28th (Thames and Medway) Anti-Aircraft Brigade (28 AA Bde) was an air defence formation of the British Territorial Army created in 1925 to command anti-aircraft units in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

and around the militarily important

Medway Towns Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to f ...

, which it defended during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. In 1940 the brigade was responsible for the defences on the south side of the Thames Estuary including the Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham and the Port of Dover. The brigade was heavily engaged throughout the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

, in the summer of 1940, and

The Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

, from autumn 1940 to spring 1941, operating a total of 70 heavy anti-aircraft (HAA) guns controlled from a gun operations room (GOR) at Chatham. During 1942 many of the brigade's experienced units were transferred to active theatres overseas. Increasingly the brigade included women of the

Auxiliary Territorial Service The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS; often pronounced as an acronym) was the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed on 9 September 1938, initially as a women's voluntary service, and existed until 1 Februa ...

(ATS). From mid-1944 the German ''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

'' began launching

V-1 flying bombs The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buzz bomb or doodlebug and in Germany as ...

against southeast England, whose speed and maneuverability made them hard for AA guns to destroy. As a result, the brigade was repositioned along the

South Coast South Coast is a name often given to coastal areas to the south of a geographical region or major metropolitan area. Geographical Australia *South Coast (New South Wales), the coast of New South Wales, Australia, south of Sydney * South Coast (Q ...

as part of a concentration of AA guns under

Operation Diver Operation Diver was the British codename for countermeasures against the V-1 flying bomb campaign launched by the German in 1944 against London and other parts of Britain. Diver was the codename for the V-1, against which the defence consisted o ...

to target V-1s coming in over the English Channel. As the launching sites in France were overrun by 21st Army Group by late 1944, the ''Luftwaffe'' switched to air-launching V-1s over the North Sea, forcing another redeployment to the east of London. The brigade was formally disbanded in 1946, following the end of the war. It was reformed in 1947 as 54 (Thames and Medway) AA Brigade, but permanently disbanded in 1948.

Interwar period

German air raids by

Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...

airships and

Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the Gotha (district), district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine House of Wet ...

bombers on London and other British cities during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

had shown the need for strong anti-aircraft (AA) defences in any future war. When the Territorial Army (TA) was reformed in the 1920s it included a number of dedicated AA units of the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

(RA) and Royal Engineers (RE). At first these were concentrated in London under 26th and 27th Air Defence Brigades. In 1925 55th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA was formed to defend the

of north Kent. 28th Air Defence Brigade (AD Bde) was then formed at

Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. T ...

to command the AA defences in the area, even though it only had 55th AA Bde under its command, and that in turn consisted only of 163rd (Kent) AA Battery at Tunbridge Wells. There were also 313 and 314 independent AA searchlight companies of the RE (TA) in Kent, but these were not formally subordinated to 28 AD Bde at this time. At first, 28th AD Bde was subordinate to the Home Counties Area of Eastern Command, but as Britain's AA defences expanded during the 1930s, higher formations became necessary. 1st AA Division was formed to cover London and the

Home Counties The home counties are the counties of England that surround London. The counties are not precisely defined but Buckinghamshire and Surrey are usually included in definitions and Berkshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent are also often included ...

on 15 December 1935. The 28th ADB was reorganised as 28th (Thames & Medway) Anti-Aircraft Group, based at

Kitchener Barracks Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century, ...

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

, and commanding all the gun and searchlight units in the area.Frederick, pp. 1048–50.

Order of Battle 1935

The composition of 28 AA Group in December 1935 was as follows: * 55th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA (TA) ** HQ at

Fort Clarence 300px, The archway by the fort's drawbridge was demolished in the 1930s. The fort, on the left, is now converted into flats. Fort Clarence is a now defunct fortification that was located in Rochester, Kent, England. History The fort was built b ...

, Rochester ** 163rd (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Tunbridge Wells ** 166th (City of Rochester) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Fort Clarence, Rochester ** 205th (Chatham and Faversham) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Chatham * 58th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Brigade. A RA (TA) HAA gun unit formed in 1935 by conversion of 52nd (Kent) Medium Brigade, Royal Artillery ** HQ at Erith ** 206th (Erith) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Erith ** 207th (Erith) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Erith ** 208th (Bromley) Anti-Aircraft Battery at

Penge Penge () is a suburb of South East London, England, now in the London Borough of Bromley, west of Bromley, north east of Croydon and south east of Charing Cross. History Penge was once a small hamlet, which was recorded under the name Pence ...

