8th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery
The 8th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery was a regular heavy artillery unit of the Royal Artillery and based in China during the years leading up to World War II.
| 8th Heavy Brigade, RA 8th Heavy Rgt, RA 8th Coast Rgt, RA | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge of the Royal Artillery under King George VI | |
| Active | 1933—1941 |
| Country |  |
| Branch |  |
| Type | Coastal artillery |
| Role | Coastal defence |
| Size | Regiment |
| Part of | British Troops Hong Kong |
| Garrison/HQ | Kowloon, Hong Kong |
| Engagements | World War II |
History
On 4 January 1933, the 8th Heavy Brigade, Royal Artillery was formed by grouping the former Hong Kong Coast Defences. The brigade was organised as;[1][2]
- Regimental Headquarters (RHQ)
- 12 Heavy Battery, former 'S' Coast battery in Malta
- 20 Heavy Battery, former 'T' Coast battery in Malta
- 24 Heavy Battery, former 'G' Coast battery in Portsmouth
In accordance with the re-organisations of the Royal Artillery in 1938, the brigade was renamed as the 8th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery. On the same date of renaming, the regiment took control of two more batteries; 30 Heavy Battery, former 'C' Coast Battery in Broughty Ferry and 'X' Heavy Battery, The Hong Kong and Singapore Artillery, formed and regimented that year.[1][2][3]
When the war broke out on 3 September 1939, the regiment was headquartered in Kowloon and commanded by Commander Hong Kong Royal Artillery.[3][4][5]
On 16 November 1939 'X' battery was redesignated as 36 Heavy Battery, and former 20 and 26 Heavy batteries were transferred to the 12th Hvy Rgt being formed in Hong Kong also. On 14 December 1940, the regiment was redesignated as the 8th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery, and its batteries being termed 'coast batteries', to further represent their coastal defence role. Finally on Christmas, 25 December 1941 the regiment with 12 and 30 Coast batteries along with 36 Coast Battery (HKSRA) were captured by the Japanese and the regiment was placed in suspended animation, never to reform.[1][3][4][6][7][8]
Footnotes
- Frederick, p. 620.
- Frederick, pp. 598-600.
- Robert Palmer, British Troops in China (1939) at British Military History. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- Joslen, p. 559.
- David A. Ryan, Graham Watson, and Robert Michel, China Command at World War II Armed Forces - Orders of Battle and Organizations. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- Frederick, p. 621.
- Robert Palmer, Far East 1930 - 1947 at British Military History. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- Brayley, The Far East, Locations 227, 237.
References
- J. B. M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660-1978, Volume II, 1984: Microform Academic Publishers Wakefield, United Kingdom, ISBN 1-85117-008-1.
- H. F. Joslen, Orders of Battle; Second World War 1939-1945, Reprinted in Middletown, Delaware by Permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, United Kingdom, (1960 edition), 2009, (re-printed, 2019). ISBN 978-1843424741.