The 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army from 1936 until 1955, which defended

Tyneside Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt. The population of Tyneside as publishe ...

and

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

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 ...

Origins

The formation was raised as 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Group on 1 November 1936 at

forming part of 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division. Its initial order of battle was as follows:Frederick, pp. 1048–50. * 62nd (North and East Riding) Anti-Aircraft Brigade,

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) – ''Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) unit formed in 1936 by conversion of 73rd (Northumbrian) Field Brigade, RA'' ** HQ at

Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south- ...

** 172nd (1st East Riding) AA Battery ** 173rd (2nd East Riding) AA Battery ** 174th (1st North Riding) AA Battery ** 175th (2nd North Riding) AA Battery * 63rd (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade RA – ''HAA unit formed in 1936 by conversion of 55th (Northumbrian) Medium Brigade, RA'' ** HQ at Sunderland ** 176th (Durham) AA Battery ** 177th (Durham) AA Battery ** 178th (Durham) AA Battery * 64th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade RA – ''HAA unit formed in 1936 by conversion of batteries originally from Tynemouth Heavy Brigade RA'' ** HQ at

North Shields North Shields () is a town in the Borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is north-east of Newcastle upon Tyne and borders nearby Wallsend and Tynemouth. Since 1974, it has been in the North Tyneside borough of Tyne and Wea ...

** 179th (Tynemouth) AA Battery converted from 150 Heavy Battery ** 180th (Tynemouth) AA Battery converted from 152 Heavy Battery ** 268th (Durham) AA Battery raised 1939 * 37th (Tyne) Anti-Aircraft Battalion (Tyne Electrical Engineers),

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is head ...

(RE) – ''Searchlight unit formed in 1936 by expansion of 307 (Tyne) AA S/L Coy RE ( Tyne Electrical Engineers'') ** HQ at

Tynemouth Tynemouth () is a coastal town in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, North East England. It is located on the north side of the mouth of the River Tyne, hence its name. It is 8 mi (13 km) east-northeast of Newcastle upon Tyn ...

** 307th, 308th, 348th, 349th AA Companies * 47th (The Durham Light Infantry) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE – ''Searchlight unit formed in 1936 by conversion of 7th Battalion

Durham Light Infantry The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1968. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and t ...

''Litchfield pp 54–7. ** HQ at Sunderland ** 386th, 387th, 388th, 389th AA Companies In 1938 the RA replaced its traditional unit designation 'Brigade' by the modern 'Regiment', which allowed the 'AA Groups' to take the more usual formation title of 'Brigades'. Brig F.C. Chaytor, OBE, MC, was appointed brigade commander on 1 November 1938.''Monthly Army List May 1939''

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 ...

was formed in April 1939 to control all the TA's AA units and formations. 30th AA Brigade transferred to the new 7th AA Division when that was formed in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

in June 1939. As AA Command continued to expand, 62nd AA Regiment and 47th Searchlight Battalion moved to other brigades in 7 AA Division and were replaced by newly formed units.

Second World War

Mobilisation

On the outbreak of war 30th AA Brigade was mobilised to defend its home area of Tyneside and Sunderland, with the following order of battle: * 63rd (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery – ''as above'' * 64th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery – ''as above'' * 87th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery – ''HAA unit formed at

Hebburn Hebburn is a town in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It governed under the borough of South Tyneside; formerly governed under the county of Durham until 1974 with its own urban district from 1894 until 1974. It is on the sou ...

May 1939'' * 37th (Tyne Electrical Engineers) AA Battalion RE – ''as above'' *

5th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (53rd Searchlight Regiment) The 2nd Northumberland Rifle Volunteer Corps, also referred to as the Tynemouth Rifles, was an infantry unit of Britain's part-time force, the Territorial Army. The corps was raised during the expansion of the Volunteer movement in the 1850s and ...

– ''searchlight unit formed at Walker-on-Tyne in 1938 by conversion of infantry battalion'' Early in 1940, 37th (TEE) AA Bn left to join the British Expeditionary Force in France. It was one of the last units to be evacuated, from

Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire (; ; Gallo: ''Saint-Nazère/Saint-Nazaer'') is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France, in traditional Brittany. The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Ocea ...

two weeks after the main

Dunkirk evacuation The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo and also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, or just Dunkirk, was the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allies of World War II, Allied soldiers during the World War II, Second World War from the bea ...