* 61st (Finsbury Rifles) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA (TA). An AA unit formed in 1935 by conversion of 11th Battalion, the London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles), affiliated to the

Middlesex Regiment The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers R ...

.''Monthly Army List'' January 1939. ** HQ at

Pentonville Pentonville is an area on the northern fringe of Central London, in the London Borough of Islington. It is located north-northeast of Charing Cross on the Inner Ring Road. Pentonville developed in the northwestern edge of the ancient parish ...

** 170th Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Battery at Finchley ** 171st Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Battery at

** 195th Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Battery at Finchley ** 272nd Anti-Aircraft Battery added later at

Southgate Southgate or South Gate may refer to: Places Australia *Southgate, Sylvania *Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct, an area within Southbank, Victoria Canada *Southgate, Ontario, a township in Grey County * Southgate, Middlesex County, Ontario Ed ...

* 29th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE (TA). Formed in 1935 from the Kent and Middlesex Group Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Companies, Royal Engineers. ** HQ at Marine School, Chatham ** 313rd (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Company at Chatham ** 314th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Company at

Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated populat ...

** 322nd Anti-Aircraft Company at

Greenhithe Greenhithe is a village in the Borough of Dartford in Kent, England, and the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe. It is located east of Dartford and west of Gravesend. Area In the past, Greenhithe's waterfront on the estuary of the ri ...

** 347th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Company at

Sidcup Sidcup is an area of south-east London, England, primarily in the London Borough of Bexley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, bordering the London Boroughs of Bromley and Greenwich. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the ...

* 32nd (7th City of London) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE (TA). A searchlight unit formed in 1935 by conversion of 7th London Regiment (Post Office Rifles) affiliated to the Middlesex Regiment ** HQ at

Finsbury Square Finsbury Square is a square in Finsbury in central London which includes a six-rink grass bowling green. It was developed in 1777 on the site of a previous area of green space to the north of the City of London known as Finsbury Fields, in the pa ...

** 328th Anti-Aircraft Company at Finsbury Square ** 329th Anti-Aircraft Company at

Grove Park, Lewisham Grove Park is a district of South East London, England within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is located north east of Bromley and south east of Lewisham. Known for its green spaces, Grove Park is flanked by the Grove Park Nature Reserve a ...

** 330th Anti-Aircraft Company at Grove Park ** 331st Anti-Aircraft Company at Bexleyheath The 28th and other anti-aircraft groups adopted the more normal formation title of 'Brigades' after the Royal Artillery redesignated its Brigades as "Regiments" in 1938.

Mobilisation

Order of Battle 1939

By the outbreak of the Second World War on 3 September 1939 the London and searchlight units had left 28th AA Bde, which was now entirely composed of heavy AA artillery regiments based in Kent. It was serving in 6 AA Division, which was formed on 30 May 1939 to take responsibility for the air defence of the

Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. Limits An estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salini ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

and Kent.Farndale, Annex J. p. 301 * 55th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA55 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45.
/ref> ** New 307th Battery formed at Tunbridge Wells ** 205th Battery transferred to 89th HAA Regiment * 58th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA ** New 264th Battery formed at Dartford * 75th (Home Counties) (Cinque Ports) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (TA). ''HAA Regiment converted from field artillery in 1938''. ** HQ at Dover ** 223rd (Cinque Ports) Battery at Folkestone ** 233rd (Kent) Battery at Dover ** 306th Battery at Ashford, Kent * 89th (Cinque Ports) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (TA). ''HAA Regiment raised as duplicate of 75th AA Rgt in April 1939'' ** HQ at

Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...

** 205th (Kent) Battery at Sittingbourne (from 55th (Kent) AA Regiment) ** 234th (Kent) Battery at

Deal A deal, or deals may refer to: Places United States * Deal, New Jersey, a borough * Deal, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * Deal Lake, New Jersey Elsewhere * Deal Island (Tasmania), Australia * Deal, Kent, a town in England * Deal, ...

