557th Moonlight Battery, Royal Artillery
The 557th Independent Moonlight Battery, Royal Artillery was a Searchlight (S/L) unit of the British Army that provided artificial illumination, or 'Monty's Moonlight', for night operations by 21st Army Group during the campaign in North West Europe in 1944–45. Previously, it had served on anti-aircraft (AA) duties in the United Kingdom and Normandy. Origin The battery was formed on 13 February 1941 at 234th S/L Training Rgt at Carlisle, with a cadre of experienced officers and men from 55th (Durham Light Infantry) S/L Rgt. On 1 May it was assigned to the new 92nd S/L Regiment, the last all-male S/L regiment to be formed in Anti-Aircraft Command. 92nd S/L Regiment comprised 556, 557, 558 S/L Btys and was assigned to 53rd Light AA Brigade in 4th AA Division. 53rd Light AA Brigade's role was to provide S/L cover for the North Midlands of England. In the summer of 1941, 92nd S/L Rgt transferred to a new 70th AA Bde in 4th AA Division. Then in October 557th Bty was attached directly to 5 AA Group (which had replaced 4th AA Division), and on 20 February 1943 it was formally detached from 92 S/L Rgt and became an independent mobile unit