. In 1940, RA regiments equipped with 3-inch, 3.7-inch or 4.5-inch AA guns were designated Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) to distinguish them from the new Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) regiments, and RE AA battalions were transferred to the RA and designated Searchlight regiments.

The Blitz

Order of Battle 1940–41

During

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 ...

, 30th Anti-Aircraft Brigade comprised both HAA and LAA artillery while the searchlight units in the area were controlled by 57th Anti-Aircraft Brigade:Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 212/79. * 63rd (Northumbrian) HAA Regt – ''as above'' ** 176, 177, 178, 269 HAA Btys * 64th (Northumbrian) HAA Regt – ''as above'' ** 179, 180, 268 HAA Btys ** 431 Bty (joined Summer 1941) * 37th (Tyne Electrical Engineers) LAA Regt – ''duplicate of 37 AA Battalion RE (see above), organised on 28 August 1939 as an LAA Regiment RA; left July 1941'' ** 123, 127, 222 LAA Btys * 38th LAA Rgt (part) – ''new unit raised on 28 August 1939 in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four co ...

; shared with 10th AA Division'' * 68th LAA Regt – ''new unit formed December 1940, joined by February 1941'' ** 203, 204, 205 LAA Btys * 7th AA Z Rgt – ''new unit raised in September 1940, equipped with

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 ...

rocket launchers''Farndale, Annex M. ** 106, 109, 110, 117 Z Btys

Mid-war

As the war progressed, many experienced prewar AA units were deployed overseas and replaced in Home Forces by newer units, often 'mixed' units including personnel from 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 ...

or members of the

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting w ...

. 37 LAA Regt went first to Palestine in April 1942 and then moved on to

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 ...

; 63 HAA Regt went to

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

in May 1942;Joslen, p. 520. 38 LAA Regt went to North Africa in August 1942 and 64 HAA Regt to

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

in May 1943. 68 LAA Regiment joined

59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division The 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was formed during the Second World War and fought in the Battle of Normandy. In March 1939, after Germany re-emerged as a significant military power ...

in April 1943 and served with it during the

Normandy Campaign Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

Order of Battle 1941–42

During this period the brigade was composed as follows: * 63rd (Northumbrian) HAA Rgt – ''left for

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 December 1941 preparatory to embarking for

''Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional units), 2 April 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/515. * 64th (Northumbrian) HAA Rgt – ''left April 1942 preparatory to joining Operation Torch'' * 135th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in October 1941'' ** 466, 467, 473 (M) HAA Btys * 136th HAA Rgt – ''joined from 2nd AA Division April 1942; returned to 2nd AA Division June 1942'' ** 182, 198, 409, 432 HAA Btys * 146th HAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in January 1942; left May 1942'' ** 176, 339, 414, 465 HAA Btys * 153rd (Mixed) HAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in March 1942'' ** 509, 521 (M) HAA Btys * 37th (TEE) LAA Rgt – ''left for Middle East Forces June 1941'' * 50th LAA Rgt – ''left for 6th AA Division February 1942'' ** 58, 93, 245 LAA Btys * 68th LAA Rgt – ''to 43 AA Bde by May 1942'' ** 203, 204, 278 LAA Btys * 124th (Highland) LAA Rgt – ''converted from 51st S/L Rgt and joined May 1942'' ** 404, 411, 412, 413 LAA Btys * 7th AA Z Rgt – ''to 43 AA Bde February 1942'' * 30 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section (part of No 1 Company, 7 AA Division Mixed Signal Unit,

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield commun ...

)

Reorganisation

On 30 September 1942 the AA Divisions and Corps were dissolved and 30th Anti-Aircraft Brigade came under a new 6 AA Group covering Scotland and North East England and aligned with No. 13 Group RAF.Palmer, ''History''.
/ref>Sir Frederick Pile's despatch.
/ref>Routledge, p. 399.