** 235th (Kent) Battery at

Margate Margate is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay and Westbrook. The town has been a significan ...

Early War

Opportunities for action were rare during the

Phoney War The Phoney War (french: Drôle de guerre; german: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germa ...

, but on the night of 22/23 November 1939 the HAA guns of 28 AA Bde ("Thames South") combined with those of 37 AAB on the other bank of the river ("Thames North") to engage at least two German mine-laying aircraft that had strayed into the mouth of the estuary. One wrecked aircraft was found on the marshes and credited to 206 Battery of 58th HAA Regiment, based at Allhallows, Kent. During the summer of 1940 the brigade was joined by 53rd (City of London) HAA Regiment, which had been evacuated from

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

after abandoning its guns in the wake of the Fall of France.53 HAA Regt War Diary 1940–41, The National Archives, Kew (TNA) file WO 166/2343. 28 AA Brigade was responsible for the defences on the south side of the Thames Estuary (Thames South) including the Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham, as well as the Port of Dover. By 11 July 1940, the Thames South AA layout operated by 28 AA Bde had a total of 70 HAA guns (3.7-inch and 4.5-inch).

Battle of Britain

The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H4726

The Luftwaffe began its 1940 bombing offensive against the British mainland with small-scale raids on coastal targets. In July 1940 it began heavy daylight raids against south coast ports and shipping; the guns at Dover were in action virtually every day. Lieutenant-Colonel N.V. Sadler of 75th HAA Regiment developed an effective system of HAA barrages over individual points in

Dover Harbour The Port of Dover is a cross-channel ferry, cruise terminal, maritime cargo and marina facility situated in Dover, Kent, south-east England. It is the nearest English port to France, at just away, and is one of the world's busiest maritime pa ...

and the shipping channels, underpinned by light anti-aircraft (LAA) fire. In one day the regiment claimed to have shot down 10 aircraft: seven Junkers Ju 87 'Stukas', together with two Messerschmitt Bf 109s and a

Dornier Do 215 The Dornier Do 215 was a light bomber, aerial reconnaissance aircraft and later a night fighter, produced by Dornier originally for export, but in the event most served in the ''Luftwaffe''. Like its predecessor, the Dornier Do 17, it inherited t ...

. During this period 6 AA Division was placed under the operational control of

No. 11 Group RAF No. 11 Group is a group in the Royal Air Force first formed in 1918. It had been formed and disbanded for various periods during the 20th century before disbanding in 1996 and reforming again in 2018. Its most famous service was in 1940 in the Ba ...

, which remained the case for the rest of the war.Farndale, Annex D, p. 333. Decisions as to whether or not the guns could fire were made at the lower level sector operations rooms, an army officer sat beside each fighter controller and directed the gun crews when to open and cease fire. This was to ensure that anti-aircraft guns would not be firing when British fighter aircraft were liable to be hit. The brigade was heavily engaged throughout the Battle of Britain. On 18 August, for example, German air raids appeared over RAF airfields at

West Malling West Malling ( , historically Town Malling) is a market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of 2,590. Landmarks West Malling contains several historic buildings, including St Leonard's Tower, a Nor ...

, Manston,

Kenley Kenley is an area within the London Borough of Croydon. Prior to its incorporation into Greater London in 1965 it was in the historic county of Surrey. It is situated south of Purley, east of Coulsdon, north of Caterham and Whyteleafe and w ...

, Biggin Hill, Gravesend and the town of

Sevenoaks Sevenoaks is a town in Kent with a population of 29,506 situated south-east of London, England. Also classified as a civil parish, Sevenoaks is served by a commuter main line railway into London. Sevenoaks is from Charing Cross, the traditio ...

, all within four and a half hours in the afternoon. The guns of 28 AA Bde and its neighbours were in action and claimed 23 German aircraft shot down. Four days later a mass raid flew up the Thames Estuary to attack

RAF Hornchurch Royal Air Force Hornchurch or RAF Hornchurch is a former Royal Air Force Royal Air Force station, sector station in the parish of Hornchurch, Essex (now the London Borough of Havering in Greater London), located to the southeast of Romford. The a ...

on the Essex shore: the raid was broken up by 28 and 37 AA Bde, and then the fighters of

attacked. Follow-up raids were marked for the fighters by 'pointer' rounds of HAA fire. On 1 September over 200 German aircraft attacked

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it wi ...

