35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade

35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Anti-Aircraft Command in the British Territorial Army (TA) formed shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. It defended the important naval base of Portsmouth during The Blitz.

Origins 35th Anti-Aircraft (AA) Brigade was formed on 1 April 1938 at Fort Fareham in Hampshire, and was commanded by Brigadier R.B. Purey Cust (appointed 16 May 1938). It was assigned to 5th AA Division when that formation was created on 1 September 1938.Frederick, pp. 1048–51.Monthly Army List 1938–39.Farndale, Annex J.

Mobilisation The TA's AA units were mobilised on 23 September 1938 during the Munich Crisis, units manning their emergency positions within 24 hours, even though many did not yet have their full complement of men or equipment. The emergency lasted three weeks, and they were stood down on 13 October.Routledge, pp. 62–3. In February 1939 the existing AA defences came under the control of a new Anti-Aircraft Command. In June a partial mobilisation of TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA and searchlight positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations.Routledge, pp. 65–6, 371.

Order of battle 1939 On the outbreak of the Second World War, 35 AA Brigade comprised the following units of the Royal Artillery (RA) and Royal Engineers (RE):AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot FilesRoutledge, Table LVIII, p. 376; Table LX, p. 378. 56th (Cornwall) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RALitchfield, pp. 34–5. HQ at Falmouth 165th (Cornwall) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Redruth 201st (Cornwall) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Padstow 202nd (Cornwall) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Par 203rd (Cornwall) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Penzance 57th (Wessex) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RALitchfield, pp. 89–91.57 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45 HQ at Portsmouth 213th (Portsmouth) Anti-Aircraft Battery 214th (Southsea) Anti-Aircraft Battery 215th (Gosport & Fareham) Anti-Aircraft Battery 216th (Isle of Wight & Cosham)) Anti-Aircraft Battery 72nd (Hampshire) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA – Heavy AA unit formed in 1938 by conversion of 95th (Hampshire) Field Brigade, RALitchfield, p. 95. HQ at Southampton 217th (Hampshire Carabiniers) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Winchester 218th (Hampshire Royal Horse Artillery) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Southampton 310th Anti-Aircraft Battery – formed January 1939 at Parkstone, Dorset 48th (Hampshire) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE – searchlight regiment organised in 1937 from Hampshire Fortress Engineers, RELitchfield, p. 97.48 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45 HQ at Portsmouth 391st Anti-Aircraft Company at Portsmouth 392nd Anti-Aircraft Company at East Cowes, Isle of Wight 393rd Anti-Aircraft Company at Gosport 394th Anti-Aircraft Company at Southampton 35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps

Together with the searchlights of 27th (Home Counties) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, 35 AA Bde was responsible for the air defence of the city and naval base of Portsmouth. In September 1939, the brigade had 29 heavy AA guns round Portsmouth.Routledge, Table LIX, p. 377, During 1940 the AA regiments of the RA were designated 'Heavy AA', and the RE units transferred to the RA as 'Searchlight Regiments'.Litchfield. By July 1940 there were 44 HAA guns deployed round Portsmouth.Farndale, p. 106.

Battle of Britain and Blitz The brigade was heavily engaged throughout the Battle of Britain. A few bombers got through to Portsmouth on 10 July,Collier, Chapter 10. and the Portsmouth and Southampton AA guns were in action on 15 August, claiming one 'kill',Coller, Chapter 12. Again, on 18 August, German air raids crossed Southern England and appeared over RAF airfields at West Malling, Manston, Kenley, Biggin Hill, Gravesend and the town of Sevenoaks, all within four and a half hours in the afternoon. The guns of 35 AA Bde and its neighbours were in action and accounted for 23 enemy aircraft.Routledge, p. 383. On 24 August a raid eluded RAF Fighter Command's fighters and bombed the city and dockyard badly, killing over 100 people despite the efforts of the AA guns, although another raid two days later was driven off by fighters and AA fire, and only dropped a few bombs on the outskirts of the city.Collier, Chapter 13.Collier, Appendix XIV. This was the start of the Portsmouth Blitz).

After 15 September, the intensity of Luftwaffe daylight attacks fell, and the emphasis switched to night bombing of industrial towns (the Blitz). Portsmouth was a major target: during a succession of attacks, two bombs fell on a gun position of 35 AA Bde, killing an officer and 10 men, wrecking the command post and one gun. Two of the remaining guns continued to fire by improvised methods.Routledge, p. 395. The city was badly bombed on the nights of 5 December 1940, 10 January, 10 March, 17 and 27 April 1941.Collier, Chapter 17.Collier, Appendix XXX.Collier, Appendix XXXI.

Order of Battle 1940–41 During the Blitz, 35 AA Bde had the following composition:5 AA Division at RA 39–45 Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.Farndale, Annex D, p. 258. 72 HAA Rgt RA – as above 48 S/L Rgt RA – as above 80th (Berkshire) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - formed in 1938 by expansion of 264th (Berkshire) Field Battery of 66th (South Midland) Field Brigade, RALitchfield, p. 21. HQ at Reading, Berkshire 249 (Berkshire Royal Horse Artillery) at Reading 250 (Reading) at Reading 251 (Buckinghamshire) at Slough 252 (City of Oxford) at Oxford 118th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery – new regiment formed in December 1940

Mid-War

The Blitz ended in May 1941, but there were occasional raids thereafter and AA Command continued to strengthen its defences. Newly-formed units joining AA Command were increasingly 'mixed' ones into which women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service were integrated, while those armed with Z Battery rocket projectiles were partly manned by members of the Home Guard.Pile's despatch.Routledge, pp. 399–404. 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 Operation Torch. 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. LAA units waiting to go overseas were sometimes lent back to AA Command to deal with the hit-and-run raiders.Collier, Chapter XX.

