The 37th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) formed just before the outbreak of 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 opposin ...

. It was engaged in defending 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 ...

during the war, and continued to form part of

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 ...

in the postwar era.

Origin

As international tensions rose in the late 1930s, Britain's Anti-Aircraft (AA) defences were strengthened with new

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) regiments. 37th AA Brigade was raised on 1 May 1938, with its HQ at

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

in North London, to control some of these AA units in the London area. It was commanded by

Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

Edward William Gravatt Wilson, MC, appointed 29 September 1938, who after he left in 1940 went on to be AA Defence Commander (AADC) Egypt.Frederick, pp. 1048–51. In 1939 37th AA Brigade joined the newly formed 6th AA Division based at

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxbrid ...

, which had responsibility for air defence of the

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 G ...

and North

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 the approaches to London.

Order of Battle 1939

On formation, 37th AA Bde had the following composition: * 59th (The Essex Regiment) AA Regiment, RA – ''converted in 1935 from 5th Bn

Essex Regiment The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...

''Litchfield, pp. 70–1. ** HQ at

Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a large town in East London, east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London and the Historic counties of England, ancient county of Essex. Situated northeast of Chari ...

** 164th Anti-Aircraft Battery at Walthamstow ** 167th Anti-Aircraft Battery at

Leyton Leyton () is a town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It borders Walthamstow to the north, Leytonstone to the east, and Stratford to the south, with Clapton, Hackney Wick and Homerton, across the River L ...

** 265th Anti-Aircraft Battery at

Whipps Cross Whipps Cross is an area of the districts of Leytonstone and Walthamstow in the London Borough of Waltham Forest in London, England. It is most famous for Whipps Cross University Hospital. The area The name Whipps Cross specifically applies to t ...

– ''newly-raised before 3 September 1939'' * 61st (Middlesex) AA Regiment, RA – ''converted in 1935 from 11th Battalion, the London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles)''Litchfield, pp. 177–8. ** 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 o ...

** 170th Anti-Aircraft Battery at

Finchley Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. Finchley is on high ground, north of Charing Cross. Nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, Mill Hill and H ...

** 171st Anti-Aircraft Battery at Pentonville ** 195th Anti-Aircraft Battery at Finchley – ''newly-raised before 3 September 1939'' * 79th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) AA Regiment, RA – ''converted in 1938 from 343 (Watford) Field Battery from 86th (East Anglian) (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regt, RA)''79 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45.
/ref>Litchfield, p. 104. ** HQ at

Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...

** 246th (1st Watford) Anti-Aircraft Battery ** 247th (2nd Watford) Anti-Aircraft Battery ** 248th (Welwyn) Anti-Aircraft Battery at

Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...

* 82nd (Essex) AA Regiment, RA – ''raised in 1938'' ** HQ at

Barking Barking may refer to: Places * Barking, London, a town in East London, England ** London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, a local government district covering the town of Barking ** Municipal Borough of Barking, a historical local government dist ...

** 156th (Barking) Anti-Aircraft Battery – ''transferred from 52nd (London) AA Regiment, RA'' ** 193rd Anti-Aircraft Battery at

Leigh-on-Sea Leigh-on-Sea (), commonly referred to simply as Leigh, is a town and civil parish in the City of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. In 2011, it had a population of 22,509. Geography Leigh-on-Sea is on the northern ...

–''transferred from 59th (Essex) AA Regiment'' ** 256th (Barking) Anti-Aircraft Battery – ''newly raised before 3 September 1939'' * 37th AA Bde Company

Royal Army Service Corps The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and dom ...

Mobilisation

, which had been formed within the Territorial Army earlier in the year, mobilised in late August 1939 and was at its stations before war was declared on 3 September. By then, a further newly formed regiment had been added to 37th AA Bde's order of battle: * 90th AA Regiment, RA ** HQ 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 ...

** 272nd Anti-Aircraft Battery ** 284th Anti-Aircraft Battery ** 285th Anti-Aircraft Battery

Phoney War

37th AA Bde deployed and operated a layout from

Dagenham Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross. It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Forest ...