, Biggin Hill, Kenley and Chatham; operating in coordination with the fighters, the guns broke up the formations and claimed four aircraft shot down, but the airfields at Biggin Hill and Kenley were badly hit. Next day a mass raid arrived over the Medway and flew up the Thames towards Hornchurch. They came under heavy fire from the 3.7s and 4.5s of 28 and 37 AA Bdes and 15 were claimed as shot down before the fighters took over. On 7 September heavy raids up the estuary attacked oil wharves at Thameshaven,

Tilbury Docks The Port of Tilbury is a port on the River Thames at Tilbury in Essex, England. It is the principal port for London, as well as being the main United Kingdom port for handling the importation of paper. There are extensive facilities for contai ...

and Woolwich Arsenal: a total of 25 German aircraft were claimed by AA guns and fighters.Routledge, pp. 385–6. In addition to aircraft shot down claimed by the gunners, they caused many losses to German aircraft which went unseen from the British side. For example, on 28 July two Junkers 88 from the same German formation were damaged over the Thames Estury by anti-aircraft fire but managed to return to occupied Europe; however, both crashed on landing and were written off. Almost all the crew of both aircraft were killed or wounded. One of the lessons the Germans learnt during the Battle of Britain was that day bombers needed to fly in tight formation for mutual protection against fighters. However, the tighter formations made easier targets for ground based guns and were more vulnerable to AA fire. On 8 September a formation of 15

Dornier Do 17 The Dornier Do 17 is a twin-engined light bomber produced by Dornier Flugzeugwerke for the German Luftwaffe during World War II. Designed in the early 1930s as a '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") intended to be fast enough to outrun opposing a ...

s flew along the Thames at 15,000 feet. The opening salvo from a troop of four 3.7-inch guns of 28 AA Bde brought down the three leading aircraft and scattered the others in disorder; they jettisoned their bombs as they escaped. On 15 September, remembered as the zenith of the battle, the guns of 28 AA Bde were in prolonged combat, engaging German aircraft over Chatham in the morning, and again in the afternoon.Farndale, p. 110. Overall, British anti-aircraft defences have been considered to have performed poorly during the Battle of Britain. They have been compared unfavourably with similar German efforts of the same period. General

Frederick Pile General (United Kingdom), General Sir Frederick Alfred Pile, 2nd Baronet, (14 September 1884 – 14 November 1976) was a senior British Army officer who served in both World Wars. In the Second World War he was General Officer Commanding An ...

, General Officer Commanding

Anti-Aircraft Command Anti-Aircraft Command (AA Command, or "Ack-Ack Command") was a British Army command of the Second World War that controlled the Territorial Army anti-aircraft artillery and searchlight formations and units defending the United Kingdom. Origin ...

, felt that his most effective weapon was the LAA

Bofors gun AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms concern BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years. History Located i ...

, which was in short supply; as was the

Kerrison Predictor The Kerrison Predictor was one of the first fully automated anti-aircraft fire-control systems. It was used to automate the aiming of the British Army's Bofors 40 mm guns and provide accurate lead calculations through simple inputs on three main ...

, the only fully automated anti-aircraft fire-control system available for low and intermediate level anti-aircraft fire. For HAA guns, gun laying radar was not yet operational. The larger guns also suffered from a lack of operational mobility, being mostly sited in fixed concrete emplacements.

The Blitz

After 15 September the intensity of ''Luftwaffe'' day raids declined rapidly, and it began a prolonged night bombing campaign over London and industrial towns known as

. This meant that 28 Bde was in action night after night from 7 October 1940 to the end of May 1941 as the bomber streams approached the London Inner Artillery Zone (IAZ). British night air defences were in a poor state. Few guns had fire-control systems, and the underpowered searchlights were usually ineffective against aircraft at altitudes above .Hooton 1997, p. 33. In July 1940, only 1,200 heavy and 549 light guns were deployed in the whole of Britain. Of the "heavies", some 200 were of the obsolescent type; the remainder were the effective and guns, with a theoretical "ceiling"' of over but a practical limit of because the predictor in use could not accept greater heights. The light guns, about half of which were of the excellent

Bofors 40 mm Bofors 40 mm gun is a name or designation given to two models of 40 mm calibre anti-aircraft guns designed and developed by the Swedish company Bofors: *Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun - developed in the 1930s, widely used in World War II and into the 1990s ...

