Class Composition of Indian Anti-Aircraft

Regiments 1940-45

The maximum manpower for the new raisings was provided by the mountain artillery,
whose recruitment area was limited to the province of Punjab. As the Punjabis were wanted
by other branches of artillery and other arms and services as well, a shortage developed. It
was thus decided that besides converting Indian Infantry battalions, further expansion,
especially of AA artillery would be based on the Madrassi class of troops. The expansion
planned in AA branch was so enormous that that it could not possibly be met without
rendering the mountain artillery non-functional. NCOs required to create the nucleus wee
provided by the Royal Artillery units, thus making the new raising into Madrassi-British
units.. it was essential to post in some Madrassi Viceroy Commissioned Officers(VCOs) and
NCOs to these new raisings and training centres. To meet this requirement, NCOs (
including some already recommended for promotion) were transferred from Corps of
Indian Engineers (Madras Group). A number of reasonable well educated Madrassis were
enlisted, with the promise that they would be commissioned as VCOS if they passed the
tests after the completion of a stated period of training. The personnel transferred from
Engineers, as well as the enlisted Madrassis for direct promotion, proved to be of great help.

The 5th Indian Light Anti-Aircraft battery of the 1st Indian Light A.A. Regiment, was the first
Madrassi one to be formed. It proceeded to Malaya in November 1941 with 1 Heavy AA
regiment and was one of the first Indian AA units to see action against the Japanese.
The next Madrassi A.A. batteries to be raised were the 6th Indian Heavy in June 1941 and
9th Indian Light in October 1941.
The year 1942 saw the formation of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Light A.A. and the 6th and 10th Heavy
A.A. Indian Regiments, which were composed entirely of Madrassis, while the 9thPunjab
Heavy Regiment included one Madras battery, and one and half batteries of Madrassis were
in the 5th Indian Heavy A.A. Regiment.
Finally, in 1943 no less than 5 Light A.A. and 8 Heavy A.A. Regiments (Nos. 10, 11, 12, 17
and 18, and Nos. 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21 and 25 respectively) were formed of Madrassis
only, so that by the end of the war, Madrassis preponderated other all other classes in the
Indian AA Artillery.

The details of AA Regiments and the class composition therein is as follows:

Class Composition of Indian AA Regiments

1940-1945
Regiment/ Battery Class
HAA Regiments
1 HAA Regiment

2 HAA Regiment

1 HAA Battery Punjabi Mussalman

7 HAA Battery Punjabi Musslaman

 8 HAA Battery Ahir

3 HAA Regiment

5 HAA Battery Punjabi Mussalman

6 HAA Battery Madrassi

11 HAA Battery Punjabi Brahmin

5 HAA Regiment

12 HAA Battery Punjabi Musslaman

13 HAA Battery Madrassi

14 HAA Battery Ahir and Madrassi

6 HAA Regiment Madrassi

7 (Rajput) HAA Regiment

18 HAA Battery Rajput

19 HAA battery Punjabi Musslaman

20 HAA Battery Rajput and Punjabi Mussalman

8 (Rajput) HAA Regiment

9 (Punjab) HAA Regiment

10 HAA Battery Madrassi

24 HAA Battery Punjabi Mussalman

26 HAA Battery Gujjar and Ahir

10 HAA Regiment Madrassi

11 HAA Regiment Madrassi

12 HAA Regiment Madrassi

13 HAA Regiment Madrassi

14 HAA Regiment Madrassi

15 HAA Regiment Madrassi

20 HAA Regiment Madrassi

21 HAA Regiment Madrassi

25 HAA Regiment Madrassi

LAA Regiments
1 LAA Regiment

2 LAA Battery Punjabi Brahmin

3 LAA Battery Punjabi Mussalman

6 LAA Battery Punjabi Mussalman

2 LAA Regiment

7 LAA Battery Punjabi Mussalman

8 LAA Battery Ahir

9 LAA Battery Madrassi

3 LAA Regiment Madrassi

4 LAA Regiment Madrassi

5 LAA Regiment Madrassi

6 (Punjab) LAA Regiment

19 LAA Battery Punjabi Mussalman

20 LAA Battery Sikh

21 LAA Battery Rajput

7 (Sikh) LAA Regiment

23 LAA Battery Sikh

25 LAA Battery Punjabi Mussalman

27 LAA Battery Sikh

8 (Sikh) LAA Regiment

9 (Rajputana Rifles) LAA Regiment

10 LAA Battery Ahir

29 LAA battery Rajput

30 LAA Battery Punjabi Mussalman

10 LAA Regiment Madrassi

11 LAA Regiment Madrassi

12 LAA Regiment Madrassi

13 LAA Regiment
14 LAA Regiment

17 LAA Regiment Madrassi

18 LAA Regiment Madrassi

Reference:- Lt Col E.G. Pythian-Adams, Madras Soldier, Government press, Madras, 1948,
pp 147-8
https://ia801700.us.archive.org/7/items/MadrasSoldier/MadrasSoldier.pdf