93rd Searchlight Regiment
| 93rd Searchlight Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 1942 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Searchlight regiment |
| Role | Air defence |
| Part of | Anti-Aircraft Command |
| Disbanded | July 1945 |
93rd Searchlight Regiment of the Royal Artillery was an all-female British Regiment, formed in October 1942 and disbanded in July 1945.[1]
History
Searchlights were of great importance in the Second World War as they were needed to illuminate the German Bombers flying over Britain, so that the men operating the anti-aircraft guns could shoot them down before they had a chance to drop any bombs on the British towns and cities. A plan in 1935 anticipated 100 searchlight companies, with 2334 searchlights lights and 43,500 men.[2]
However, by 1941 men were increasingly needed for deployment elsewhere and there was a risk that the number of searchlights might have to be reduced. The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Anti-Aircraft Command 1939-1945, General Sir Frederick Pile, supported the deployment of ATS to these roles and in 1941 a secret trial called the Newark experiment was carried out in Anti-Aircraft Command to find out if women would be able to carry out the duties required in searchlight regiments.[3] 54 members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) were sent for training at Rhyl to find out if they could cope with working in isolated places and if they would have the strength and the ability to operate the searchlights. The experiment proved successful and General Pile later wrote that: "They showed themselves more effective, more horror inspiring and more blood-thirsty with their pick-helves than many a male sentry with his gun, as several luckless gentlemen found to their cost".[4] General Pile was also to write later, "The girls lived like men, fought their lights like men and, alas, some of them died like men".[2] General Pile also proposed that the women should have a more practical uniform for this work, and should be given the same rates of pay as the men if they were doing the same job.
On 2 December 1941, the Under Secretary of State in the War Office wrote a letter recommending that members of the ATS be deployed in searchlight duties. In July 1942 the first seven searchlight troops were formed with ATS members and these were posted to Searchlight Regiments. In October 1942 the 93rd Searchlight Regiment was formed. Originally mixed, it became an all women regiment, apart from the Commanding Officer and the Battery OCs, when the ATS moved in and the male gunners were moved out to other jobs.[5]
References
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