, dealt with aircraft only up to . Although the use of the guns improved civilian morale, with the knowledge the German bomber crews were facing the barrage, it is now believed that the anti-aircraft guns achieved little and in fact the falling shell fragments caused more British casualties on the ground. At this time Thames South had a planned layout of 25 HAA sites (of which only 16 were occupied), controlled from a Gun Operations Room (GOR) at Chatham. It ran from Dartford to Chatham, where there was a strongly defended area containing the naval dockyards at Chatham and Sheerness and the aircraft factory at

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

. 28 AA Bde was so stretched that 6 AA Division gave responsibility for LAA cover for Vulnerable Points (VPs) at Crayford, Northfleet, Rochester and the

Isle of Grain Isle of Grain (Old English ''Greon'', meaning gravel) is a village and the easternmost point of the Hoo Peninsula within the district of Medway in Kent, south-east England. No longer an island and now forming part of the peninsula, the area i ...

to 56 LAA Bde. The searchlight layout in Thames South had the dual role of assisting both AA guns and night fighters. As the Blitz continued, the number of HAA guns increased and they became more effective: an average of 20,000 shells were fired each German bomber shot down in September 1940; this reduced to 4,087 in January 1941; and to 2,963 shells per kill in February 1941. This was aided by the deployment of more radar and searchlights and more effective use of them.

Operational research

One of the operational sites in Thames South, TS21, was taken over by AA Command's Operational Research Group to combat-test and develop new technologies coming forward such as gun-laying (GL) radar and searchlight control (SLC) Radar. Improved GL Mark I E/F sets began to appear in November 1940, replacing sound-location for HAA sites, and the number of rounds that were fired on average for each "kill" began to fall. The GL radar was also effective in providing target heights for fighters, and the SL batteries were able to pass these to the night fighter controllers at RAF Kenley.

Order of Battle, Winter 1940–41

On 15 September 1940, 89th HAA Rgt was relieved of operational duties and ordered to prepare to move overseas. It sailed on 15 December for

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

; its batteries later fought in the

Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (german: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, el, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (german: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island ...

and the Siege of Tobruk. On 24 November 1940, 75th HAA Regiment was transferred to 62 AA Bde to defend the North Midlands, but 28 AA Bde was strengthened by 90th HAA and 4th LAA regiments: * 90th HAA Regiment, RA (TA). ''HAA Regiment raised at

Southgate, London Southgate is a suburban area of North London, England in the London Borough of Enfield. It is located around north of Charing Cross. The name is derived from being the south gate to Enfield Chase. History Southgate was originally the ''South ...

in April 1939.'' ** 272, 284, 285 Batteries In February 1941, 53 (City of London) HAA Regiment moved to

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

and was transferred to the command of 48 AA Bde.

Mid-War

During 1942 more of the brigade's experienced units were transferred to

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

(WO) control, trained and equipped for mobile warfare, and then sent to active theatres overseas, particularly for Operation Torch in

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

. Sometimes they returned temporarily to AA Command while awaiting embarkation. Increasingly, the replacement HAA and support units were "Mixed", indicating that the operational personnel included women of the

(ATS). A reorganisation of AA Command in October 1942 saw the AA divisions disbanded and replaced by a smaller number of AA Groups more closely aligned with the organisation of

RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Brita ...

. 28 AA Brigade came under a new 1 AA Group covering London and the Thames Estuary.

Order of Battle 1941–43

During this period the brigade was composed as follows (temporary attachments omitted):The National Archives, Kew
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 1 October 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/82.The National Archives, Kew
Order of Battle of AA Command, 1 August 1943, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/84. * 55th (Kent) HAA Rgt ''to WO control Spring 1942, then to

Persia and Iraq Command The Persia and Iraq Command was a command of the British Army established during the Second World War in September 1942 in Baghdad. Its primary role was to secure from land and air attack the oilfields and oil installations in Persia (officially ...

