35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom)
| 35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 April 1938–1 June 1948 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 Territorial Army |
| Type | Anti-Aircraft Brigade |
| Role | Air Defence |
| Part of |
5th AA Division 2 AA Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Fareham |
| Engagements | The Blitz |
35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Anti-Aircraft Command in the British Territorial Army (TA) formed shortly before the outbreak of World War II. It defended the important naval base of Portsmouth during The Blitz.
Origins
35th Anti-Aircraft (AA) Brigade was formed on 1 April 1938 at Fareham, and was assigned to 5th AA Division from its formation on 1 September that year.[1]
Order of Battle
On the outbreak of World War II, 35 AA Brigade comprised the following units of the Royal Artillery (RA) and Royal Engineers (RE):[1][2] [3]
- 57th (Wessex) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA[6][7]
- HQ at Portsmouth
- 213th (Portsmouth) Anti-Aircraft Battery
- 214th (Southsea) Anti-Aircraft Battery
- 215th (Gosport & Fareham) Anti-Aircraft Battery
- 216th (Isle of Wight & Cosham)) Anti-Aircraft Battery
- 72nd (Hampshire) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA – Heavy AA unit formed in 1938 by conversion of 95th (Hampshire) Field Brigade, RA[8][9]
- HQ at Southampton
- 217th (Hampshire Carabiniers) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Winchester
- 218th (Hampshire Royal Horse Artillery) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Southampton
- 310th Anti-Aircraft Battery – formed January 1939 at Parkstone, Dorset
- 48th (Hampshire) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE – searchlight regiment organised in 1937 from Hampshire Fortress Engineers, RE [10][11]
- HQ at Portsmouth
- 391st Anti-Aircraft Company at Portsmouth
- 392nd Anti-Aircraft Company at East Cowes, Isle of Wight
- 393rd Anti-Aircraft Company at Gosport
- 394th Anti-Aircraft Company at Southampton
- 35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps
In September 1939, the brigade had 29 heavy AA guns round Portsmouth.[12]
World War II
During 1940 the AA regiments of the RA were designated 'Heavy AA', and the RE units transferred to the RA as 'Searchlight Regiments'.[13] By July 1940 there were 44 HAA guns deployed round Portsmoth.[14]
Battle of Britain
The brigade was heavily engaged throughout the Battle of Britain. On 18 August, for example, German air raids crossed Southern England and appeared over RAF airfields at West Malling, Manston, Kenley, Biggin Hill, Gravesend and the town of Sevenoaks, all within four and a half hours in the afternoon. The guns of 35 AA Bde and its neighbours were in action and accounted for 23 enemy aircraft.[15]
Blitz
After 15 September, the intensity of Luftwaffe daylight attacks fell, and the emphasis switched to night bombing of industrial towsn (the Blitz). Portsmouth was a major target: during a succession of attacks, two bombs fell on a gun position of 35 AA Bde, killing an officer and 10 men, wrecking the command post and one gun. Two of the reamining guns continued to fire by improvised methods.[16]
During the Blitz, 35 AA Bde had the following composition:[17][18][19][20][21]
- 72 HAA Rgt RA – as above
- 48 S/L Rgt RA – as above
- 80th (Berkshire) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - formed on 1938 by expansion of 264th (Berkshire) Field Battery of 66th (South Midland) Field Brigade, RA[19][22]
- HQ at Reading, Berkshire
- 249 (Berkshire Royal Horse Artillery) at Reading
- 250 (Reading) at Reading
- 251 (Buckinghamshire) at Slough
- 252 (City of Oxford) at Oxford
- 118th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery – new regiment formed in December 1940[23]
Together with the searchlights of 27th (Home Counties) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, 35 AA Bde was responsible for the air defence of the city and naval base of Portsmouth. It remained part of 5 AA Division until AA Command was reorganised and the divisions were scrapped in September 1942, after which it became part of 2 AA Group.[17][19][24]
Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, 35 AA Bde was reformed at Fareham as 61 AA Brigade (TA). Still forming part of 2 AA Group, it comprised the following units:[25][26][27]
- 393 (Mixed) (Hampshire) HAA Regiment at Southampton – new unit, shortly afterwards renumbered as 675 (M) (Hampshire) HAA Regiment. 'Mixed' indicated that members of the Women's Royal Army Corps were integrated into the unit[10][28]
- 524 (Bournemouth) Light AA Regiment at Bournemouth[10][29]
- 535 (Hampshire) LAA Regiment at Eastleigh – reconstituted from 35 LAA Regiment lost at the Fall of Singapore in 1942[29][30]
However, the brigade was disbanded on 1 June 1948.[27]
Notes
- 1 2 5 AA Division 1939 at British Military History
- ↑ AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files
- ↑ Routledge, Table LVIII, p. 376; Table LX, p. 378.
- ↑ Litchfield, pp. 34–5.
- ↑ 56 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45
- ↑ Litchfield, pp. 89–91.
- ↑ 57 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45
- ↑ Litchfield, p. 95.
- ↑ 72 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45
- 1 2 3 Litchfield, p. 97.
- ↑ 48 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45
- ↑ Routledge, Table LIX, p. 377,
- ↑ Litchfield.
- ↑ Farndale, p. 106.
- ↑ Routledge, p. 383.
- ↑ Routledge, p. 395.
- 1 2 5 AA Division 1940 at British Military History
- ↑ 5 AA Division at RA 39–45
- 1 2 3 80 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45
- ↑ Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.
- ↑ Farndale, Annex D, p. 258.
- ↑ Litchfield, p. 21.
- ↑ 118 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45
- ↑ AA Command 1940 at British Military History
- ↑ Litchfield, Appendix 5.
- ↑ Watson, TA.
- 1 2 AA Bdes at British Army 1945 on.
- ↑ 372–413 Rgts at British Army 1945 on.
- 1 2 520–563 Rgts at British Army 1945 on.
- ↑ Litchfield, p. 100.
References
- Gen Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, ISBN 1-85753-080-2.
- Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0.
- Brig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, ISBN 1-85753-099-3.
Online sources
- British Army units from 1945 on
- British Military History
- Orders of Battle at Patriot Files
- The Royal Artillery 1939–45
- Graham Watson, The Territorial Army 1947