1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade

1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade
Active 1935–1955
Country  United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Type Anti-Aircraft Brigade
Role Air Defence
Part of Aldershot Command
GHQ troops, BEF
11th AA Division
1st AA Group
Engagements Battle of France
Dunkirk evacuation
The Blitz

1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (1 AA Bde) was an Air Defence formation of the British Army in World War II that served in the Battle of France and The Blitz.

Origin

The brigade was created on 26 June 1935 at Blackdown, near Aldershot.[1] At first it was designated 1st Air Defence Brigade,[2] then 1st Anti-Aircraft Group[3] before the 1 AA Bde title was settled upon. 1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade formed part of Aldershot Command and on the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939 it had the following composition:[4]

Battle of France

The brigade proceeded to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). In January 1940, 1st AA Battalion was transferred from the Royal Engineers to the Royal Artillery as 1st Searchlight Regiment and joined 5th Searchlight Brigade.[5][6] When the Battle of France opened on 10 May 1940, 1 AA Bde was attached to General Headquarters BEF, with the following composition:[6][7]

Commander: Brigadier E.D. Milligan

The Blitz

Following the Dunkirk evacuation, 1 AA Bde was redeployed to 11th AA Division covering the industrial town of Crewe during the Blitz. AA regiments were now designated either Heavy (HAA) or Light (LAA). In late 1940, the brigade had the following composition:[11]

1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade was disbanded on 30 April 1945.[1]

Postwar

By 1947, 1 AA Bde had been reformed in 1 AA Group, which covered London and South East England.[18] After Anti-Aircraft Command was disbanded on 10 March 1955, HQ 1 AA Bde was converted into a Territorial Army formation based at Edenbridge, Kent, and renumbered 30 AA Bde. That formation in turn was disbanded in 1961.[19]

Notes

References

External sources

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