2/3rd Australian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment

The 2/3rd Australian Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Regiment was raised in Melbourne on 1 July 1940, trained at Werribee Racecourse and embarked for the Middle East in December 1940. Its WW2 casualties were 66 men killed in action, 135 taken prisoner of war, and many others wounded in action. 

It comprised Regimental HQ, 2/7 LAA Battery, 2/8 LAA Battery, 2/9 LAA Battery, Signals Section, Workshop Section, and attached personnel. It served in Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Tobruk, Crete, & Syria. The Regiment was disbanded in August 1943. 7 Battery became part of 2/2nd Composite AA Regiment (LE), 8 Battery became an independent airborne battery, with the novel idea of transporting dismantled Bofors guns with their crews in DC3 aircraft to newly captured airstrips. 9 Battery at Milne Bay was joined with 2/6th Heavy AA Battery to form the 2/3rd Composite AA Regiment. This Regiment also had a searchlight battery attached. 

Elements of the 2/3rd Lt AA Regiment took part in one form or another in various actions in New Guinea, the last one being Labuan in Borneo in June-July 1945.

Comprehensive information is available online at the website of the 2/3rd Australian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Association Inc.: 
https://www.antiaircraft.org.au/ .

The book “On Target” chronicles the Regiment’s history. It is available online, in free full-text format, at https://www.antiaircraft.org.au/about-us/on-target/on-target-the-book/ .

• 2/3rd Australian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Association Inc https://www.antiaircraft.org.au/