As part of 40th Anti-Aircraft Brigade it defended air bases in East Anglia through the Battle of Britain and the Blitz.

In 1961, the remnants of the regiment amalgamated with others to form a combined infantry battalion, and all links with air defence were severed.

In June, as the international situation worsened, a partial mobilisation of the TA was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA gun and searchlight positions.

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 Royal Air Force (RAF) Night fighters.

[28] With the lower threat of attack by the weakened Luftwaffe, AA Command was being forced to release manpower for Overlord, and all Home Defence searchlight regiments were reduced by a battery.

[5][29][30] By the end of 1944, however, the Luftwaffe was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious aerial attacks on the United Kingdom could be discounted.

At the same time, 21st Army Group fighting in North West Europe was suffering a severe manpower shortage, particularly among the infantry.

[31] In January 1945, the War Office began to reorganise surplus anti-aircraft and coastal artillery regiments in the UK into infantry battalions, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties, thereby releasing trained infantry for frontline service.

[14][35][36] On 15 October 1945 the regiment began passing into suspended animation, completing the process by 12 November.