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 (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Group on 1 November 1936 at Sunderland 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 (RA) – Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) unit formed in 1936 by conversion of 73rd (Northumbrian) Field Brigade, RA HQ at Kingston upon Hull 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 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 (RE) – Searchlight unit formed in 1936 by expansion of 307 (Tyne) AA S/L Coy RE (Tyne Electrical Engineers) HQ at Tynemouth 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 InfantryLitchfield 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 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 in June 1939.Routledge, Table LVIII, p. 376. 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:AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot FilesRoutledge, Table LX, p. 378. 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 May 1939 37th (Tyne Electrical Engineers) AA Battalion RE – as above 5th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (53rd Searchlight Regiment) – searchlight unit formed at Walker-on-Tyne in 1938 by conversion of infantry battalionHewitson p. 150
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 two weeks after the main Dunkirk evacuation.Routledge, pp. 116, 122–3, Table XVII, p. 125.
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, 30th Anti-Aircraft Brigade comprised both HAA and LAA artillery while the searchlight units in the area were controlled by 57th Anti-Aircraft Brigade:Routledge, Table LXV, p. 397.Farndale, Annex D, p. 260.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; shared with 10th AA Division 68th LAA Regt – new unit formed December 1940, joined by February 1941Farndale, Annex M, p. 337. 203, 204, 205 LAA Btys 7th AA Z Rgt – new unit raised in September 1940, equipped with Z Battery rocket launchersFarndale, 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 or members of the Home Guard. 37 LAA Regt went first to Palestine in April 1942 and then moved on to North Africa;Joslen, pp. 484–7. 63 HAA Regt went to Ceylon in May 1942;Joslen, p. 520. 38 LAA Regt went to North Africa in August 1942 Joslen, p. 484–5. and 64 HAA Regt to Tunisia in May 1943.Joslen, p. 465. 68 LAA Regiment joined 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division in April 1943 and served with it during the Normandy Campaign.Joslen, p. 93.
Order of Battle 1941–42 During this period the brigade was composed as follows: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.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.
63rd (Northumbrian) HAA Rgt – left for War Office (WO) Control December 1941 preparatory to embarking for CeylonOrder 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 TorchRoutledge, Table XXXII, p. 190. 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)
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.Sir Frederick Pile's despatch.Routledge, p. 399.
Order of Battle 1942–44 Under the new command structure, 30 AA Bde had the following composition:Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 1 October 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/82.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 13 March 1943, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/83.Order of Battle of AA Command, 1 August 1943, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/84. 122nd HAA Rgt – from Orkney and Shetland 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. 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. 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.AA Command Organisation Table, October–November 1944, TNA file WO 212/148.
War's end By the end of 1944, 21st Army Group 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 was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious air attacks on the United Kingdom could be discounted, so the War Office 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.Routledge, p. 409.Ellis, pp. 141–2, 369, 380. Being stationed in Eastern England, still threatened by V-1 flying bombs air-launched from the North Sea, 30 AA Brigade was less affected by these changes. Nevertheless, in January 1945, 128th LAA Rgt was converted into 628th Infantry Rgt, RA,628 Inf Rgt RA at RA 39–45. and went to Europe, while 183rd (M) HAA Rgt was sent to Antwerp to defend that city against bombardment by V-1s.Routledge, p. 338.Ellis, Appendix IV.joslen, p. 463.
Order of Battle 1945 From mid-February 1945 until the end of the war, 30 AA Bde had the following composition:Order of Battle of AA Command, 15 November 1945, TNA file WO 212/86. 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