(PAIFORCE)''The National Archives, Kew
Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional units), 2 April 1942, TNA file WO 212/515. ** 163, 166, 307 HAA Btys ** 308 HAA Bty ''left June 1941; became an independent battery in

West Africa Command West Africa Command was a Command of the British Army. Conflicting information indicates that the command was either based at Achimota College in Accra or in Nigeria. It was disbanded in 1956. History After the First World War, military forces in ...

'' ** 418 HAA Bty ''joined July 1941'' * 58th (Kent) HAA Rgt ''to 9 AA Division Autumn 1941'' ** 206, 207, 208, 264 HAA Btys ** 419 HAA Bty ''joined July 1941'' * 59th (Essex Regiment) HAA Rgt ''from 37 AA Bde in 6 AA Division Autumn 1941, to 8 AA Division December 1941'' ** 164, 167, 265, 418 HAA Btys * 60th (City of London) HAA Rgt ''joined by October, left to become unbrigaded mobile unit by November 1942'' ** 168, 169, 206 HAA Btys * 72nd (Hampshire) HAA Rgt ''joined January 1942; to WO control by May 1942, returned by October, then to Operation Torch December 1942''Joslen, p. 465.Routledge, Tables XXX–XXXII, pp. 188–90. ** 217, 218, 393 HAA Btys * 76th (Gloucestershire) HAA Rgt ''joined June, left July 1942, later in Operation Torch'' ** 236, 237, 349 HAA Btys * 85th (Tees) HAA Rgt ''joined Autumn 1941; left June 1942, later in Operation Torch'' ** 174, 175, 220, 413 HAA Btys * 90 HAA Rgt ''unbrigaded July 1942, then to 71 AA Bde in 6 AA Division September 1942'' ** 272, 384, 285, 394 HAA Btys * 127th HAA Rgt ''new unit formed August 1941, joined Autumn 1941, to 71 Bde June 1942, returned by October 1942; left May 1943''Farndale, Annex M. p. 347 ** 162 HAA Bty ''to WO control April 1942, then to

East Africa Command East Africa Command was a Command of the British Army. Until 1947 it was under the direct control of the Army Council and thereafter it became the responsibility of Middle East Command. It was disbanded on 11 December 1963, the day before Kenya bec ...

'' ** 396, 411, 433 HAA Btys ** 422 HAA Bty ''from 75 HAA Rgt, 37 AA Bde, April 1942'' * 128th HAA Rgt ''joined by November 1942; left April 1943'' ** 287, 407 HAA Btys ** 309 HAA Bty ''attached to 5 AA Bde in 6 AA Division'' ** 436 HAA Bty ''attached to 5 AA Group'' * 148th (Mixed) HAA Rgt ''joined April 1943'' ** 624, 628, 629 (M) HAA Btys ** 631, 633 (M) HAA Btys ''joined October 1943'' * 159th (Mixed) HAA Rgt ''new unit formed May 1942, joined by October 1942; left October 1943'' ** 542, 543 (M) HAA Btys * 169th (Mixed) HAA Rgt ''joined October 1943'' ** 566, 571, 576, 578 (M) HAA Btys * 4th (Ulster) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment '' Supplementary Reserve regiment formed from 3rd (Ulster) Searchlight Regiment, which had served in France with the British Expeditionary Force and had been evacuated (without equipment) from Dunkirk;4 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45.
/ref> to 56 AA Bde by May 1942'' * 16th LAA Rgt ''from 56 LAA Bde Spring 1941, to WO Reserve July 1941; later to Middle East Command''The National Archives, Kew
Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional units), 25 March 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/5. ** 45, 46, 83 LAA Btys * 43rd LAA Rgt ''joined July, left December 1941, later to Ceylon'' ** 147, 148, 198 LAA Btys * 49th LAA Rgt ''from 6 AA Bde in 6 AA Division June 1942; to 78th Infantry Division July 1942'' ** 84, 90, 280, 298 LAA Btys * 69th LAA Rgt ''new unit formed December 1940, joined Spring 1941, to 56 AA Bde January 1942'' ** 199, 206, 207 LAA Btys * 129th (1st Surrey Rifles) LAA Rgt ''joined June 1942, to 71 AA Bde September 1942'' ** 425, 426, 427, 455 LAA Btys * 132nd LAA Rgt ''from 71 AA Bde July 1942'' ** 436 HAA Bty ''Attached to 38 AA Bde'' ** 437, 438, 439 LAA Btys * 143rd LAA Rgt ''new unit formed October 1942; left by March 1943'' ** 403, 410, 413, 484 LAA Btys * 12th (Mixed) AA 'Z' Rgt ''

Z Battery A Z Battery was a short range anti-aircraft weapon system, launching diameter rockets from ground-based single and multiple launchers, for the air defence of Great Britain in the Second World War. The rocket motors were later adapted with a ...