Order of Battle 1942–44

Under the new command structure, 30 AA Bde had the following composition:Order of Battle of AA Command, 1 August 1943, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/84. * 122nd HAA Rgt – ''from

Orkney Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...

and

Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

Defences (OSDEF) February 1944'' ** 397, 400, 401, 455 HAA Btys * 130th (M) HAA Rgt – ''from 42 AA Bde Summer 1943'' ** 442, 443, 448, 449 (M) HAA Btys * 135th (M) HAA Rgt – ''left Summer 1943'' ** 466, 467, 473, 494 HAA Btys ** 547 HAA Bty – ''joined November 1942'' * 149th (M) HAA Rgt – ''from 4 AA Group Summer 1943'' ** 506, 507, 512, 581 (M) HAA Btys * 153rd (M) HAA Rgt ** 509, 521 (M) HAA Btys ** 513, 544 (M) HAA Btys – ''joined December 1942'' * 170th (M) HAA Rgt – ''from 42 AA Bde April 1943; left Summer 1943'' ** 528, 554 567, 568 (M) HAA Btys * 124th LAA Rgt – ''to 2 AA Group by March 1943'' * 53rd (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) S/L Rgt ** 408, 409, 410, 565 S/L Btys * 21st (M) AA 'Z' Rgt – ''new unit formed December 1942, joined April 1943'' ** 109, 110, 213 (M) Z Btys

Later war

In March 1944, 30 AA Bde HQ was transferred to 2 AA Group in

South East England South East England is one of the nine official regions of England at the ITL 1 statistical regions of England, first level of International Territorial Level, ITL for Statistics, statistical purposes. It consists of the counties of england, ...

. Here it had just two units under its command: * 183rd (Mixed) HAA Rgt ** 564, 591, 608, 640 (M) HAA Btys * 143rd LAA Rgt ** 403, 410, 413 LAA Btys

Order of Battle 1944–45

However, in April 1944 the brigade's reporting line changed again and it became part of 5 AA Group covering the East Coast and

East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Li ...

. A number of its former units returned to its command, and over succeeding months it exchanged units with other brigades in 2 and 5 AA Groups.Order of Battle of AA Command, 27 April 1944, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/85. * 122nd HAA Rgt – ''to 3 AA Group May 1944'' ** 397, 400, 401 HAA Btys * 129th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – ''from 43 AA Bde July, returned August 1944'' ** 444, 445, 454, 455 (M) HAA Btys * 130th (M) HAA Rgt – ''to 43 AA Bde September 1944'' ** 442, 443, 448, 449 (M) HAA Btys * 149th (M) HAA Rgt ** 506, 507, 512 (M) HAA Btys * 151st (Mixed) HAA Rgt – ''from 41 AA Bde August 1944'' ** 510, 511, 514, 516 (M) HAA Btys * 158th (Mixed) HAA Rgt ** 540, 541, 572 (M) HAA Btys ** 548 (M) HAA Bty – ''disbanded December 1944'' * 183rd (Mixed) HAA Rgt – ''from 71 AA Bde November 1944'' ** 564, 591, 608, 640 (M) HAA Btys * 187th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – ''from 57 AA Bde October 1944'' ** 626, 644, 645 (M) HAA Btys * 128th LAA Rgt – ''from 3 AA Group November 1944'' ** 421, 422, 423 LAA Btys * 7 AA Area Mixed Rgt – ''from 43 AA Bde July 1944'' ** 106, 117, 228, 229 (M) Z Btys * 21 AA Area Mixed Rgt ** 109, 110, 213 (M) Z Btys By October 1944, the brigade's HQ establishment was 9 officers, 8 male other ranks and 25 members of the 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.

War's end

By the end of 1944,

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...

was suffering a severe manpower shortage, particularly among the infantry, and AA Command was forced to disband several regiments and batteries, and release their personnel. At the same time 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 ...

was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious air attacks on the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

could be discounted, so the

began to convert surplus AA regiments into infantry battalions, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties in North West Europe, thereby releasing trained infantry for frontline service. Being stationed in Eastern England, still threatened by

V-1 flying bomb The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Ministry of Aviation (Nazi Germany), Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buz ...

s air-launched from the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

, 30 AA Brigade was less affected by these changes. Nevertheless, in January 1945, 128th LAA Rgt was converted into 628th Infantry Rgt, RA, and went to Europe, while 183rd (M) HAA Rgt was sent to

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

to defend that city against bombardment by V-1s.

