Formed in the winter of 1939, the 79th was initially based at Walton-on-Thames to defend critical installations, such as water reservoirs supplying London.

[citation needed] During the first 2 years of World War II, the unit was employed on anti-aircraft protection duties in the Luftwaffe's Blitzes of London.

This unit also saw action during the Battle of Britain where it served with distinction defending the Hawker Aviation factory at Langley, Churchill’s country home at Ditchley, and the oil refinery north of Bristol.

Replacement gunners were sourced from the 79th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment trained at Hadrian's Camp in Carlisle and in November 1941 the men were all issued embarkation leave.

At this stage of the war, the European theatre had expanded into the Middle East and North Africa, and large convoys of reinforcements were being sent to Egypt via the long, maritime route around the South African cape and the Suez Canal.

He was the only one among the regiment who knew that they were to be a part of a small advanced force for a landing in French Algeria and then a subsequent 500-mile (800 km) dash to capture the airfields at Tunis and Bizerta.

A small team from the 79th accompanied their equipment on the SS Malancha, which sailed independently from Liverpool on the same day as the Japanese launched their attacks on Malaya and Pearl Harbor.

To cope with jungle conditions (and the fear that their tall white pith helmets would attract sniper fire), the 79th Battery were issued with the Australian Akubra slouch hat, which they wore with the Royal Artillery cap badge.

One member of the battery, Fred Berry, attempted to escape by boat to Australia while another, Harry Martin, was captured and executed while trying to pass critical intelligence to the 2/2nd Independent Company in East Timor.

[2] At Singapore the battery was marched 15 miles (24 km) to Changi Barracks where they would be medically examined and assessed for labour camps throughout Southeast Asia.

In Japan, the 79th gunners on the Tofuku Maru travelled by train to Hiraoka where they were held at the Tokyo #2 Detached (Mitsushima) POW Camp.

In April 1944, most of the gunners were sent by train to the Tokyo #16 (Showa Denko) POW Camp in Kanose to stoke furnaces in the carbide factory.

[citation needed] Many died from disease or accidents in labour camps on the Siam-Burma 'Death' Railway, in Sumatra, Japan, Java, Borneo, and Changi Prison.

In Darwin, Kempeitai Lieutenant Colonel Yujiro Yutani was tried, found guilty, and executed for killing Gunner Harry Martin.

In Singapore, Otsu Shiro was found guilty of ill-treatment of Allied POWs resulting in the deaths of 27 and physical suffering of many others on the Tofuku Maru.

[5] Other Japanese and Korean guards were tried for their roles at POW Camps on Java, Siam-Burma 'Death' Railway, Sumatra, and the Sandakan Death Marches on Borneo.