Formed in 1937 by renaming the 24th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (The Queen's).
The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association website gives an outline of this battalion showing the service that both their 1st/7th Battalion and their 2nd/7th Battalion gave in in World War Two.
The 7th (Southwark) Battalion was known as the 1st/7th Battalion between 1939 and 1947 when the 2nd/7th Battalion was in existence. It served during the war in France, North Africa, Italy and Normandy. In 1947, it became the 622 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA, and in 1955 the 265 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA, at which point the 24th London lineage was discontinued.
The 2nd/7th Battalion was formed in 1939. The 2nd/7th served in France in 1940 alongside 2nd/5th and 2nd/6th Battalions in the 35th Infantry Brigade (12th Division). Following evacuation and reorganisation it became part of 169th Queen's Brigade, 56 London Division, and was tasked with the defence of the Kent and Sussex coasts. In 1942, it was posted to Iraq, and in 1943 took part in the Salerno landings, fighting in Italy for the remainder of the war.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
