By the end of 1944, 21st Army Group was suffering a severe manpower shortage, particularly among the infantry.Ellis, pp. 141–2. At the same time the German Luftwaffe was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious aerial attacks on the United Kingdom could be discounted. In January 1945 the War Office began to reorganise surplus AA and coastal artillery regiments in the UK into infantry battalions, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties in North West Europe, thereby releasing trained infantry for frontline service.Ellis, pp. 369, 380.Infantry Regiments RA at RA 39–45Routledge, p. 421.
