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54th (5th Durham Light Infantry) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
54th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was formed by the conversion of 5th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, it was a territorial unit which served with 43rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade. It consisted of HQ, 411th, 412th and 413th Searchlight Batteries based at Stockton-on-Tees. They were deployed to defend the industry of Teesside from the outbreak of war and later transferred to 31st (North Midland) Anti-Aircraft Brigade protecting West Yorkshire.
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Want to know more about 54th (5th Durham Light Infantry) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery? There are:431 items tagged 54th (5th Durham Light Infantry) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Sgt. Robert Owen "Flash" Longstaff 54th Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery My father, Robert Longstaff served with 54th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery. I have a photograph taken at Brayton Camp, Selby in October 1942.
which shows Omdurman Squad outside the barracks.
The rear of the photo shows it to have been taken by Dunning, 72 Volta St., Selby, and was priced 2/6d (8"x6") or 6d for postcard size.
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Sgt. Ernest Lodge 413th Battery, 54th Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery As everyone who knew Ernest Lodge and his story properly have passed away I am telling a story I have heard but I am not sure it is a complete truth.
His regiment was sent to the Netherlands for an operation but did not realise that a field of tanks was waiting for the British planes. My great-grandfather Ernest landed without any artillery, alive. He apparently punched a German soldier so hard he then ran into a nearby barn to hide for three days. That barn was owned by a Dutchman and British women from Yorkshire (that I still have a photograph today). He was saved, then got back to his regiment (or from what was left) and was imprisoned for desertion.
Then it goes really fuzzy and I can't go further. I have his soldier service and pay book, photographs and his soldier release book.
I am including a photo. Ernest Lodge, my great-grandfather, is bottom middle of the picture.
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Gnr. Thomas Henry Hatchett 15th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.16th Dec 1944) On 16th of December 1944, the Rex Cinema in Antwerp, which was packed full of people, was the subject of a direct hit by a V2 rocket, which killed some 290 Allied personnel, together with many Belgium civilians. One of these people was my grandmother's cousin, Harry Hatchett, of the Royal Durham Light Infantry. Is there anybody out there who has any more information about this incident or could perhaps help with recollections?
Update: Ten minutes before the rocket fell I was one of four friends who had stopped outside the cinema wondering whether to go in. I remember it was showing a Gary Cooper western which I had not seen. One of our party went in. For some unknown reason I decided to go to a cinema across the street showing a film of which I have no memory. The other two walked on.
I had barely sat down when there was an explosion and the roof fell in. I staggered out to see a scene of devastation across the road. There was nothing I could do that was not being being done so I walked away. I never saw my friend again.
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