40th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom)

40th Anti-Aircraft Brigade
Active	28 September 1938–27 September 1948
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Territorial Army
Type	Anti-Aircraft Brigade
Role	Air Defence
Part of	2nd AA Division 5th AA Group
Garrison/HQ	RAF Duxford
Engagements	The Blitz

The 40th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Anti-Aircraft Command in the British Territorial Army formed shortly before the outbreak of World War II. Its role was to defend Royal Air Force airfields in East Anglia.

Origin

The brigade was formed on 28 September 1938 at South Ealing in West London, as part of 2nd AA Division, with the following searchlight units under command:^[1][2][3][4]

• 33rd (St Pancras) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers (RE) – formed in 1935 from the 19th London Regiment (St Pancras)^[5][6]
  • 332, 333 & 334 AA Companies, RE
• 36th (Middlesex) AA Bn, RE – formed in 1936^[7]
  • 317, 345, 346, 424 AA Companies, RE
• 58th (Middlesex) AA Bn, RE – formed in 1938 as a duplicate of 36th Bn^[7]
  • 344, 425, 426 AA Companies, RE
• 9th Bn Middlesex Regiment (60th Searchlight Regiment) – infantry battalion converted in 1938^[8][9]
  • 429, 439, 431 Companies
• 10th (3rd City of London) Bn Royal Fusiliers (69th Searchlight Regiment) – infantry battalion converted in 1938^[10][11]
  • 456, 457, 458 Companies
• 40 AA Brigade Company Royal Army Service Corps

Although the brigade's units were all from London and Middlesex, its war station was at RAF Duxford, with the searchlight detachments defending RAF stations across East Anglia.^[2]

World War II

By the summer of 1940, all searchlight regiments had been transferred to the Royal Artillery (RA). During the intense period of activity of the Battle of Britain and subsequent Blitz 40 AA Bde's organisation changed in other ways as well, giving it the following order of battle by November 1940:^{[12][13][14][15]}

• 78th (1st East Anglian) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery – formed in 1938 by conversion of 84th (1st East Anglian) Field Regiment, RA^[16][17][18]
• 30th Light AA Regiment, RA – newly raised in August 1939, joined 40 AA Bde October 1939; one Troop deployed to each of 10 RAF stations^[19][20]
• 36th (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, RA – see above^[7][21]
• 64th (The Essex Regiment) Searchlight Regiment, RA – formed in 1938 from 1/6th Bn Essex Regiment; transferred from 41st (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade in November 1940^[22][23]
• 72nd (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, RA – raised in 1938; transferred from London in November 1940^[8][24]

Postwar

On 1 January 1947, 40 AA Bde was redesignated 66 AA Bde in the reformed TA, with its HQ at RAF Coltishall and constituting part of 5 AA Group based in Nottingham. It had the following units under command:^[25][26][27]

• 284 (1st East Anglian) (Mobile) HAA Regiment, RA – the former 78 HAA Regiment (see above)^[17][28]
• 660 HAA Regiment, RA– newly organised from 409 (Suffolk) Independent AA Battery, previously part of 78 HAA Regiment^{[2][17][29][30]}
• 530 (Essex) LAA Regiment, RA– the former 30 LAA Regiment (see above)^[19][31]

The brigade was disbanded in September 1948.^[25]

Notes

1. 2 AA Division 1939 at British Military History
2. AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files
3. Routledge, Table LVIII, p. 376.
4. Routledge, Table LX, p. 378.
5. Litchfield, p. 171.
6. 19th London at Regiments.org
7. Litchfield, p. 178.
8. Litchfield, p. 179.
9. 9th Middlesex at Regiment.org
10. Litchfield, p. 174.
11. 3rd City of London at regiment.org
12. 2 AA Division 1940 at British Military History
13. 2 AA Div at RA 39–45. Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
14. Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.
15. Farndale, Annex D, p. 258.
16. Litchfield.
17. Norfolk Artillery Volunteers at Regiments.org
18. 78 HAA at RA 39–45.
19. Litchfield, p. 69.
20. 30 LAA at RA 39–45.
21. 36 S/L at RA 39–45.
22. Litchfield, p. 71.
23. 64 S/L at RA 39–45.
24. 72 S/L at RA 39–45.
25. 667–106 AA Bdes at British Army Units 1945 on
26. Litchfield, Appendix 5.
27. TA 1947. Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
28. 266–288 Rgts at British Army Units 1945 on
29. Suffolk Artillery Volunteers at Regiments.org
30. 638–677 Rgts at British Army Units 1945 on
31. 520–563 Rgts at British Army Units 1945 on

References

• Gen Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, ISBN 1-85753-080-2.
• Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0.
• Brig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, ISBN 1-85753-099-3.

Online sources

• British Army units from 1945 on
• British Military History
• Orders of Battle at Patriot Files
• Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth (Regiments.org)
• The Royal Artillery 1939–45
• Graham Watson, The Territorial Army 1947