on 3 September 1939 at Maidstone under Eastern Command with 385 (Duke of Connaught's Own Yeomanry) and 387 (Queen's Own Yeomanry) Batteries. The regiment joined the BEF in May 1940, initially with III Corps then attached to 5th Infantry Division. During the Battle of France, the regiment saw action at Saint-Valery-en-Caux in June 1940; after the German advance the regiment destroyed its guns and equipment and headed to Dunkirk for evacuation in Operation Dynamo. Field regiments had been organised in 1938 into two 12-gun batteries. The experience of the BEF in 1940 showed the problem with this organisation: field regiments were intended to support an infantry brigade of three battalions. This could not be managed without severe disruption to the regiment. As a result, field regiments were reorganised into three 8-gun batteries. The third battery (470) was formed in the regiment at Great Baddow in March 1941. The regiment arrived in Iraq on 20 October 1941 and was initially under command of Tenth Army before being assigned to 10th Indian Infantry Division on 19 November. On 25 April 1942, 470 Field Bty left to form part of X (later 164th) Field Regt, RA. The rest of the regiment arrived in Egypt with the division on 31 May. On 5 July it came under command of British Troops in Egypt. The regiment dropped the "Army" designation on 13 September and on the same date joined the 7th Armoured Division. Armed with sixteen 25 pounders, the regiment served with 7th Armoured in the Second Battle of El Alamein. On 20 December it was placed under command of GHQ, Middle East Forces and 470 Field Bty was reformed for the regiment. In October 1943 it rejoined the 10th Indian Division, serving in North Africa, Palestine and Italy, where it ended the war on the Adriatic coast near Trieste. The Regimental HQ with 385, 387 and 470 Batteries were placed in suspended animation on 15 December 1945. 143 (Kent Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 143rd Field Regiment mobilised on 3 September 1939 at Ashford under Eastern Command with 386 (Duke of Connaught's Own Yeomanry) and 388 (Queen's Own Yeomanry) Batteries. It spent the early part of the war in Iceland. While there, it was reorganised from two 12-gun batteries to three 8-gun batteries when the third battery (507) was formed in the regiment in May 1941. It was authorised to use the "Kent Yeomanry"