Thorpe Bay Thorpe Bay is an area of the city of Southend-on-Sea, in the City of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. located on the Thames Estuary. Thorpe Bay is situated within the Thorpe ward Ward may refer to: Division or un ...

in Essex, along the north side of the

, known as 'Thames North'. Thames North had a planned layout of 20 HAA sites, of which only half were occupied by September 1940. It also contained a number of Vital Points (VPs) where LAA guns were deployed, including

Purfleet Purfleet-on-Thames is a town in the Thurrock unitary authority, Essex, England. It is bordered by the A13 road to the north and the River Thames to the south and is within the easternmost part of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater Lond ...

( ammunition stores, including the entire AA ammunition supply for the London areaOsborne, p. 101.),

Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an ancie ...

( docks), Thameshaven and

Coryton Refinery Coryton Refinery was an oil refinery in Essex, England, on the estuary of the River Thames from central London, between Shell Haven Creek and Hole Haven Creek, which separates Canvey Island from the mainland. It was a part of the Port of Lond ...

(oil refineries), and a major fighter airfield at

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

. All equipment was short, especially 40 mm

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 ...

s for the LAA sites: Purfleet started the war with one quadruple

Vickers gun The Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a water-cooled .303 British (7.7 mm) machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army. The gun was operated by a three-man crew but typically required more men to move and o ...

, later receiving five Bofors batteries. 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 Germ ...

, but on the night of 22/23 November 1939 the HAA guns of 37 AA Bde ('Thames North') combined with those of 28 (Thames & Medway) AA Bde on the other bank of the river ('Thames South') to engage at least two enemy mine-laying aircraft that had strayed into the mouth of the Estuary. One wrecked aircraft was found on the marshes. On 26 December 1939, 79th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) HAA Rgt was ordered to prepare to proceed overseas as a Base Defence Regiment for the British Expeditionary Force. The regiment was withdrawn from AA Command on 16 January 1940 and in February and March it was deployed around

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...

. A fortnight after the

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 Allied soldiers during the Second World War from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the ...

, the regiment was evacuated from St Nazaire. It did not return to 37 AA Bde. In April 1940, 82nd (Essex) AA Rgt was detached from the brigade and served in the Norway Campaign; after evacuation from Norway it was sent to join the garrison of

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

. In the summer of 1940, all the RA units equipped with the older 3-inch or newer 3.7-inch AA guns were designated as Heavy AA (HAA) regiments to distinguish them from the newer Light AA (LAA) regiments appearing in the order of battle.

Battle of Britain

By 11 July 1940, the Thames North AA layout operated by 37 AA Bde had a total of 46 HAA guns ( 3.7-inch and 4.5-inch). The brigade was heavily engaged throughout the Battle of Britain. On 22 August, for example, a mass raid flew up the Thames Estuary to attack RAF Hornchurch on the Essex shore: the raid was broken up by 37 and 28 AA Bdes, and then the fighters 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 ...

attacked. Follow-up raids were marked for the fighters by 'pointer' rounds of HAA fire. On 2 September another 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 shot down before the fighters took over. On 7 September heavy raids up the estuary attacked oil wharves at Thameshaven, Tilbury Docks and Woolwich Arsenal: a total of 25 aircraft were destroyed by AA guns and fighters.Routledge, pp. 385–6. On 15 September, remembered as the climax of the battle, 220 bombers attacked London in the morning despite heavy casualties inflicted by the RAF fighters. More attacks came in the afternoon and the AA guns around London, particularly 37 AA Bde, were continuously in action. Between the guns and fighters, the ''

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 ...

'' lost 85 aircraft that day, an unsustainable rate of loss.Farndale, p. 110.

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 (

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 ...

). This meant that 37 AA Bde was in action night after night as the bomber streams approached the London Inner Artillery Zone, but even with the assistance of searchlights (S/Ls), the effectiveness of HAA fire and fighters was greatly diminished in the darkness.

Order of Battle 1940–41

During 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 ...

and subsequent

London 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 ...

