Later it became a light anti-aircraft gun unit serving on blockships in the Mulberry harbour during the Normandy invasion, and then defended the port of Antwerp in the closing stages of the war.

While the sub-districts were referred to as 'brigades', they were purely administrative organisations and the Volunteers were excluded from the 'mobilisation' part of the Cardwell system, though they carried out joint manoeuvres, and the Surrey RVCs were assigned a role in the garrison of Sheerness Dockyard.

[3][4][10][6][15] The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 proposed a more comprehensive mobilisation scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in time of war.

[10] Members of the 1st VB served in the Volunteer Company sent to augment the Regulars of the Queen's in South Africa during the Second Boer War.

[4][10][6][19] In the reorganisation after the end of the war in 1902, separate East and West Surrey Brigades were formed, under command of the respective regimental districts.

On 15 August 1914, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units.

[27] On mobilisation, the majority of the men of the Home Counties Division accepted liability for overseas service and it was sent to India to relieve Regular troops.

The division was frequently mobilised for active service (which was enough to gain the battalion the battle honour North West Frontier 1916–1917).

The battalion (which had reverted to the title of 2/4th Queen's on 15 June) entrained for Devonport Dockyard on 17 July and embarked on the Ulysses the same night.

[34] From Mudros the 53rd Division was shipped to Alexandria, and began a long period of rest and recuperation guarding the Nile Valley in Egypt.

[7][23][32][30][37] The British opened the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in March 1917 when the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) advanced towards Gaza, with 53rd Division in the Desert Column.

2/4th Queen's, ordered to capture the hills at Beit Jala on 8 December, advanced under accurate shellfire, but found the position unoccupied.

[47] However, the success of the German spring offensive on the Western Front demanded urgent reinforcements from Palestine for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

Starting at 04.10 the battalion pushed forward through a German defensive barrage that included Tear gas, and had progressed over a mile by 06.00, when a halt was made.

[53] The attack was renewed on 1 August, 2/4th Queen's once again in the lead, though now weak in numbers and obliged to put in three companies to complete the first line.

[3] The residue of the 2/4th Battalion continued in 200th (2/1st Surrey) Bde in 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division until it was redesignated 3/4th Bn and reformed at Windsor in June 1915.

By then the battalion had taken its place as part of Second Army, Central Force, in home defence, with 200th Bde quartered around Reigate and Redhill, Surrey.

In 1917 the battalion was given responsibility for guarding part of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and in 1918 it manned anti-aircraft searchlight stations in Croydon during air raids.

[75] When the TF was reformed on 7 February 1920 the 4th Queen's was reconstituted at Mitcham Road Barracks, once more forming part of 131st (Surrey) Brigade in 44th (Home Counties) Division.

[80][85][86][87] However, on 5 November 439 S/L Bty was detached to come under the command of 98th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, at Bristol, deploying 24 teams armed with Lewis guns to defend Avonmouth Docks.

[94] However, the night bombing Bitz, starting in September, saw the S/L units fully engaged, with three big raids on Southampton in November and more in December and January 1941.

The cluster system was an attempt to improve the chances of picking up enemy bombers and keeping them illuminated for engagement by AA guns or night fighters.

However, soon afterwards the regiment mobilised on a three-battery establishment for overseas service (420 Bty remaining with 51 AA Bde, transferring to 85 LAA Rgt on 11 June 1943) and joined 21st Army Group preparing for the planned Allied invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord).

The regiment manned a 40 mm Bofors gun on each of 34 'Phoenix' caissons, four more on three 'Corncob' blockships, and 16 on the Mulberry HQ ship, HMS Despatch, which had been converted into an AA cruiser.

[112] The first caissons and blockships sailed on D-Day itself, and 76 AA Bde reported that seven Phoenixes and three Corncobs manned by 127 LAA Rgt had been successfully sunk in place on 11 June.

Assembly of the artificial harbour at Arromanches progressed over the succeeding days, but a severe storm on the night of 20/21 June caused serious damage: most of the gun crews were taken off by boat, but one Phoenix under tow capsized with 12 men of 127th LAA Rgt (four of whom were rescued), several other guns were damaged and half the ammunition was washed overboard.

[113][114][115] As the land campaign progressed, 127th LAA Rgt continued to protect the vital Mulberry, latterly with HMS Adventure replacing Despatch.

[117] The regiment remained in the North West Europe theatre until VE Day, still in the 'South Scheldt' layout, under the command of 75 AA Bde.

[28][81][76][122][124] The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit:[10] The 4th Queen's was awarded the following Battle honours:[10][30] The Royal Artillery does not carry battle honours, so none were awarded to the battalion for service during the Second World War A pair of brass plaques in the entrance to Croydon Town Hall list the names of 103 residents of the town who served in the Second Boer War with 1st VB The Queen's.

A wooden panel was set up in the foyer of the town hall in 1953, which gives a potted history of the battalion including its changes of title, battle honours, and service during the Second World War.