116th Australian Light Anti Aircraft Regiment

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Brief History

This unit formed at Mosman Park during May 1942 from existing units and in June 166th LAA Battery was renamd 173 LAA Battery and men from the disbanding 107th Anti Tank Battery were used to create the 171st Light Anti Aircraft Battery and 172nd Light Anti Aircraft Battery at Naval Base. In July the units concentrated at Naval Base where they trained and exercised as moble units, travelling to Rockingham range and as far distant as Dumbleyung. They moved to a new camp at Bibra Lake in January 1943 and then to Rottnest in May to defend the Coastal Guns, before returning to Bibra Lake in July. In My the 172nd LAA Battery had moved to Cottesloe to man light ant aircraft positions around Fremantle, before returning to Melville Camp in August.

In october 1943 the regiment (minus 171st LAA Battery) moved to Moonyoonooka before moving to Northam Camp in January 1944. There during March 1944 the 172nd Australian Light Anti Aircraft Battery was brough up to strength from the other batteries and then in April they departed for Mereake in Dutch New Guinea to join the 52nd Composite Anti Aircraft Regiment. The 171st Light Anti Aircraft Battery continued to defend key targets around Perth until the 116th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment was disbanded at bellevue in December 1944.

Unit Personnel

• Percy John Powell 18 Aug 1943 - 14 Feb 1944

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 3 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 3.233 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018