39th Anti-Aircraft Brigade

39th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) during the Second World War. It was responsible under Anti-Aircraft Command for protecting industry along the Humber Estuary and airfields in Lincolnshire during The Blitz. Later it defended the coast of East Anglia against Luftwaffe 'hit-and-run' attacks. It was later converted to a field force formation, covered the embarkation ports for Operation Overlord and defended London against V-1 flying bombs. It served in the campaign in North West Europe, defending Antwerp against V-1s and supervising the clean-up of the notorious Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Origin With the expansion of Britain's Anti-Aircraft (AA) defences in the late 1930s, new formations were created to command the growing number of Royal Artillery (RA) and Royal Engineers (RE) AA gun and searchlight units. 39th AA Brigade was raised on 29 September 1938 at Retford in Nottinghamshire, the HQ later moving to RAF Digby in Lincolnshire. Initially, it formed part of 2nd AA Division, and its units were all transferred from other brigades within the division. Its role was to defend airfields and other vulnerable points (VPs) in Lincolnshire and Humberside. At the outbreak of war, 39 AA Bde was commanded by Brigadier (later Maj-Gen) O.T. Frith.Frederick, pp. 1050–1. Farndale, Annex J.AA Corps History at British Military History.39 AA Bde War Diary 1939–41, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 166/2272.Monthly Army List, May 1939.

Mobilisation At the time the brigade was formed, the TA's AA units were in a state of mobilisation because of the Munich crisis, although they were soon stood down. In February 1939 the TA's 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 unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA and searchlight positions. The same month, 39 AA Bde came under the command of the newly formed 7 AA Division, which was created to control the AA defences of North East England, Yorkshire and Humberside. Its exact responsibilities were still being worked out when war broke out, and in fact 39 AA Bde remained under the operational control of 2 AA Division into 1940. AA Command mobilised fully on 24 August, ahead of the official declaration of war on 3 September.Routledge, pp. 65–6 & 371; Table LVIII, p. 376.

The brigade already referred to its AA gun regiments as HAA (to distinguish them from the newer light AA or LAA units that were being formed); this became official across the Royal Artillery during 1940. The brigade had a mixture of 3-inch, 3.7-inch and 4.5-inch HAA guns under command. LAA units (mainly equipped with Lewis Light machine guns (LMGs)) were distributed to defend VPs such as factories and airfields. The searchlight (S/L) layouts were based on a spacing of 3500 yards (3200 m), but due to equipment shortages this was later extended to 6000 yards (5500 m).Routledge, pp. 388-9.

Order of battle 1939 On mobilisation in August 1939, 39 AA Bde had the following composition:Routledge, Table LX, p. 378.AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files. 62nd (Northumbrian) AA Regiment, RA – HAA regiment formed from a field artillery regimentLitchfield, p. 250. HQ at Hull 172nd (1st East Riding) Battery 173rd (2nd East Riding) Battery 266th (3rd East Riding) Battery 67th (The York and Lancaster Regiment) AA Regiment, RA – HAA regiment converted from an infantry battalion (5th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment)Litchfield, pp. 262–3. HQ at Rotherham 187th, 188th, 198th Batteries 91st AA Regiment, RA – new HAA regiment formed in April 1939Litchfield, p. 266. HQ at Goole 221st (1st West Riding) Battery at York – from 62nd (Northumbrian) AA Rgt 270th (Wentworth) Battery at Wentworth 286th Battery at Goole 40th (The Sherwood Foresters) AA Battalion, RE – S/L unit converted from infantry (6th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters)Litchfield. p. 41.40 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45. HQ at Chesterfield 358th, 359th 360th 361st AA Companies 46th (The Lincolnshire Regiment) AA Battalion, RE – S/L unit converted from infantry (5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment)Litchfield, p. 143.46 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45. HQ at Grimsby 382nd, 383rd, 384th, 385th AA Companies 39th AA Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps (RASC)