Order of Battle 1941–42 Over the two years following the Blitz, the brigade had the following changes in composition: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.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.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. 54th (City of London) HAA Rgt – joined from 1 AA Division autumn 1941; returned to 1 AA Division February 1942 160, 161, 312 HAA Btys 428 Bty – transferred to 131st HAA Rgt December 1941 57th (Wessex) HAA Rgt – left for 1 AA Division autumn 1941 213, 214, 215 HAA Btys 219 HAA Bty – attached to 27 AA Bde from May 1941; transferred to new 124th HAA Rgt summer 1941 430 HAA Bty – joined summer 1941 72nd (Hampshire) HAA Rgt – left for 6 AA Division December 1941 217, 218, 393 HAA Btys 310 HAA Bty – transferred to new 131st HAA Rgt August 1941 80th (Berkshire) HAA Rgt – left AA Command July 1941; later went to North AfricaRoutledge, p. 178.Joslen, p. 465. 250 HAA Bty – attached to 65 AA Bde 251, 252 HAA Btys 97th (London Scottish) HAA Rgt – joined from 1 AA Division March 1942; to 5 AA Bde June 1942 298, 319 HAA Btys 299, 376 HAA Btys – attached to 1 AA Division

101st HAA Rgt – joined from 6 AA Division July 1942; left for 1 AA Division August 1942 226, 297, 379, 427 HAA Btys 104th HAA Rgt – joined from 8 AA Division December 1941, left for 6 AA Division April 1942 328, 329, 336, 452 HAA Btys 107th HAA Rgt – from 27 AA Bde June 1942; left for 5 AA Bde November 1942 334, 335, 337 HAA Btys 390 HAA Bty – left August 1942 124th HAA Rgt – new unit formed March 1941;Farndale, Annex M. left for 27 AA Bde autumn 1941 219 HAA Bty – joined from 57th (Wessex) HAA Rgt summer 1941 410 HAA Bty – attached to 9 AA Division until July 1941 412 HAA Bty 415 HAA Bty – attached to 27 AA Bde until May 1941 126th HAA Rgt – new unit formed July 1941; left for 12 AA Division July 1942 423, 425, 426 HAA Btys 431 HAA Bty – joined from 102nd HAA Rgt July 1942 131st HAA Rgt – new unit formed August 1941; left for 6 AA Division July 1942 310 HAA Bty – transferred from 72nd HAA Rgt 368 HAA Bty – transferred from 116th HAA Rgt; attached to 8 AA Division 376 HAA Bty– transferred from 97th (London Scottish) HAA Rgt July 1942 428 HAA Bty – transferred from 54th HAA Rgt December 1941 458 HAA Bty – transferred to new 160th (Mixed) HAA Rgt August 1942 146th HAA Rgt – new unit formed January 1942; left for 27 AA Bde autumn 1941 176, 339, 414, 465 HAA Btys 148th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – new unit formed February 1942; to 5 AA Bde June, returned November 1942 505 (M) HAA Bty – transferred to new 157th (M) HAA Rgt May 1942 508, 523 (M) HAA Btys 529 (M) HAA Bty – joined June 1942 151st (Mixed) HAA Rgt – from 4 AA Division July 1942 510, 511, 514, 516 (M) HAA Btys 157th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – new unit formed May 1942 539, 550, 551 (M) HAA Btys 160th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – new unit formed June 1942 458 (M) HAA Bty – transferred from 131st HAA Rgt 556 (M) HAA Bty 508, 523, 529 (M) HAA Btys – transferred from 148th HAA Rgt Spring 1943 101st (King's Regiment (Liverpool)) LAA Rgt – joined July 1942; left AA Command for Middle East Forces by October 1942Routledge, Table XXV, p. 164.Joslen, p. 484. 226, 297, 379 LAA Btys 48th (Hampshire) S/L Rgt – from 47 AA Bde August 1942; returned to 47 AA Bde November 1942 391, 392, 393, 394 S/L Btys 5th AA 'Z' Rgt 102, 114 Z Btys 112, 127 Z Btys – joined May 1941 35 AA Bde Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section (part of No 2 Company, 5 AA Division Mixed Signal Unit, Royal Corps of Signals)

Order of Battle 1942–43

The AA Divisions were disbanded on 30 September and replaced by new AA Groups that corresponded with the groups of RAF Fighter Command. 35 AA Brigade joined the new 2 AA Group covering South East England.Routledge, pp 400–1; Map 36. After this major reorganisation, the brigade settled down with the following composition (temporary attachments omitted):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. 82nd (Essex) HAA Rgt – returned from Gibraltar May 1943Farndale, p. 201.Joslen, pp. 552–3.Routledge, pp. 201–4; Table XXXIV, p. 212. 156, 193, 256 HAA Btys 228 (Edinburgh) HAA Bty – rejoined from Gibraltar October 1943 127th HAA Rgt – temporarily attached on two occasions 1942–3 411, 422, 433 HAA Btys 148th (M) HAA Rgt – left for 1 AA Group April 1943 624, 628, 629 (M) HAA Btys 154th (M) HAA Rgt – transferred from 4 AA Group October 1943 522, 526, 552, 560 (M) HAA Btys 157th (M) HAA Rgt – left for 4 AA Group October 1943 505 (M) HAA Bty – transferred from 148th (M) HAA Rgt early 1943 539, 551 (M) HAA Btys 550 (M) HAA Bty – transferred from 154th (M) HAA Rgt early 1943 160th (M) HAA Rgt 458, 556 (M) HAA Btys 508, 523, 529 (M) HAA Btys – transferred from 148th (M) HAA Rgt early 1943