Order of Battle 1945

From mid-February 1945 until the end of the war, 30 AA Bde had the following composition: * 130th (M) HAA Rgt – ''returned June 1945'' * 144th (M) HAA Rgt – ''joined June 1945'' ** 497, 498, 503 (M) HAA Btys ** 504 (M) HAA Bty – ''disbanded July 1945'' * 151 (M) HAA Rgt * 158 (M) HAA Rgt * 147th (Glasgow) LAA Rgt – ''detached to 41 AA Bde for agricultural work summer 1945'' ** 492, 493, 495 LAA Btys * 7 AA Area Mixed Rgt – ''disbanded April 1945'' * 21 AA Area Mixed Rgt – ''disbanded April 1945'' * 10 AA Area Maintenance HQ – ''joined May 1945''

Postwar

When the TA was reformed in 1947, 30th Anti-Aircraft Brigade's Regular Army units reformed 8 AA Bde at Newcastle, while the TA portion was renumbered a 56th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, with its HQ at Washington, Co Durham, and the following order of battle:AA Bdes 67–106 at British Army units 1945 on.
/ref> * 325 (Sunderland) LAA Rgt at Sunderland – ''formerly 125 (Northumbrian) Anti-Tank Regt'' * 463 (Durham) HAA Rgt at Sunderland – ''formerly 63 (Northumbrian) HAA Regt (above) *485 (Tees) HAA Rgt at

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...

– ''formerly 85 (Tees) HAA Regt'' * 589 (Durham Light Infantry) S/L Rgt at

Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees, often simply referred to as Stockton, is a market town in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, England. It is on the northern banks of the River Tees, part of the Teesside built-up area. The town had an estimated ...

– ''formerly 54th (Durham Light Infantry) S/L Rgt'' * 590 (Durham Light Infantry) LAA/SL Rgt at Stockton – ''formerly 113th (Durham Light Infantry) LAA Rgt'' * 654 LAA Regt at Bishop Auckland – ''newly raised'' The brigade was part of 3rd Anti-Aircraft Group with its headquarters in Edinburgh. 654 LAA Regt was placed in suspended animation in May 1949, and 325 LAA Regt merged into another unit in January 1954. Then on 1 March 1954, 56th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade HQ was disbanded at

Seaburn Seaburn is a seaside resort and northeastern suburb of Sunderland, North East England. The village of Whitburn borders the area to the north. To the west and south-west is Fulwell and to the south the coastal resort of Roker. Virtually all of ...

, Sunderland. In 1955 AA Command was disbanded and the air defence of the UK was reorganised. A new 30th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was formed as a TA HQ from the Regular Army's 1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade, based at

Edenbridge, Kent Edenbridge is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. Its name derives from Old English ''Eadhelmsbrigge'' (meaning "Eadhelm's Bridge"). It is located on the border of Kent and Surrey, on the upper floodplain of the ...

, with no connection with Northumbria. It included 258th (Sussex Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery and 265th, 431st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 458th (Kent) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA, 565th & 570th LAA Regiments. It remained unchanged until several amalgamations and re-rolings in May 1961. The brigade disbanded on 1 May 1961.

Footnotes

Notes

References

Basil Collier, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1957.
* Major L.F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West'', Vol II: ''The Defeat of Germany'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, . * 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, Farnda ...

, ''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, . * * * Norman E.H. Litchfield, ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, .
Robert Palmer, 'AA Command History and Personnel' at British Military History.

Sir Frederick Pile's despatch: "The Anti-Aircraft Defence of the United Kingdom from 28th July, 1939, to 15th April, 1945" ''London Gazette'' 18 December 1947.
* Brig N.W. Routledge, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, .

External sources

British Military History

British Army units from 1945 on

Orbat.com

Orders of Battle at Patriot Files

The Royal Artillery 1939–45
{{British anti-aircraft brigades of the Second World War Military units and formations established in 1936 Air defence brigades of the British Army Anti-Aircraft brigades of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations in Northumberland Military units and formations in County Durham Military units and formations in Sunderland Military units and formations disestablished in 1954