AA rocket unit joined from 56 AA Bde January 1942; left November 1943'' ** 111, 126 Z Btys ''left by November 1942'' ** 124 Z Bty ''attached to 71 AA Bde; left January 1943'' ** 178 Z Bty ** 196, 211 Z Btys ''joined by December 1942; attached to 37 AA Bde'' ** 232 Z Bty ''joined January 1943'' After this rapid turnover, the brigade only had three units under command by the end of 1943:The National Archives, Kew
Order of Battle of AA Command, 27 April 1944, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/85. * 148th (M) HAA Rgt ** 624, 629, 631, 633 (M) HAA Btys * 169th (M) HAA Rgt ** 566, 571, 576, 578 (M) HAA Btys * 132nd LAA Rgt ** 436, 437, 438 LAA Btys By March 1944 AA Command was releasing manpower for the planned Allied invasion of continental Europe and 90th HAA and 4th LAA Regiments joined Second Army to prepare for the Normandy Landings ( Operation Overlord). Although many regiments were reduced by one or more batteries, there were few other changes to the brigade's order of battle in the early part of 1944: * 97th LAA Rgt: joined May 1944, left July 1944. ** 232, 301, 480 LAA Btys * 144th LAA Rgt: joined by October1944. ** 414, 431 LAA Btys By October 1944, the brigade's HQ establishment was 9 officers, 8 male other ranks and 24, female, members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), together with a small number of attached drivers, cooks and mess orderlies (male and female). In addition the brigade had a Mixed signal office section of 1 officer, 5 male other ranks and 19 ATS, which was formally part of the Group signal unit. V1london

Operation Diver

The ''Luftwaffe'' began a new bombing campaign against London in early 1944 (the

Baby Blitz Operation Steinbock (german: Unternehmen Steinbock), sometimes called the Baby Blitz, was a strategic bombing campaign by the German Air Force (the Luftwaffe) during the Second World War. It targeted southern England and lasted from January to M ...

). By now the night fighter defences, the London Inner Artillery Zone and Thames Estuary defences were well organised and the attackers suffered heavy losses for relatively small results. More significant were the

, codenamed "Divers", which began to be launched against London from northern France soon after D-Day. These presented AA Command's biggest challenge since the Blitz. Defences had been planned against this new form of attack (

), but it presented a severe problem for AA guns. Anti-aircraft gunners found that such small fast-moving targets were very difficult to hit. The cruising altitude of the V-1, between , was just above the effective range of light anti-aircraft guns, and just below the optimum engagement height of heavier guns. The altitude and speed were more than the rate of traverse of the standard British QF 3.7-inch mobile gun could cope with. The static version of the QF 3.7-inch, designed for use on a permanent, concrete platform, had a faster traverse. The cost and delay of installing new permanent platforms for the guns was avoided by the use of temporary platforms devised by the

REME The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is a corps of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's Professional Engineers". History Prior to REME's for ...

and made from railway sleepers and rails. This was found to be adequate for the static guns, making them considerably easier to re-deploy as the V-1 threat changed. They were known as 'Pile Platforms' after General Pile. After two weeks' experience of the V1 threat AA Command carried out a major reorganisation, stripping guns from the London IAZ and other parts of the UK and repositioning them along the south coast. In total 600 guns, 23,000 crew and support personnel and over 30,000 tons of ammunition were moved to the south coast in three days. Here they targeted V-1s coming in over the English Channel, where a downed V-1 would cause no damage.Routledge pp. 408–21. The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H40431

