27th (Home Counties) Anti-Aircraft Brigade
27th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an Air Defence formation of the British Army in World War II that served in The Blitz and later converted to infantry.
Origin
by Zeppelin airships and Gotha bombers on London and other British cities during World War I had shown the need for strong anti-aircraft defences in any future war. When the Territorial Army was reformed in 1922 it included a number of dedicated AA units of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. Two formations were organised in London District to command these units, provisionally known as the 2nd and 3rd London Air Defence Brigades, but soon numbered 26th and 27th.Both brigades were based at the Duke of York's Headquarters in Chelsea. 3rd AD Bde's units were initially based at Lytton Grove, Putney, taking over buildings previously used by the City of London Yeomanry.
The 27th Air Defence Brigade comprised:
- 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA
- * HQ at White City, London
- * 157th AA Battery at White City
- * 158th AA Battery at White City
- * 159th AA Battery at White City
- 54th Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA
- * HQ at Putney
- * 160th AA Battery at Putney
- * 161st AA Battery at Putney
- * 162nd AA Battery at Putney
- 27th Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE
- * HQ at Streatham
- * 304th AA Company at Westminster
- * 305th AA Company at Westminster
- * 306th AA Company at Westminster
- * 390th AA Company at Westminster
- 27th Anti-Aircraft Signal Company, Royal Signals
1935 Reorganisation
- 60th Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA, gun unit formed in 1935 by conversion of 4th
- * HQ at Catford
- * 168 Battery at Catford
- * 169 Battery at Catford
- * 194 Battery at Catford
- 30th Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE,
- * HQ at Kingston upon Thames
- * 315 Company at Croydon
- * 316 Company at Kingston upon Thames
- * 318 Company at Guildford
- * 323 Company at Ewell
- 31st Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE
- * HQ at Sutton
- * 324 Company at Sutton
- * 325 Company at Sutton
- * 326 Company at Merton
- * 327 Company at Hackbridge
- 34th Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE
- * HQ at Blackheath
- * 320 Company at Greenwich
- * 336 Company at Blackheath
- * 337 Company at Blackheath
- * 338 Company at Eltham
- 35th Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE
- * HQ at Camberwell
- * 340th Company at Camberwell
- * 341st Company at Camberwell
- * 342nd Company at Camberwell
- * 343rd Company at Camberwell
Outbreak of war
During the period of tension leading to the Munich crisis and eventually the outbreak of World War II, the Territorial Army grew enormously, and existing TA infantry battalions continued to be converted to AA regiments. The number of divisions and brigades was expanded, and the whole AA defence of the United Kingdom was taken over by Anti-Aircraft Command on 1 April 1939. When the UK declared war on 3 September 1939, 27th AA Bde was a searchlight formation in 6 AA Division and had the following composition:- Brigade HQ: Lingfield, Surrey
- 31st Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE
- * HQ, 324, 325, 326, 327 Companies as before
- 34th Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE
- * HQ, 302, 336, 337, 338 Companies as before
- 70th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
- * HQ, 459, 460, 461 Batteries all at Brighton
The Blitz
By late 1940, at the height of The Blitz, 27 AA Bde was serving in 5 AA Division covering the important naval base of Portsmouth, with the following regiments under command:- 31st Searchlight Regiment, RA
- 70th Searchlight Regiment, RA
Mid-war
Over the two years following the end of the Blitz, the brigade had the following changes in composition:- 31st S/L Rgt
- * 324, 325, 326, 327 S/L Btys
- 34th S/L Rgt
- * 302, 336, 337, 338 Btys
- 23rd LAA Rgt
- * 73, 74, 130, 229 Btys
- 43rd LAA Rgt
- * 147, 148, 198 Btys
- 35th S/L Rgt
- * 340, 341, 342, 343 Btys
- 124th HAA Rgt
- * 219, 410, 412, 415 Btys
- 1st S/L Rgt
- * 1, 2, 7 Btys
- * 8 Bty
- 132nd LAA Rgt
- * 436, 437, 438, 441 Btys
- 107th HAA Rgt
- * 334, 335, 337, 390 Btys
- 68th LAA Rgt
- * 203, 278 Btys
- * 204 Bty
- 98th LAA Rgt
- * 304 Bty
- * 305, 306, 481 Btys
- 146th HAA Rgt
- * 176, 359, 414, 465 Btys
- 179th HAA Rgt
- * 564 Bty
- * 584, 606 Btys
- 4th LAA Rgt
- * 7, 8, 19 Bty
- 112th LAA Rgt
- * 364, 365, 366 Btys
- 125th LAA Rgt
- * 417, 418, 419 Btys
Hit and run
The AA defences of Southern England were severely tested in the summer of 1942 by the Luftwaffe's 'hit-and-run' attacks along the South Coast, and there was much reorganisation, accounting for some of the turnover of units listed earlier. In August 1942, 27 AA Bde was transferred from 5th AA Division to 3rd AA Division, a HQ brought down from Scotland to handle the increased workload. However, all the AA Divisions were disbanded on 30 September. 27 AA Brigade joined the new 2 AA Group covering South East England, and took responsibility for S/L units in that area. After this major reorganisation in October–December 1942, the brigade settled down with the following composition:- 125th LAA Rgt
- * 417, 418, 419 Btys
- 1st S/L Rgt
- * 1, 2, 7 Btys
- * 8 Bty
- 34th S/L Rgt
- * 302, 337, 338 Btys
- * 336 Bty
In February, the brigade was strengthened to deal with renewed 'hit-and-run' attacks by Luftwaffe fighter-bombers attacking coastal towns at low level in daylight. 73rd S/L Rgt joined from 56 AA Bde, where it had been covering airfields in Kent, and 355 S/L Bty was detached from 39th S/L Rgt in 53 AA Bde in North West England, and travelled by train to join 27 AA Bde on the South Coast.
