“A story of an ordinary man in extraordinary times”



‘Searching for Gunner Leslie Whitaker’ documents the wartime experiences of Leslie Whitaker during the Second World War. Enlisting in spring of 1940, Leslie initially served as a Lewis Gunner in the 44th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Engineers protecting the Lincolnshire Wash Area. To counter the increasing threat of enemy air attacks, the 44SL Regiment was converted into 121st Light Anti aircraft (Leicestershire) Regiment, Royal artillery in January 1942.



The 121 LAA Regiment continued air defence duties around England with 40mm bofors and trained in earnest for invasion of North West Europe. The 121LAA joined the Battle for Normandy, France as part of British VIII Corps in late June 1944. Leslie and fellow gunners were to spend next 11 months being shot at, dive-bombed, mortared and shelled through Belgium, Holland and Germany



Whilst the Whitaker family and the rest of Britain celebrated the end of hostilities in Europe on 7th May 1945, Leslie and the 121LAA Regiment were busy disarming German soldiers on the Baltic coast, north of Kiel. From May 1945, the 121LAA Regiment then took on occupation or ‘policing’ duties in Kiel itself, before Leslie was finally demobbed from the British Army in May 1946.



The book uses war diaries, official archive and personal photographs, memoirs, personal documents and extensive interviews with veteran gunners of 121st and other LAA Regiments, to journal day-to-day experiences of being a bofor gunner during the defence of Britain and North West European Campaign.



This non-profit making piece of work has been donated free of charge to the Imperial War and Royal Artillery museums in London.