It later became an anti-aircraft (AA) unit of the Royal Artillery (RA), serving in North Africa and Italy during World War II.

The unit was raised and equipped by Hugh Adams Silver (1825–1912), brother of the founder of Silvertown and head of the India Rubber, Gutta Percha and Telegraph Cable Company.

When trains carrying Volunteers for the Windsor Review in June 1868 were delayed at Datchet station there was considerable confusion and indiscipline.

In 1912 it handed part of its recruiting area over to the newly formed 10th Battalion, London Regiment (Hackney Rifles) under its former commanding officer, Col G.T.B.

[4][5][7][15][16][17] The Essex Brigade now formed part of the TF's East Anglian Division, which trained together for the first time in 1911 at a camp near Thetford.

[17][18][19][20] The East Anglian Division was a week into its fortnight's annual training at Clacton when the order to mobilise arrived on 4 August 1914.

The units immediately proceeded to their designated war stations defending the East Anglian coast, with 7th Essex at Felixstowe.

A fresh Landing at Suvla Bay on 6 August 1915 was intended to turn the flank of the Turkish positions on the Gallipoli Peninsula and drive inland.

[29][30] The Essex battalions arrived still understrength, and armed with obsolete long Lee–Enfield rifles – many soldiers exchanged these for modern SMLE weapons picked up from casualties.

It was attached to 163 Bde to prepare for an attack to capture the rest of the hill, where opposing trench lines were only 17 yards apart and sappers on both sides were digging mines.

The operation was repeatedly postponed: even though the 1/7th Essex was the strongest battalion in 163 Bde, its battle casualties were running at about 50 a month and a much higher proportion were sick in hospital.

The British mines were finally fired on 14 November and a 100-strong party of the 1/7th Bn was tasked with seizing the crater, but the trenches were obstructed by debris and the attack was called off.

[28][36] On the night of 26/27 November, the Essex were relieved by Gurkhas and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, the relief being delayed by a severe rainstorm that flooded the trenches.

[17][28][37] As soon as it arrived in Egypt, the battalion became involved in the Senussi Campaign when 161 Bde marched out on 28 December to replace the New Zealand Rifle Brigade guarding the coast railway from Alexandria to Da'aba.

The Essex battalions were relieved from this duty on 4 March 1916 by the 2nd County of London Yeomanry and moved into the No 1 (Southern) Section of the Suez Canal Defences.

In August the battalion was moved northwards to counter a Turkish thrust at the canal, and was present at the Battle of Romani, though not engaged.

[40] For the Second Battle of Gaza (17–19 April 1917) 1/7th Bn was detached from 161 Bde and was assigned to the Imperial Camel Corps (ICC), which was protecting the left flank of 54th Division.

When the 1/7th Essex withdrew it had suffered casualties of only 2 killed and 7 wounded, while the rest of 54th Division was badly cut up in the failed main assault.

[41] During the summer months 161 Bde held the line without suffering serious casualties, and by the end of October the 1/7th Bn was fully up to strength for the forthcoming Third Battle of Gaza (1–3 November 1917).

Covered by an overhead barrage from the machine gun companies, the first line took the two objectives successfully, with platoons of 1/7th close up in support.

[7][18][46] The 2/7th Essex Bn began forming at Walthamstow on 11 August 1914, initially comprising those members of the parent unit who had not volunteered for overseas service, together with recruits under training.

It served in 206th (2/1st Essex) Brigade in 69th (2nd East Anglian) Division on Home Defence at Harrogate (July 1916), then from April 1917 at Welbeck.

In 1915 3rd Provisional Bde was attached to 69th (2nd East Anglian) Division in the area around Thetford, Norfolk, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.

[59][69][70][71] By August 1942, 59th HAA Rgt, with 164, 167, 265 Btys was under direct War Office control as part of the Field Force,[72] and by November it had gained the additional units to make it fully mobile, giving it the following composition:[73] The regiment left the UK in November 1942 and sailed to Tunisia, where it came under Allied Force Headquarters in December.

[75] 59th HAA Regiment was not involved in the invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky, but joined Eighth Army for the campaign in mainland Italy.

The defended area over the port, the anchorages and adjacent airfields was declared an Inner Artillery Zone (IAZ), giving AA guns priority over fighters at night.

The brigade's tasks were complete by January 1945 and it was disbanded, 59th HAA transferring again to 66 AA Bde at Leghorn, defending US Fifth Army's main supply base, though it attracted little enemy air activity.

[60][79] The long static spell ended in April 1945, when the Allies launched their Spring offensive and 66 AA Bde was ordered to move 100 miles to Genoa.

[5] One of the 10 WWI honours selected to be displayed on the King's Colour was Gaza, which was won solely by the TF battalions of 161 Bde.

[89] The Royal Artillery does not receive battle honours, so none were awarded for 59 HAA Regiment's service in World War II.