, 37 AA Bde had the following order of battle. * 59 HAA Rgt – ''as above; to 28 AA Bde summer 1941'' * 61 HAA Rgt – ''as above; left summer 1941'' * 75th (Home Counties) (Cinque Ports) HAA Rgt, RA (part) – ''converted in 1938 from 59th (Home Counties) (Cinque Ports) Field Rgt, RA; to 10th AA Division Spring 1941; rejoined summer 1941'' ** HQ at

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

** 223rd (Kent) HAA Battery ** 224th (Cinque Ports) HAA Battery ** 306th HAA Battery ** 422 HAA Bty ''joined in Summer 1941'' * 121st HAA Rgt, RA – ''joined after February 1941; to 29 (East Anglian) AA Bde May 1941'' ** 385 HAA Bty ** 387, 388 HAA Btys – ''attached direct to 37 AA Bde'' * 17th LAA Rgt, RALitchfield, pp. 68–9. – ''to 12th AA Division Autumn 1941'' ** HQ at

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

** 48th LAA Battery at Chelsea ** 49th LAA Battery at

** 50th LAA Battery at

Shellhaven Shell Haven was a port on the north bank of the Thames Estuary at the eastern end of Thurrock, Essex, England and then an oil refinery. The refinery closed in 1999 and the site was purchased by DP World who received planning consent in May 20 ...

* 2nd LAA Rgt,

Royal Canadian Artillery , colors = The guns of the RCA themselves , colors_label = Colours , march = * Slow march: "Royal Artillery Slow March" * Quick march (dismounted parades): "British Grenadiers/The ...

– ''attached from

1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re Division du Canada'' ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short ...

assembling in the UK'' * 5th LAA Rgt, RCA – ''attached by February 1941, before joining

4th Canadian Division The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. The division was first created as a formation of the Canadian Corps during the First World War. During the Second World War the division was reactivated as the 4th Canadian Infantr ...

Mid-War

The Blitz ended in May 1941, but occasional raids continued. Newly-formed AA units joined the division, the HAA units increasingly being 'mixed' ones into which 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 ...

were integrated. At the same time, experienced units were posted away for service overseas. By December 1941, 37 AA Bde only had 75 HAA Rgt under its command. However, 29 (East Anglian) AA Bde, which had controlled 6 AA Division's S/L and LAA units in Essex, was disbanded in February 1942 and 37 AA Bde took over its responsibilities as far north as The Naze. This continual turnover of units, which accelerated in 1942 with the preparations for

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...

and the need to relocate guns to counter the

Baedeker Blitz The Baedeker Blitz or Baedeker raids were a series of aerial attacks in April and May 1942 by the German ''Luftwaffe'' on English cities during the Second World War. The name derives from Baedeker, a series of German tourist guide books, includ ...

and the ''

s hit-and-run attacks against South Coast towns.Routledge, pp. 399–404.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/80. A reorganisation of AA Command in October 1942 saw the AA divisions disbanded and replaced by a number of AA Groups more closely aligned with the groups 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 Britai ...

. 6 AA Division merged into 2 AA Group covering South East England outside the London Inner Artillery Zone and cooperating with No. 11 Group.Robert Palmer, ''A Concise History of Anti-Aircraft Command (History and Personnel)'' at British Military History.
/ref>Pile's despatch.
/ref>

Order of Battle 1941–43

During this period the brigade was composed as follows (temporary attachments omitted): * 71st (Forth) HAA Rgt – ''from 29 AA Bde May 1942; left July 1942, later to Operation Torch'' ** 227, 229, 327 HAA Btys * 75th HAA Rgt – ''left for

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) April 1942'' ** 223, 233, 306 HAA Btys ** 422 HAA Bty – ''to 127th HAA Rgt, 28 AA Bde, April 1942'' * 84th HAA Rgt – ''joined Spring 1942; to 56 AA Bde August 1942'' ** 260, 262, 263 HAA Btys * 86th (Honourable Artillery Company) HAA Rgt – ''joined August 1942; to Home Forces December 1942'' ** 273, 274, 383, 446 HAA Btys * 102nd HAA Rgt– ''joined August 1942; left for Middle East Forces (MEF) early 1943''Joslen, p. 484. ** 314, 315, 316 HAA Btys * 104th HAA Rgt – ''joined April 1942; to

