name of their home town. In 1938 the RA modernised its nomenclature and a lieutenant-colonel's command was designated a 'regiment' rather than a 'brigade'; this applied to TA field brigades from 1 November 1938. The TA was doubled in size after the Munich Crisis, and most regiments split to form duplicates. Part of the reorganisation was that field regiments changed from four six-gun batteries to an establishment of two batteries, each of three four-gun troops. For the Home Counties brigade this resulted in the following organisation from 1 May 1939: 57th (Home Counties) Field Regiment Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) at Brighton 225 (Brighton) Field Bty 226 (Brighton) Field Bty 110th Field Regiment RHQ at Shoreham 227 (Hove) Field Bty 228 (Worthing) Field Bty World War II 57th (Home Counties) Field Regiment Battle of France Orders to mobilise were received on 1 September ahead of the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939. Mobilisation went smoothly and on 14 September 57th Fd Rgt moved to Forest Row for intensive training. On 24 October the division concentrated in Somerset and the regiment moved to Stoke under Ham. However, the shortage of tools and equipment hampered training. The regiment carried out live firing exercises at Larkhill with 18-pounders and 18/25-pounders. 44th (HC) Division began moving to France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on 1 April 1940, and 57th Fd Rgt moved up to the St Pol area. When the German offensive in the west opened on 10 May, the BEF advanced into Belgium in accordance with 'Plan D', with 44th (HC) Division moving up to the Escaut, where it was in reserve. However, the German Army broke through the Ardennes to the east, forcing the BEF to withdraw again, and by 19 May the whole force was back across the Escaut, with 57th Fd Rgt deployed at Jammel Hoek covering the canal line. This was the most threatened part of the British line, and there was severe fighting after the enemy established bridgeheads across the Escaut at dawn on 20 May. However, it was the deep German penetration further east that forced the BEF to withdraw to the next canal line on the Belgian frontier by 23 May. 44th (HC) Division withdrew into GHQ Reserve, and then took up positions immediately south of Hazebrouck. On the morning of 27 May this line came under attack. By now the decision had been made