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Anti-Aircraft Defence World War II. Instructional material from the Searchlight Wing School of A. A. Defence Shrivendon Swindon Royal Artillery; with manuscript reports; from the papers of Sgt. J. L. B. Royall.

réf. 26095 — Five of the sixteen items dated between 17 March 1941 and .6 October 1943 the rest contemporaneous. Searchlight Wing School of Anti-Aircraft Defence Shrivenham Swindon. Also Longcot Lyford Lyndhurst and Romsey. The topic of this material is wartime training in part during the Blitz of sergeants for ‘Search Light Control’ or SLC nicknamed ‘Elsie’. A larger archive of similar material from the papers of Sgt. J. L. B. Royall on the same theme is offered separately. Sixteen items a few of which are discoloured and creased but the collection being in good overall condition. The first three items are in manuscript i.e. Royall’s autograph. The first two are interesting for the contrast between the accounts they give of the morale of those on the SLC course; and the third reports an arrest of two men found in a vehicle. Item Four is an typed circular signed by Lt B. Dale RA discussing a first sergeants’ course at regimental HQ. Item Five is a detailed programme of a four-day ‘S/L Battery. S.L.C. School’. Items Six to Sixteen are duplicated information sheets for the course. ONE: Manuscript ‘Report on Site MPHIO LONGCOT / Arrived: 12.30 HRS 7.8.42. Left - 20:00 HRS 8.8.42.’ 7 to 8 August 1942. Closely written on 1p small 4to. Divided into: SLC. Personnel available; Weather; SLC Knowledge; Manning Drill; Suggestions; Air Co-op; Morale. The last reads: ‘Men are very interested in SLC and have considerable confidence in its additional training and knowledge should improve this especially when they know the results of their work in illumination. TWO: Manuscript ‘Report Site M.P.H. OY LYFORD / Arrived approx 10:15 hrs 17.8.42. - Left 16:15 hrs 31st.8.42’. 17 to 31 August 1942. Divided much like the earlier list but with ‘Casual Aircraft’ instead of ‘Suggestions’ and after ‘Air Co-op’ two sections added: ‘Maintenance’ and ‘8. AA. Trng Inst No. 2 Y. S/L:- “Target too fast” stage practiced.’ ‘Morale’ moved to the end and reading: ‘Men do not seem to show quite the same amount of interest in S.L.C. as was shown on other sites and do not seem so interested in training.’ THREE: Manuscript statement that two soldiers a sergeant and a private all of whose details are given have been ‘Placed under Open Arrest by 2/Lt Williams / Brought in by L/Bdr Milford G.T. No:- 1461203. Who stated he found them in a vehicle Mt. Bty on the parade ground.’ 1p 12mo. On reverse of part of duplicated typed list of ‘No 4 Detachment. No. 3 Troop 533rd Searchlight Battery Royal Artillery.’ A list of eighteen individuals with title number rank and name. From ‘Detachment Commander L/Sjt 6825478 L/Sjt Arbuthnot H. F.’ to ‘Telephonist & W. T. 1703950 Gnr White F.’ FOUR: Typed Circular Letter Signed by ‘B Dale / Lt RA / for O Comd 392 SL Bty RA’. 6 October 1943; from Lyndhurst. ‘Subject: Trg - Sjts’. 1p 12mo. Describing the results of the ‘first Serjeants Course at Regtl HQ’ over twenty-four lines divided into four points. ‘The course was very short but is thought to have been successful. It can only be looked upon as a preliminary and it is hoped to follow it up by more advanced series at a later date. All Sjts entered into the course with extreme keenness and as I was NOT able to see them at the end of the course I would like my appreciation of this passed on to them.’ FIVE: ‘Programme’ headed: 392 S/L Battery. S.L.C. School.’ 1p landscape 12mo. Signed by ‘R. Z. Lahancey / Lieut. R.A. / C. I/C TRAINING “D” TROOP’. Dated 28 November 1942; Romsey. Gives times over four days of more than thirty topics covered from ‘Identification of Components / Maintenance’ to ‘Fault finding’. Note at foot: ‘Administration. The above programme is subject to alteration for weather etc reasons. / Personnel on course will be available to the site D. C. for sentry duties during the hours of darkness.’ SIX: ‘Scheme “3” / Administration. 1p foolscap 8vo. Dated at end 17 March 1941. With stamp of the SWSAA at top right with the name ‘SGT. J. L. B. ROYALL’ added in manuscript. 2pp foolscap 8vo. SEVEN: ‘P.P.S. No. PLOT/5. / Lesson. Site Procedure - 14 and 15. / Take post downward plot upward plot.’ Dated at top left: 6 May 1942. With facsimile of drawn diagram. EIGHT: ‘Draft. P.P.S. No. PLOT/5. / Stage 3.’ 1p landscape 12mo. Dated at top right 6 May 1942. NINE: ‘P.P.S. No. 9/2 / Draft. / Lesson. Weekly Maintenance Task No. 15. Brakes on T.S.20 Lorry’. 2pp foolscap 8vo. On separate sheets. TEN: ‘Draft. / P.P.S. No. 9/29. / Lesson. Weekly maintenance task No. 16 on 1941 Thornycroft tyres.’ 1p foolscap 8vo. ELEVEN: ‘P. P. S. 9/44. Draft. / Lesson: Weekly Maintenance No. 12 Task - transmission shafts & joints.’ 2pp foolscap 8vo. On separate sheets. TWELVE: ‘Maintenance Tasks - A.A. No. 2. Mk. III.’ Divided into ‘Daily Tasks’ and ‘Weekly Tasks’. 1p foolscap 8vo. THIRTEEN: ‘Maintenance Tasks - A.A. No. 2 Mk. VI.’ 1p 12mo. FOURTEEN: ‘Mark III Control Gear. / General Lecture.’ 1p foolscap 8vo. FIFTEEN: ‘Control Gear Mark IV - Drill for lining up. / Projector A.A. 150 cm. Mk. I and Location Sound Mk. VIII or IX.’ Mainly consisting of a table with columns for: Stage; Order by No. 1.; Action by Detachment; Remarks. 2pp foolscap 8vo. SIXTEEN: ‘A. R. C. / LOCATOR’. Duplicated facsimile of drawn diagram. 1p foolscap 8vo. Five of the sixteen items dated between 17 March 1941 and .6 October 1943 (the rest contemporaneous). Searchlight Wing, School o unknown