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

(Operation Husky) early 1943''Joslen, p. 466. ** 328, 329, 336 HAA Btys ** 452 HAA Bty – ''joined June 1942; left July 1942'' * 121st HAA Rgt – ''joined April 1943'' ** 385, 387, 388 HAA Btys * 124th HAA Rgt – ''joined early 1943, left May 1943'' ** 219, 410, 412, 415 HAA Btys * 131st HAA Rgt – ''joined July 1942, to 4 AA Division August 1942'' ** 310, 376, 368, 428 HAA Btys * 167th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – ''new unit formed August, joined September 1942''Farndale, Annex M. ** 464, 562 HAA Btys ** 610, 639 HAA Btys – ''joined early 1943'' * 4th (Ulster) LAA Rgt – ''joined June 1942; unbrigaded October 1942, later to 27th (Home Counties) AA Bde'' ** 7, 8, 10 LAA Boys ** 11 LAA Bty – ''left July 1942'' * 31st LAA Rgt – ''joined June 1942; unbrigaded August 1942, later to Operation Husky'' ** 61, 101, 224 LAA Boys ** 447 LAA Bty – ''left July 1942'' * 86th LAA Rgt – ''joined from 56 AA Bde April 1942; to MEF December 1942'' ** 55, 119, 281, 475 LAA Btys * 140th LAA Rgt – ''new unit formed July joined August 1942; left early 1943'' ** 367, 457, 459, 464 LAA Btys * 143rd LAA Rgt – ''new unit formed October, joined early 1943'' ** 403, 410, 413, 484 LAA Btys * 28th (Essex) S/L Rgt – ''from 29 AA Bde Spring 1942, to 56 AA Bde June 1942'' ** 309, 311, 312, 438 S/L Btys

Late War

In 1943 Brig

Lancelot Perowne Major General Lancelot Edgar Connop Mervyn Perowne, (11 June 1902 – 24 March 1982) was a British Army officer who commanded the 17th Gurkha Division during the Malayan Emergency. Military career The son of John Thomas Woolrych Perowne and E ...

transferred from 69 AA Bde to take command of 37 AA Bde. He was a searchlight specialist from the

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 heade ...

. In November 1943 he was sent to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

to take over 23rd Infantry Brigade, which was training for

Chindit The Chindits, officially as Long Range Penetration Groups, were special operations units of the British and Indian armies which saw action in 1943–1944 during the Burma Campaign of World War II. The British Army Brigadier Orde Wingate form ...

operations, and commanded it in the Burma Campaign.

Order of Battle 1943–44

In the summer of 1943, 37 AA Bde came under the command of 1 AA Group, which now controlled the 'Thames North' defences. It gave up its existing regiments and acquired new ones from within 1 AA Group, so that by early September it had the following order of battle. * 184th (Mixed) HAA Rgt ** 616, 617, 625, 627 HAA Btys * 6th (Mixed) AA 'Z' Regiment ** 123, 145, 179, 187 Z Btys ** 221 Z Bty – ''left by April 1944'' The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H10791

The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H10791

'Z' Regiments were 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 ne ...

rocket launchers; in April 1944 they were renamed AA Area Mixed Rgts. There were few changes in the brigade's order of battle over the next year: * 167th (M) HAA Rgt – ''returned May 1944'' ** 464, 562, 610 HAA Btys * 137th LAA Rgt – ''joined January 1944'' ** 326 LAA Bty – '' 26 (London) AA Bde May 1944'' ** 376 LAA Bty ** 462, 468 LAA Btys – ''left by March 1944'' ** 205, 420 LAA Btys – ''joined May 1944'' By March 1944 AA Command was being forced to release manpower for the planned Allied invasion of continental Europe (

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...

), and a number of units and subunits were disbanded.

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 (IAZ) and Thames Estuary defences were well organised and the attackers suffered heavy losses for relatively small results. More significant were the

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 ...

, codenamed 'Divers', which began to be launched against London from Northern France soon after

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

. These presented AA Command's biggest challenge since the Blitz. Defences had been planned against this new form of attack (

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 of ...

), but it presented a severe problem for AA guns, and after two weeks' experience 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 to target V-1s coming in over the English Channel, where a 'downed' V-1 would cause no damage. As the launching sites were overrun by

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 ...

, the ''Luftwaffe'' switched to air-launching V-1s over the North Sea, so 1 AA Group had to redeploy again to the east of London.Routledge pp. 408–21. Fieseler_Fi103_debajo_de_un_Heinkel_111

New HAA sites had to be quickly established, with static guns mounted on ingenious 'Pile Platforms' (named after the commander of AA Command,

Sir 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 ...

) and thousands of huts moved and re-erected to shelter the crews as winter approached. AA Command formed a new 9 AA Group to take over the 'Diver' defences in

East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...

and 37 AA Bde moved to this new formation in December 1944. At this time, its order of battle was:Order of Battle of AA Command, 27 April 1944, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/85 The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H39948

The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H39948

Order of Battle 1944–45

* 82nd (Essex) HAA Rgt – ''rejoined December 1944'' ** 156, 193, 228 (Edinburgh), 256 HAA Btys * 124th HAA Rgt – ''rejoined March 1945'' ** 219, 410, 412 HAA Btys * 142nd (M) HAA Rgt – ''joined September 1944'' ** 477, 488, 534 HAA Btys ** 464 HAA Bty – ''joined November 1944'' * 154th (M) HAA Rgt – ''joined February 1945'' ** 522, 526, 539 HAA Btys * 155th (M) HAA Rgt – ''joined September, left December 1944'' ** 525, 531, 537, 579 HAA Btys * 157th HAA Rgt – ''joined February, left March 1945'' ** 415, 430, 438 HAA Btys * 159th (M) HAA Rgt – ''joined February 1945'' ** 529, 542, 534 HAA Btys * 167th (M) HAA Rgt – ''left November 1944'' ** 464, 562, 610 HAA Btys * 184th (M) HAA Rgt – ''left February 1945'' ** 616, 617, 625 HAA Btys ** 627 HAA Bty – ''left December 1944'' The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H40794

The_British_Army_in_the_United_Kingdom_1939-45_H40794

* 189th HAA Rgt – ''joined February 1945'' ** 413, 434, 440 HAA Btys * 197th HAA Rgt – ''joined November 1944; left February 1945'' ** 603, 604, 605 HAA Btys * 81st LAA Rgt – ''joined October 1944; left February 1945'' ** 199, 261 LAA Btys * 97th LAA Rgt – ''joined October 1944; left February 1945'' ** 232, 301, 480 LAA Boys * 131st LAA Rgt – ''joined February, left April 1945'' ** 432, 433, 434 LAA Btys * 137th LAA Rgt – ''left December 1944'' ** 205, 376, 420 LAA Boys * 6th AA Area Mixed Rgt – ''to 26 (London) AA Bde August 1944'' 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. 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 ...

, 9 AA Group was disbanded and 37 AA Bde returned to 1 AA Group. AA Command was rapidly run down and many units disbanded as men and women were

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 militar ...

. By late June 1945, 37 AA Bde's order of battle was as follows: * 4th HAA Rgt – ''returned from North Africa'' ** 5, 6, 258 HAA Btys * 82nd (Essex) HAA Rgt ** 156, 193, 228, 256 HAA Btys * 124th HAA Rgt ** 219, 410, 412 HAA Btys * 143rd (M) HAA Rgt ** 494, 495 HAA Btys

Postwar

When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, 37 AA Bde's Regular Army units reformed 11 AA Bde at

Shoeburyness Shoeburyness (; also called Shoebury) is a suburb of the city of Southend-on-Sea, in the City of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. east of the city centre. It was an urban district of Essex from 1894 to 1933, when it ...

, while the TA portion was renumbered as 63 (North London) AA Brigade, with its HQ at London NW1 (still in 1 AA Group), with the following composition: * 461 (Mobile) HAA Rgt (Middlesex) – ''the former 61st (Middlesex) HAA Rgt, see above''444–473 Rgts RA at British Army Units 1945 on.
/ref> * 479 (Mobile) (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) HAA Rgt – ''the former 79th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) HAA Rgt, see above, transferred from 82 AA Bde'' * 484 (Mixed) HAA Rgt (Middlesex) – ''the former 84th (Middlesex, London Transport) HAA Rg, see above''474–519 Rgts RA at British Army Units 1945 on.
/ref> * 490 (Mixed) HAA Rgt (Middlesex) – ''the former 90th HAA Rgt, see above'' When AA Command was disbanded in 1955, all of 63 AA Bde's units were also disbanded, but the brigade HQ was retained, first designated as X AA Bde, then redesignated as 33 AA Bde, with its HQ at

Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a district of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, i ...

. It had the following composition:30–66 AA Bdes at British Army Units 1945 on.
/ref> * 452 (London) HAA Rgt – ''the former 52nd (London) HAA Rgt'' * 459 (Essex) HAA Rgt – ''the former 59th (Essex Regiment) HAA Rgt, see above * 284 (1st East Anglian) LAA Rgt * 512 (Finsbury Rifles) LAA Rgt – ''descended from the former 61st (Middlesex) HAA Rgt', see above'' * 517 (Essex) LAA Rgt – ''the former 17th LAA Rgt, see above * 571 (9th Bn Middlesex Regiment) LAA Rgt It may have formed part of

London District London District (LONDIST) is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. It was established in 1870 as ''Home District''. History In January 1876 a ‘Mobilization Scheme for the forces in ...

. On 1 May 1961, 33 AA Bde was amalgamated with HQ

56th (London) Infantry Division The 56th (London) Infantry Division was a Territorial Army infantry division of the British Army, which served under several different titles and designations. The division served in the trenches of the Western Front during the First World War. ...

as 33 Artillery Brigade. It was disbanded when the TA was reduced in 1967.

Preserved sites

As an example of the defences operated under 37 AA Bde, HAA site TN13 (Thames North 13) still survives at Bowaters Farm, about 1200 yards (1100 m) from the coastal defence battery at

Coalhouse Fort Coalhouse Fort is an artillery fort in the eastern English county of Essex. It was built in the 1860s to guard the lower Thames from seaborne attack. It stands at Coalhouse Point on the north bank of the river, at a location near East Tilbury ...

East Tilbury East Tilbury is a village and former civil parish in the unitary authority of Thurrock borough, Essex, England, and one of the traditional Church of England parishes in Thurrock. In 1931 the parish had a population of 353. History In Saxon ti ...

. It was begun in August 1939 as a sandbag battery for mobile 3.7-inch guns. By mid-1940 this had been replaced by four permanent emplacements for 4.5-inch guns. Later in the war four further emplacements for radar-controlled 5.25-inch guns were added. The HAA guns were supported by an AA searchlight and sound-locator stationed on the jetty at Coalhouse Fort. This exposed position was defended by a Lewis gun, but was frequently

strafed Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such ...

by enemy fighters. A second AA searchlight was positioned on the old river wall near the north

caponier A caponier is a type of defensive structure in a fortification. Fire from this point could cover the ditch beyond the curtain wall to deter any attempt to storm the wall. The word originates from the French ', meaning "chicken coop" (a ''capon'' ...

of Coalhouse Fort. (There were separate searchlights installed at the fort to direct the coastal guns.)

Memorial

There is a memorial to 37 AA Bde at St Augustine's Church,

Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...

, which reads:War Memorials Archive Ref 45804.
/ref> ::TO COMMEMORATE/ THE ASSOCIATION WITH THIS CHURCH OF THE/ OFFICERS, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND/ OTHER RANKS OF THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF/ ARTILLERY AND THE AUXILIARY TERRITORIAL/ SERVICE FROM THE GUNSITE NEARBY WHICH WAS/ MANNED CONTINUOUSLY BY PERSONNEL FROM/ THE 37TH ANTI-AIRCRAFT BRIGADE THROUGHOUT/ THE WORLD WAR 1939 - 1945

Footnotes

Notes

References

* T. K. Derry, ''History of the Second World War: The Campaign in Norway'', London, HM Stationery Office, 1952. * Maj L. F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series
The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940
', London: HM Stationery Office, 1954 * 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, . * Mike Osborne, ''20th Century Defences in Britain: The London Area'', Market Deeping: Concrete Publications, 2006, .
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, . * Col J.D. Sainsbury, ''The Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments, Royal Artillery, Part 2: The Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment 1938–1945 and the Searchlight Battery 1937–1945; Part 3: The Post-war Units 1947–2002'', Welwyn: Hertfordshire Yeomanry and Artillery Trust/Hart Books, 2003, . * Victor T. C. Smith, ''Coalhouse Fort and the Artillery Defences at East Tilbury: A History and Guide'', Thurrock: Coalhouse Fort Project, 1985.

External sources

British Army units from 1945 on

British Military History

Generals of World War II

Orders of Battle at Patriot Files

The Royal Artillery 1939–45

UK War Memorials Archive
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Military units and formations established in 1939 Air defence brigades of the British Army Anti-Aircraft brigades of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations in London Military units and formations disestablished in 1967