The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H40431

As the launching sites were overrun by 21st Army Group, the ''Luftwaffe'' switched to air-launching V-1s over the North Sea, resulting in another redeployment for 1 AA Group, this time to the east of London. New HAA sites had to be quickly established, with new Pile Platforms' being built and thousands of huts moved and re-erected to shelter the crews as winter approached. During this phase of Operation Diver there were over 2,600 light and heavy AA guns along the coast of East Anglia between Newhaven and Deal, the "Diver Belt", and 850 to the east of London in the "Diver Box". 28 AA Bde was part of the latter group.Ellis, p. 231 The Germans responded by launching V1s from further to the north, in order to bypass the Diver defences. AA Command hurriedly set up the "Diver Strip" between Clacton and Great Yarmouth, and formed a new 9 AA Group to take over the Diver defences in East Anglia. 28 AA Bde moved to this new formation in December 1944, giving up its previous units and taking over fresh ones. The establishment of the Diver Strip included the establishment of permanent sites for 64 heavy guns, using Pile Platforms, constructing 60 miles of new roads to take heavy traffic and set up 3,500 Nissen huts. These necessitated the use of 150,000 tons of hard core, 500,000 concrete blocks and 20,000 panes of glass, among much other material. The setting up of the Diver Strip did not run as smoothly as earlier redeployments. General Pile reported move as "chaotic" and "deplorable and the attitude of staff as having "a general lassitude" and being "panicky". Nevertheless, the East Anglian defences as a whole were successful, less than 6% of air-launched V1s hit London.Atkinson p. 110–11 During the entire V1 campaign 10,492 V1s were targeted at London; 4,000 were destroyed by the various Diver defences, anti-aircraft guns, fighters and balloons, and 2,400 landed within greater London. At this time, its order of battle was: The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H40794

The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H40794

* 129th (M) HAA Rgt ** 444, 445, 454 (M) HAA Btys * 138th HAA Rgt ''joined March–April 1945'' ** 419, 424, 437 HAA Btys * 141st (M) HAA Rgt ** 486, 490, 493 (M) HAA Btys * 131st LAA Rgt ''left by February 1945'' ** 432, 433, 434 LAA Btys

Postwar

9 AA Group was disbanded after

VE Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

and 28 AA Bde returned to 1 AA Group with 129th and 141st (Mixed) HAA Rgts. With the end of the war in Europe, AA units and formations began to be

demobilised Demobilization or demobilisation (see spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and milita ...

, but 28 AA Bde was joined by 130th (Queen's Edinburgh

Royal Scots The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regime ...

) LAA Rgt (406, 407, 428 LAA Btys) from October 1945 until its disbandment in March 1946. 129th and 141st HAA Regiments were formally disbanded on 1 January 1947. When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, the Thames and Medway AA Brigade's Regular Army units reformed 7 AA Bde while the TA portion was renumbered as 54 (Thames & Medway) AA Brigade. Once again, it had the two Kent HAA regiments under its command, now renumbered 455 and 458 rather than 55 and 58. It also had 564 Searchlight Regiment, the prewar 29 (Kent) Searchlight Regiment. It was based at Gillingham, Kent, and was subordinate to 1 AA Group. However, 54 AA Bde was disbanded the following year, completely disappearing in September 1948.

Footnotes

Notes

References

* * * * Gen Sir

Martin Farndale General Sir Martin Baker Farndale, (6 January 1929 – 10 May 2000) was a British Army officer who reached high office in the 1980s. Military career Educated at Yorebridge Grammar School, Askrigg, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Farnd ...

, ''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, . * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol II, Wakefield, Microform Academic, 1984, . * Gaskin, M.J. ''Blitz: The Story of the 29th December 1940''. Faber and Faber, London. 2006. * * Joslen, Lt-Col H.F. ''Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, . * Litchfield,Norman E.H. ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, . * Pile, Sir Frederick (1956), ''Ack-Ack: Britain's Defence against Air Attack during the Second World War'', Stafford: Hamilton * Price, Alfred (1980), The Hardest Day: 18 August 1940, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, * Ray, John. ''The Night Blitz: 1940–1941''. Cassell Military, London. 1996. * * Routledge, Brig N.W. ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, . * ''Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army'', London: War Office, 7 November 1927. {{British anti-aircraft brigades of the Second World War Military units and formations established in 1935 Air defence brigades of the British Army Anti-Aircraft brigades of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1948 Military units and formations in Kent