searchlights. On 1 August 1940, both battalions were transferred to the Royal Artillery, becoming the 64th and 65th (Essex Regiment) Searchlight Regiments, Royal Artillery. Second World War (1939-1945) Regular Army Of the Regular Army units, the 1st Battalion served in many different British and Indian Infantry Brigades in Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Burma. The battalion served in the 23rd Infantry Brigade, 6th Division, for a few months at the beginning of the war. Rejoining in October 1941, it remained with the brigade until mid-1945, when it joined the 29th Infantry Brigade, part of the 36th British Infantry Division. It served in Tobruk, then in the campaign in Syria, before moving to India with 23rd Infantry Brigade, part of 70th Infantry Division, previously the 6th Infantry Division, which became the core of Brigadier Orde Wingate's Special Force. The brigade's role changed to Long Range Penetration in September 1943; the 1st Battalion formed 44 and 56 Columns of the Chindits and operated in the Japanese rear during the battles of Imphal and Kohima, two battles that turned the tide of the war against Japan in the Far East. The 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment, was originally part of the 25th Infantry Brigade (containing the 1/7th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) and 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers) attached to the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and served with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France in 1940. The battalion was evacuated from Dunkirk after the short but fierce Battle of Dunkirk, part of the larger Battle of France. After Dunkirk the battalion remained with the 25th Brigade until February 1944 when it became part of the 56th Independent Infantry Brigade, alongside the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers and 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, where it was to remain for the rest of the war. The battalion received large drafts of men to bring it up to strength and began training intensively for the Allied invasion of France. The battalion and brigade landed on Gold Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944, from roughly 1:00 pm and immediately set off inland. They fought through the Battle for Caen serving again with the 50th Division and briefly with 59th Division. The 56th Infantry Brigade were eventually assigned to the 49th (West Riding) Division, after the 70th Brigade of that division was disbanded due to an Army-wide shortage of trained infantrymen. The battalion and brigade would remain with