‘Hants’ Battery, Royal Marines

United Kingdom: June – September 1940

1st Coast Artillery Brigade, R.M.

The ‘Hants’ Battery, Royal Marines was formed within the 1st Coast Artillery Brigade, R.M. at Eastney on 7th June 1940 and was equipped with two 6-inch guns.  The Battery was commanded by Captain B. Baseby, D.S.C., R.M. from ‘Devon’ Battery.  The new battery left for Sheringham on 14th June, arriving the next day.[1]

During the late evening of 19th August 1940, the Battery exposed it searchlights and fired a single practice round as a warning shot across the bows of an unidentified ship.  On the morning of 24th August, the body of a drowned German airman was found on the beach just below one of the battery searchlight positions.[2]

The ‘Hants’ Battery was relieved at Sheringham by the 352nd Heavy Battery, R.A. and returned to Eastney on 4th September 1940.  This battery was disbanded seven days later on 11th September.[3]

Egypt, Addu Atoll and Ceylon: September 1941 – February 1942

1st Coast Regiment, R.M. – Force ‘Piledriver’

The Battery appears to have been reformed in Egypt at some juncture for there is a note in the war diary of the 1st Coast Regiment, R.M. of a transfer of personnel from Regimental Headquarters to ‘Hants’ Battery at Moascar, Egypt on 17th September 1941.  The ‘Hants’ Battery formed part of Force ‘Piledriver’ which left Egypt on 20th September to construct a defended base at Addu Atoll.  Together with Force ‘Shortcut’, Force ‘Piledriver’ arrived at Addu Atoll on 30th September.  The ‘Hants’ Battery began work by making a road to the site selected for the installation of a 6-inch coast gun battery on the island of Gan.  On 3rd October the Battery began clearing a site for the main camp and for the gun site.  The holdfast (plinth) for gun No.1 was mounted at the gun site on 10th October and on 13th October the second holdfast was installed.  The first gun, No. 1 Gun, was mounted at the ‘Hants’ Battery site on Gan on 18th October, followed by No.2 Gun two days later.  Work continued to complete the gun site and the first proof rounds to test the guns were fired by the ‘Hants’ Battery on 28th October.  Men of the Battery now moved to Wilingili where during November they constructed a site for and installed a single 4-inch gun.  The Battery continued to man these guns and the single 4-inch gun at Wilingili until relieved by the incoming 7th Heavy Battery, Indian Artillery.  The relief of the Gan battery took place on 7th January 1942, followed by the Wilingili battery two days later.  The Royal Marines immediately began to embark upon the H.T. Talma and the loading of all M.N.B.D.O. personnel on the ship was completed on 11th January.  The ship eventually sailed for Ceylon on 14th January and arrived at Colombo two days later.[4]

Following the arrival in Ceylon from Addu Atoll, the 1st Coast Regiment at Diyatalawa had under command:

- ‘Kent’, ‘Devon’ and ‘Hants’ Batteries,
- elements of the Landing and Workshop Companies.

The ‘Hants’ Battery was disbanded once again on 9th February 1942 and all personnel, except for those with Volunteer Force, “rejoined their original batteries.” [5]

[Note: It is not known if the Battery was ever referred to by the full county name of ‘Hampshire’.]

01 February 2021