Because of the hit-and-run raids, the allocation of Lewis guns for local defence was increased from one to four and later six per S/L site. The guns had to be manned throughout the hours of daylight. On 11 March a raid on Hastings by Focke-Wulf Fw 190s and Messerschmitt Bf 109s flew right over 355's Battery HQ, and a raid by Bf 109s on Ashford on 24 March was engaged by one of 355's sites. However, in May 1943, 355 S/L battery was disbanded, the ATS personnel and specialists being posted to other units in 27 AA Bde, the remainder being drafted as reinforcements to LAA units.
In April, 73rd S/L Rgt was exchanged for 33rd S/L Rgt from 66 AA Bde in East Anglia, which took over four areas of Kent under Biggin Hill Sector of No. 11 Group RAF. This area was under regular attack by Luftwaffe fighter-bombers, and the defensive armament of S/L positions was increased, with the existing Lewis guns being supplemented with twin Vickers K machine gun mountings and later twin 0.5-inch Browning machine guns on power mountings.
By the summer of 1943 the brigade had the following composition:
- 1st S/L Rgt
- * 1, 2, 7, 8 Btys
- 33rd S/L Rgt
- * 332, 332, 334, 543 Btys
- 34th S/L Rgt
- * 302, 336, 337, 338 Btys
- 83rd S/L Rgt joined between 1 Aug and 7 Sep
- * 365, 513, 514, 515 Btys
Baby Blitz and Operation Diver
By the end of January 1944, 27 AA Bde had been reinforced by further S/L regiments:- 36th S/L Rgt
- * 317, 345, 346, 424 Btys
- 38th S/L Rgt
- * 350, 351, 352, 353 Btys
- 61st S/L Rgt
- * 432, 433, 434 Btys
- 1st S/L Rgt
- * 1, 2, 7 Btys
- 33rd S/L Rgt
- * 332, 333 334 Btys
- 34th S/L Rgt
- * 302, 336, 337 Btys
- 36th S/L Rgt
- * 317, 345, 346 Btys
- 38th S/L Rgt
- * 350, 351, 352 Btys
- 61st S/L Rgt
- * 432, 433, 434 Btys
- 79th S/L Rgt
- * 502, 503, 504 Btys
- 83rd S/L Rgt
- * 365, 513, 514 Btys
In July 1944 came the start of the V-1 flying bomb campaign against London, though Kent was on the fringe of the V-1's route. 27 AA Bde's S/L layout was little affected by the massive reorganisation that AA Command had to carry out to meet this threat. However, as 21st Army Group overran the V-1 launching sites, the Luftwaffe began to launch them from aircraft over the North Sea. AA Command shifted units from Kent to deal with them, and in November 33rd S/L Rgt had to take over some of the vacated sites along the East Kent coast.
By mid-October, 79th and 83rd S/L Rgts had been transferred to 56 AA Bde in 2 AA Group, and both regiments were disbanded shortly afterwards.
By October 1944, the brigade's HQ establishment was 9 officers, 8 male other ranks and 23 members of the ATS, together with a small number of attached drivers, cooks and mess orderlies. 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.
Conversion
By the end of 1944, 21st Army Group was suffering a severe manpower shortage, particularly among the infantry. At the same time the Luftwaffe was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious aerial attacks on the United Kingdom could be discounted. In January 1945 the War Office began to reorganise surplus anti-aircraft and coastal artillery regiments in the UK into infantry battalions, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties in North West Europe, thereby releasing trained infantry for frontline service.61st S/L Regiment had already left the brigade in December and been converted into a Garrison regiment, while in mid-Jan 45, 1st S/L had joined 21st Army Group to defend Antwerp and the Scheldt Estuary.
On 22 January 1945, HQ 27 AA Bde under Brigadier H.G. Smith was converted into 303rd Infantry Brigade with the following units under command:
- 33rd S/L Rgt became 632nd Infantry Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 36th S/L Rgt became 634th Infantry Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 38thS/L Rgt became 635th Infantry Regiment, RA
Postwar
When the TA was reformed on 1 January 1947, 27 AA Bde was reformed at Dover under the new designation of 53 AA Brigade, with the following composition:- 259 HAA Regt
- 489 HAA Regt
- 516 LAA Regt
External sources
- London Gazette 16 October 1947.