L/Bdr. Ronald William Hart
British Army 61st Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, 197th Bty. Royal Artillery
My father Ronald Hart joined the 197th Bty. 61st Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1940. He was sent to France with his unit, on their retreat, they had missed the Dunkirk evacuation and managed to pass in the night to board a destroyer in Boulogne.
His unit was then stationed at the Surrey Hills Guest House in Chilworth, Surrey as part of our air defences.
In early 1942 his unit was transferred to North Africa, during a battle with German tanks on the 6th June 1942 he was wounded. He lost his left arm. He was unable to find out if any of his team had survived. He had an amputation in Cairo then was shipped to Durban for recuperation and returned home to my mother Christmas Day 1942. He joined BLESMA while in Roehampton Hospital in 1943 and was joint founder of their Croydon and Sutton Branches throughout his life. He passed away in February 2005 aged 86.
