62nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery

The 62nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, (62nd LAA Rgt) was an air defence unit of the British Army during World War II.

After serving with Anti-Aircraft Command during and after the Blitz, it trained to take part in the Allied invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord).

The regiment was formed as part of the rapid expansion of AA Command during The Blitz in the autumn of 1940.

These units were deployed to defend vulnerable points (VPs) such as bridges, factories or airfields against low-flying or dive-bombing daylight raids, but could do little against high-flying night raiders during the Blitz.

By the summer of 1942 every available LAA gun was being deployed to the South Coast towns of England to defend against 'hit and run' attacks by Luftwaffe Fighter-bombers.

[15] All the units in 21st Army Group now entered a period of intense training for the planned Allied invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord), for which 75th AA Bde was a follow-up formation.

1st AA Division's formation sign.
A Bofors 40 mm LAA gun crew under training, January 1942.