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93rd Search Light Regiment, Royal Artillery
th 25Oct 1942 Reorganisation
Aug 1943 Reorganisation
Aug 1943 Move
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Want to know more about 93rd Search Light Regiment, Royal Artillery? There are:2 items tagged 93rd Search Light 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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Pte. Betty Shaw 93rd Searchlight Regiment, 342nd Battery Royal Artillery  In 1941 Betty Shaw tried to join up age 16, but was turned away. In 1942 she tried again and was accepted. As she was an accomplished baker and cook from the age of 13 in Sampson's Bakery in Sheffield she was placed in the catering route. After training at Lancaster Castle she was transferred to Kinmel Park Camp outside Rhyl in North Wales for further training prior to being posted.
On completion she was posted to Hertfordshire, with her HQ being in Watford. Their unit was then posted to Holts Mere End where there was a 150cm Searchlight. She quickly became familiar with her kitchen duties and at 17 was adopted by some of the older girls on site who kept their eye on her.
Being a Yorkshire lass, she quickly became known for her incredible Yorkshire puddings, and one of the senior officers from Watford HQ, a Major Teague, who did regular visits to the sites, always made sure Betty was on duty on Yorkshire pudding day, as being from Yorkshire he made sure he was able to have that little taste of home.
Betty being very mindful of rationing wasted nothing, she created a very tasty rissole, another favourite of many on site, and ensuring no food went to waste. She thoroughly enjoyed her time serving with the other girls but was not a fan of the bombings. She remembered how during one very heavy raid she was taken to the air raid shelter on site due to her shaking. That night the next site up from theirs had taken a direct hit and several of the women were killed.
She did her best during the bombings and eventually was able to cope, with the girls jokingly saying, "Our Betty is a good 'un she makes gravy underfire". This remained a long standing family joke.
Betty married and had 3 children. She was happily married until she lost her husband after 36 years together. She also remained great friends with her best pal Ivy right up to her own death in 2006 aged 82. She will never be forgotten...
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Pte. Marguerite Lois Nurse 93rd Searchlight Regiment, 301st (M) S/L Battery Royal Artillery      Greta Nurse served in the A.T.S. from May 1942 to July 1945. The initial Army training was at Aldermaston and then she was chosen to be trained to operate a searchlight. This training took place at Norton Manor Farm just outside Taunton, Somerset. She was stationed at Ponsbourne Park in Hertfordshire, C Troop, 93rd Searchlight Regiment. During an air raid by the enemy, the searchlight team had to try to find the enemy bombers and illuminate them with the searchlight. If a group of searchlights managed to light up the same plane then the guns could shoot them down.
Some diary entries for 1942:
- Friday 8th May 1942 Joined A.T.S. Went to Aldermaston for basic training.
- Wednesday 3rd June Left Aldermaston & went to Taunton, Norton Manor Barracks, for technical training. Trained as 6, 7 & 8 on searchlights.
- Friday 31st July Passing out parade. Inspection by Colonel. Very hot, took 2 hrs.
- Tuesday 25th August Had prestige march through Taunton. Had party in evening, dance after.
- Wed. 26th August Left Taunton, training finished, going to an operational site to take over from men. Going near N. London.
- Thurs. 27th August Just getting settled in. We had to scrub whole place yesterday and were out at night on exercises.
- Sun. 13th September Hostile raid, turned out about midnight.
- Sat. 26th September Exercises from 7p.m. to 3a.m. Very good, 6 engagements, 3 illuminations.
Diary entry for Tuesday 8th May 1945,
V.E. Day. War with Germany over. Ceasefire at midnight. Gave short searchlight display at 23.45. Crowds in London. Bonfires lit, bells rung etc. Tues & Weds declared public holidays. On guard.
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