activity on either side.

15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, leading the assault for XII Corps had over 700 guns of all types on call when the bombardment began at 23.30 on 23 March,[88] followed by 'the start of the Divisional "Pepperpot" at 1 A.M. to swell the din in a mad crescendo and to criss-cross the darkness with the vivid red of anti-aircraft and anti-tank and machine-gun tracer'.

[89] The infantry set off across the river in amphibious Buffaloes at 02.00 on 24 March, and made rapid progress inland to link up with the airborne troops who landed during the morning (Operation Varsity).

[90] The Luftwaffe did virtually nothing during the assaults or during D-Day itself: only after nightfall did Junkers Ju 88s begin scattered divebombing attacks at medium and low level against the British bridging sites, artillery positions and supply routes.

It failed to take Rethem, but then found a way over the Aller 5 miles (8.0 km) downstream and advanced towards Verden, which it captured on 17 April.

21st Army Group then closed up to and crossed the Elbe, and 53rd (W) Division had reached the outskirts of Hamburg by the time of the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath.