The 7th Anti-Aircraft Division was an air defence formation of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during the early years 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 defended

North East England North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authorit ...

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

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 ...

Mobilisation

The 7th Anti-Aircraft Division was created in 1939 by

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 ...

to control the anti-aircraft (AA) defences of North East England,

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

and

Humberside Humberside () was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber Estuary, created from portions of the East Riding of Yorkshire, West ...

. It took over brigades from the 2nd AA Division, which then concentrated on defending the

North Midlands The North Midlands is a loosely defined area covering the northern parts of the Midlands in England. It is not one of the ITL regions like the East Midlands or the West Midlands. A statistical definition in 1881 included the counties of Derbys ...

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 ...

, and from the 3rd AA Division defending

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Planned from February 1939 and established in June, the new division's exact responsibilities were still being worked out when war broke out. The Divisional headquarters (HQ) was established at

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 ...

on 16 September and the first General Officer Commanding (GOC) was Major-General T.G.G. Heywood, who had been Brigadier, Royal Artillery, in

Aldershot Command Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...

. AA Command mobilised fully on 24 August, ahead of the official declaration of war on 3 September.Frederick, p. 1047.Routledge, Table LVIII, p. 376.Farndale, Annex J.Heywood at Generals of World War II.
/ref>

Order of Battle 1939–40

On mobilisation, the 7th AA Division was intended to be constituted as follows:AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files
/ref>

30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade The 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army from 1936 until 1955, which defended Tyneside and Sunderland during the Second World War. Origins The formation was raised as 30th (Northumb ...

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 ...

– ''from the 2nd AA Division'' * 63rd (Northumbrian) AA Regt,

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 converted from medium artillery 1936'' **176, 177, 178, 269 Batteries * 64th (Northumbrian) AA Regt, RA – ''HAA batteries converted from medium artillery 1936'' **179, 180, 268 Btys * 87th AA Regt, RA – ''HAA unit raised April 1939'' **278, 279, 280 Btys * 37th (Tyne Electrical Engineers) AA Bn,

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 ...

(RE) – ''searchlight (S/L) unit'' **307, 308, 348, 349 Companies * 5th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (53rd Searchlight Regiment) – ''S/L unit converted from infantry 1938'' **408, 409, 410 Companies * 30th AA Brigade 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 ...

(RASC) 31st (North Midland) Anti-Aircraft Brigade at

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

– ''from the 2nd AA Division'' * 66th (Leeds Rifles) AA Regt, RA – ''HAA unit converted from infantry 1936'' **184, 185, 197 Btys * 96th AA Regt RA – ''HAA unit raised April 1939'' **186, 287, 295, 296 Btys * 43rd (Duke of Wellington's Regiment) AA Bn, RE – ''S/L unit converted from infantry 1936'' **370, 371, 372, 373 Companies * 49th (West Yorkshire Regiment) AA Bn, RE – ''S/L unit converted from infantry 1936'' **395, 396, 397, 398 Companies * 31st AA Brigade Company, RASC 39th Anti-Aircraft Brigade at

RAF Digby Royal Air Force Digby otherwise known as RAF Digby is a Royal Air Force station located near Scopwick and south east of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincoln, in Lincolnshire, England. The station is home to the tri-service Joint Service Signals Organi ...

– ''from the 2nd AA Division; did not actually transfer'' * 62nd (Northumbrian) AA Regiment, RA – ''HAA unit converted from field artillery 1936'' **172, 13, 266 Btys * 67th (York and Lancaster Regiment) AA Regiment, RA – ''HAA unit converted from infantry 1936'' **187, 18, 189, 198 Btys * 91st AA Regiment, RA – ''HAA unit raised April 1939'' **221, 270, 286 Btys * 40th (Sherwood Foresters) AA Battalion, RE – ''S/L unit converted from infantry 1936'' **358, 359, 360, 361 Companies * 46th (Lincolnshire Regiment) AA Battalion, RE – ''S/L unit converted from infantry 1936'' **382, 383, 384, 385 Companies * 39th AA Brigade Company, RASC 43rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade at

West Hartlepool West Hartlepool was a predecessor of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It developed in the Victorian era and took the name from its western position in the parish of what is now known as the Headland. The former town was originally formed in ...

– ''from the 3rd AA Division'' * 85th (Tees) AA Regiment, RA – ''HAA unit raised 1938'' **174, 175, 220 Btys * 47th (Durham Light Infantry) AA Battalion, RE – ''S/L unit converted from infantry 1936'' **386, 387, 388, 389 Companies * 1/5th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (54th Searchlight Regiment) – ''S/L unit converted from infantry 1938'' **411, 412, 413 Companies * 2/5th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (55th Searchlight Regiment) – ''duplicate S/L unit raised April 1939'' **414, 415, 416 Companies * 43rd AA Brigade Company, RASC 57th Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade – ''new brigade forming at Newcastle'' * 13th Light AA Regiment, RA – ''light anti-aircraft (LAA) unit raised 1938'' **37, 38, 122 Btys * 28th Light AA Regiment, RA – ''LAA unit raised August 1939'' **53, 112, 113 Btys * 29th Light AA Regiment, RA – ''LAA unit raised August 1939'' **108, 121 Btys * 30th Light AA Regiment, RA – ''LAA unit raised August 1939'' **117, 118, 119, 120 Btys * 57th AA Brigade Company, RASC * 7th AA Divisional Signals,

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 communi ...

(RCS) – ''formed 1939 at Darlington, possibly from elements of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Divisional Signals''Nalder, p. 623. * 7th AA Divisional Workshop Company,

Royal Army Ordnance Corps The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) was a corps of the British Army. At its renaming as a Royal Corps in 1918 it was both a supply and repair corps. In the supply area it had responsibility for weapons, armoured vehicles and other military equip ...

(RAOC) In practice, the 39th AA Brigade remained with the 2nd AA Division, but on 23 September 1939, responsibility for the

Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between th ...

Gun Zone (including 30 HAA guns manned by 62nd (Northumbrian) and 91st AA Rgts) was transferred to the 31st AA Brigade from the 39th AA Brigade . This responsibility reverted to the 39th AA Brigade and the 2nd AA Division in May 1940.

Phoney War

However, equipment was critically short. In August 1939 the 7th AA Division only had the following: * 3-inch LAA guns: 14 *

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 ...

and 2-pounder LAA guns: 22 *

Light Machine Gun A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the sam ...

s (LMGs – mainly Lewis guns): 486 * S/Ls: 673 (In addition to the LAA LMGs, each S/L position had an LMG for self defence). Luckily, the months of 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 ...

that followed mobilisation allowed AA Command to address its equipment shortages. Gun Defence Areas (GDAs) with 3-inch or 3.7-inch HAA guns were established around

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

Teesside Teesside () is a built-up area around the River Tees in the north of England, split between County Durham and North Yorkshire. The name was initially used as a county borough in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Historically a hub for heavy manu ...

(including

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 ...

and

Billingham Billingham is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England. The town is on the north side of the River Tees and is governed by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. The settlement had previously formed its o ...

) and

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 published i ...

(including Newcastle). Vital Points (VPs) such as

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 ...

airfields and factories began to receive a few Bofors guns. AA Command was also desperate for manpower. When the

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 ...

released the first intakes of

Militiamen A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

to the Command in early 1940, most were found to be in low physical categories and without training. The 31st AA Brigade reported that out of 1000 recruits sent for duty, '50 had to be discharged immediately because of serious medical defects, another 20 were judged to be mentally deficient and a further 18 were unfit to do any manual labour such as lifting ammunition'. Fitness and training was greatly improved by the time Britain's AA defences were seriously tested during the

and

Blitz Blitz, German for "lightning", may refer to: Military uses *Blitzkrieg, blitz campaign, or blitz, a type of military campaign *The Blitz, the German aerial campaign against Britain in the Second World War *, an Imperial German Navy light cruiser b ...

. In 1940, RA regiments equipped with 3-inch or 3.7-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 (S/L) regiments. After the German invasion of the Low Countries in May 1940, Maj-Gen Heywood was appointed head of the British Military Mission to the Netherlands and briefly replaced as GOC of the 7th AA Division by Maj-Gen J.E.T Younger, promoted from command of the 57th LAA Brigade. Within days, Younger was transferred to command the 3rd AA Division and later was replaced by Maj-Gen R.B. Pargiter from the 4th AA Division.Younger at Generals of World War II.
/ref>
/ref>

Battle of Britain

Tyneside,

Wearside Wearside () is a built-up area in both Tyne and Wear and County Durham, Northern England. It is named after the River Wear which flows through it and traditionally all in the County of Durham. In the 2011 census, its official name was the Sunder ...

, and Teesside were important strategic targets because of their high concentrations of heavy industry and ports. During the early part of the

, German day and night air raids and mine laying began along the East Coast of England, intensifying through June 1940. Thereafter 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 ...

'' concentrated on

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

sites in the South of England, with occasional raids on the North East, such as the period 12–15 August. On 15 August, in the belief that the defences of NE England had been denuded, ''

Luftflotte 5 Luftflotte 5 (Air Fleet 5) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed 12 April 1940 in Hamburg for the invasion of Norway. It transferred to Oslo, Norway on 24 April 1940 and was the organization respo ...

'' attacked across the North Sea from Norway. Some 65

Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a "wolf in sheep's clothing". Due to restrictions placed on Germany after th ...

bombers of ''

Kampfgeschwader 26 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 26 (KG 26) "Löwengeschwader" (in English ''Bomber Wing 26'' aka ''"Lions' Wing"'' by virtue of its insignia) was a German air force Luftwaffe bomber wing unit during World War II. Its units participated on all of the fronts ...

'' escorted by 35

Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engine (Des ...

Zerstörer A heavy fighter is a historic category of fighter aircraft produced in the 1930s and 1940s, designed to carry heavier weapons, and/or operate at longer ranges than light fighter aircraft. To achieve performance, most heavy fighters were twin-e ...

'' fighters of ''

Zerstörergeschwader 76 ''Zerstörergeschwader 76'' (ZG 76) was a ''Zerstörer'' (heavy fighter; lit. "destroyer") ''geschwader'' (Wing (air force unit), wing) of the German ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. The wing operated the Messerschmitt Bf 109 in the early phas ...

'' were picked up on radar and ambushed by fighters of

No. 13 Group RAF No. 13 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century. It is most famous for having the responsibility for defending the North of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain. First World Wa No. 13 Group RA ...

before they reached the coast. Those bombers that succeeded in breaking through then split into two groups, one being engaged by the guns of the Tyne GDA the other by the Tees GDA. Bombs were widely scattered and only at

was any major damage inflicted. KG 26 lost 8 bombers and 7 fighters for no loss to the RAF, in 'one of the most successful air actions of the war'. On 21 August, the 7th AA Division had its guns distributed as follows: * Leeds: 20 HAA * Teesside: 30 HAA * Tyneside: 50 HAA * Airfields of

and other VPs: 14 HAA, 62 LAA, 270 LMG * Mobile: 4 HAA * S/L: 604 With the bulk of the fighting occurring further south, the mobile guns soon moved out of the division's area. In September 1940 the 7th AA Division formed the 7th AA Z Regiment equipped with rocket projectors.

The Blitz

The Battle of Britain was followed by the ''Luftwaffe''s night

on London and other industrial cities during the winter of 1940–41. Again, NE England escaped the worst of this, but hundreds of people died during the Newcastle Blitz and there were notable air raids on Tyneside on 9 April and Sunderland on 25 April. AA Command was now reaching its peak strength, and there was considerable reorganisation in November 1940. The 31st and 39th AA Brigades transferred to a new 10th AA Division covering

and

, and the 7th AA Division came under the command of III Anti-Aircraft Corps. The 30th AA Brigade was covering Tyneside and the 43rd AA Brigade covering Teesside, while the 57th LAA Brigade had become primarily a searchlight rather than LAA gun formation.

Order of Battle 1940–41

The 3rd AA Division had the following composition during the Blitz:Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/79. 30th AA Brigade * 63rd (Northumbrian) HAA Rgt – ''see above'' * 64th (Northumbrian) HAA Rgt – ''see above'' * 37th (Tyne Electrical Engineers) LAA Rgt – ''duplicate of the 37th (TEE) S/L Rgt, see above'' * 38th LAA Rgt (part) – ''unit shared with the 10th AA Division'' * 68rd LAA Rgt– ''new unit raised in December 1940''Farndale, Annex M. * 7th AA Z Rgt – ''see above'' 43rd AA Brigade * 8th (Belfast) HAA Rgt – ''returned from

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.73rd HAA Rgt – ''returned from Dunkirk and re-equipped'' * 50th LAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in July 1940'' * 72nd LAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in January 1941'' * 47th (Durham Light Infantry) S/L Rgt – ''see above'' * 55th (Durham Light Infantry) S/L Rgt – ''see above'' 57th AA Brigade * 41st LAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in January 1941'' * 46th (Lincolnshire Regiment) S/L Rgt – ''see above'' * 53rd (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) S/L Rgt – ''see above'' * 7th AA Divisional Signals, RCS * 7th AA Divisional RASC ** 907th and 923rd Companies * 7th AA Divisional Company,

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

* 7th AA Divisional Workshop Company, RAOC In 1941, the 7th Divisional Signals became a 'Mixed' unit, indicating that 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) were fully integrated into the unit.

Mid-War

The main Blitz ended in May 1941, but occasional raids continued. Newly formed AA units joined the division, the HAA and support units increasingly being 'mixed'. At the same time, experienced units were posted away for service overseas. This led to a continual turnover of units, which accelerated in 1942 with the preparations for the invasion of North Africa (

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 transfer AA units 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. In August 1942, the 3rd AA Division was sent to the South Coast and the 7th AA Division took over command of the 36th (Scottish) AA Brigade covering Edinburgh and the Forth.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 14 May 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/81. During the Baedeker raids in 1942, Middlesbrough and

received two successive raids on the nights of 6 and 7 July, and another on 25 July. Sunderland was raided on 6 September, but most of the bombs fell wide of their targets. There were also lone raiders, such as the Dornier bomber that hit Middlesbrough railway station on August Bank Holiday 1942.

Order of Battle 1941–42

During this period the division was composed as follows: 30th AA Brigade * 63rd (Northumbrian) HAA Rgt – ''left for War Office Control December 1941 preparatory to embarking for

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 ...

''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'' * 136th HAA Rgt – ''joined from the 2nd AA Division April 1942; returned June 1942'' * 146th HAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in January 1942; left May 1942'' * 153rd (Mixed) HAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in March 1942'' * 37th (TEE) LAA Rgt – ''left for Middle East June 1941'' * 50th LAA Rgt – ''left for the 6th AA Division February 1942'' * 68th LAA Rgt – ''to the 43rd AA Brigade by May 1942; left June 1942'' * 124th (Highland) LAA Rgt – ''converted from the 51st S/L Rgt and joined May 1942'' * 7th AA Z Rgt – ''to the 43rd AA Brigade February 1942'' 43rd AA Brigade * 8th (Belfast) HAA Rgt – ''left for GHQ Reserve November 1941 preparatory to embarking for

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 ...

'' * 73rd HAA Rgt – ''left for the 12th AA Division May 1941'' * 72nd LAA Rgt – ''left for 3rd AA Division Summer 1941'' * 123rd HAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in February 1941'' * 145th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in January, joined April 1942'' * 31st LAA Rgt – ''joined from Orkney and Shetland Defences June 1942; left for the 6th AA Division June 1942'' * 41st LAA Rgt – ''left for War Office Control April 1942 preparatory to embarking for Middle East'' * 136th LAA Rgt – 'new unit raised in February 1942; joined June 1942'' * 53rd (RNF) S/L Rgt – ''to the 30th AA Brigade August 1942'' 57th AA Brigade * 46th (Lincolnshire) S/L Rgt – ''left for the 3rd AA Division December 1941'' * 47th (DLI) S/L Rgt – ''left for conversion to 122nd LAA Rgt February 1942'' * 55th (DLI) S/L Rgt – ''left for conversion to 113th LAA Rgt January 1942'' * 56th (5th Bn

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 26th Cameronian Reg ...

) S/L Rgt– ''joined from the 3rd AA Division December 1941; left for conversion to 125th LAA Rgt March 1942'' (The brigade had no units under command from March to May 1942) * 60th (City of London) HAA Rgt – ''joined from the 12th AA Division May 1942; left June 1942'' * 100th HAA Rgt – ''joined from the 12th AA Division May 1942; left June 1942'' * 155th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – ''new unit raised in March 1942; joined May, left for the 12th AA Division August 1942'' * 134th LAA Rgt – ''joined from the 4th AA Division August 1942'' * 4th AA Z Rgt – ''joined from the 4th AA Division August 1942'' 36th (Scottish) Anti-Aircraft Brigade covering

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and the

Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...

– ''joined from the 3rd AA Division August 1942'' * 114th HAA Rgt * 129th (Mixed) HAA Rgt * 158th (Mixed) HAA Rgt * 135th LAA Rgt The increased sophistication of Operations Rooms and communications was reflected in the growth in support units, which attained the following organisation by May 1942: * 7th AA Division Mixed Signal Unit HQ, RCS ** HQ No 1 Company *** 7th AA Division Mixed Signal Office Section *** 405th AA Gun Operations Room Mixed Signal Section *** 15th AA Sub-Gun Operations Room Mixed Signal Sub-Section *** 16th AA Sub-Gun Operations Room Mixed Signal Sub-Section *** 17th AA Sub-Gun Operations Room Mixed Signal Sub-Section *** 30th AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section *** 201st RAF Fighter Sector Sub-Section *** 17th AA Line Maintenance Section ** HQ No 2 Company *** 402nd AA Gun Operations Room Mixed Signal Section *** 5th AA Sub-Gun Operations Room Mixed Signal Sub-Section *** 6th AA Sub-Gun Operations Room Mixed Signal Sub-Section *** 43rd AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section *** 202d RAF Fighter Sector Sub-Section *** 343rd AA Gun Operations Room Mixed Signal Section *** 57th AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section *** 204th RAF Fighter Sector Sub-Section *** 359th AA Gun Operations Room Mixed Signal Section *** 18th AA Line Maintenance Section * HQ 7th AA Div RASC ** 907th, 923rd Companies * 7th AA Div RAMC * 7th AA Div Workshop Company, RAOC * 7th AA Div Radio Maintenance Company, RAOC The RAOC companies became part of the new

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 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 ...

(REME) during 1942.

Disbandment

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

. The 7th AA Division was split between the 5th AA Group and the 6th AA Group, with the 7th AA Divisional Signals joining the 6th AA Group (Mixed) Signals.

General Officer Commanding

The following officers commanded the 7th AA Division: * Major-General Thomas Heywood (23 June 1939 – 9 May 1940) * Major-General Robert John Younger (10–19 May 1940) * Major-General Robert Pargiter (3 July–11 November 1940) * Major-General Eric Fairtlough (12 November 1940 – 18 June 1942) * Major-General John Slater (19 June–30 September 1942) Slater at Generals of World War II.
/ref>

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.
* Richard Collier, ''Eagle Day: The Battle of Britain August 6–September 15, 1940'', London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1966/Pan, 1968, . * 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, . * * Cliff Lord & Graham Watson, ''Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the Corps (1920–2001) and its Antecedents'', Solihull: Helion, 2003, . * Maj-Gen R.F.H. Nalder, ''The Royal Corps of Signals: A History of its Antecedents and Developments (Circa 1800–1955)'', London: Royal Signals Institution, 1958. * Brig N.W. Routledge, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, .

External links

Anti-Aircraft Command (1939) at British Military History

Anti-Aircraft Command (1940) at British Military History

Generals of World War II

Orders of Battle at Patriot Files

Royal Artillery 1939–1945
{{WW2AirDefenceUK Military units and formations established in 1939 Anti-aircraft divisions of the British Army Military units and formations disestablished in 1942 7 7