67th HAA Regiment was deployed in the Sheffield Gun Zone, while 62nd and 91st HAA Rgts were in the Humber Gun Zone. The actual deployment of searchlights in the brigade's area differed from the published order of battle: 42nd (Robin Hoods, Sherwood Foresters) AA Bn, RE – S/L unit converted from 7th (Robin Hood) Bn, Sherwood ForestersLitchfield, p. 199.42 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45. 366, 368, 369 AA Cos 44th (Leicestershire Regiment) AA Bn, RE – S/L unit converted from 4th Bn Leicestershire RegimentLitchfield, p. 139.44 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45. 374, 377 AA Cos 46th (Lincolns) AA Bn, RE 383, 384, 384 AA Cos 49th (West Yorkshire Regiment) AA Bn, RE – S/L unit converted from 6th Bn West Yorkshire RegimentLitchfield, p. 259.49 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45. 397 AA Co

Phoney War On 23 September 1939, 39 AA Bde handed over responsibility for the Humber Gun Zone (including 62nd and 91st HAA Rgts) to 31 (North Midland) AA Bde, while taking over operational control of 13th LAA Rgt (37th, 38th and 122nd (Mobile) Btys) at Sheffield from 57 Light AA Bde in 7 AA Division. This unit was deployed across Lincolnshire at Cleethorpes, Scunthorpe, Stenigot and Killingholme.Litchfield, p. 269.Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396. During October the brigade gained responsibility for further LAA units: 106 LAA Bty of 27th LAA Rgt (RAF Digby, RAF Waddington, Stenigot and Skegness), 39th LAA Rgt (RAF Hemswell, RAF Scampton, RAF Finningley and Cleethorpes) and (temporarily) 56th (East Lancashire) LAA Rgt training at Tuxford and Hatfield. 46th AA Battalion now controlled 306 AA Co (detached from 27th (London Electrical Engineers) AA Bn in the south of England) as well as its own four companies.

In November 1939 the brigade moved eight S/Ls (from 42nd AA Bn) from the western side of its area to the East Coast in an attempt to pick up low-flying aircraft laying Parachute mines in the mouth of the Humber. 306 AA Company moved to Grimsby to provide lighting for a Gun Zone. 44th AA Battalion was now part of 32 (Midland) AA Bde, but the two companies in 39 AA Bde's area remained.

13th LAA Rgt returned to 7 AA Division in January, while 39th LAA Rgt spread out to take over as much of its area as it could. 115 LAA Bty of 26th LAA Rgt came under the brigade's control in February and deployed 40 Lewis guns around Doncaster and later RAF Hatfield Woodhouse in March under 39th LAA Rgt. The anti-mining S/L sites on the coast were taken over by 383 and 306 AA Cos of 46th AA Bn in February, and the 42nd AA Bn detachments returned to their original positions.

At the beginning of March the brigade's first Gun-laying Mk I radar set became operational in the Sheffield Gun Zone. There was a serious shortage of Bofors 40 mm LAA guns (most LAA units still had to make do with Lewis guns) but a few were arriving, for example, three guns to defend RAF North Coates staffed by 39th LAA Rgt from May.Routledge, pp. 96, 371.

During March and April, 46th AA Bn (less 384 AA Co) left the brigade and moved to 7 AA Division, and was replaced by 30th (Surrey) AA BnLitchfield, p. 226. transferred to the brigade from 5 AA Division in Southern England, with battalion HQ setting up at Market Rasen Racecourse in Lincolnshire. The battalion took over the existing S/L sites in Lincolnshire and along the Humber Estuary, with company HQs at Market Rasen, Grimsby, Brigg and Thorne.30 Searchlight Regiment War Diary, 24 August 1939 – 31 December 1941, TNA file WO 166/3044. and In April, 58th (Middlesex) AA Bn replaced 44th AA Bn. Later, 67th HAA Regiment transferred to 50 Light AA Bde in 2 AA Division to cover Derby and Nottingham.

On 15 May 39 AA Bde HQ moved from RAF Digby to RAF Kirton in Lindsey, and shortly afterwards it resumed control of the Humber Gun Zone (62nd and 91st HAA Rgts).

Battle of Britain After the Fall of France, German day and night air raids and mine laying began along the East Coast of England, intensifying through June 1940. Several times the Humber HAA guns were in action against aircraft attacking the Saltend (Hull) and Killingholme oil installations, and some of the airfields in 39 AA Bde's area were attacked, 30th (Surrey) AA Bn reporting damage to searchlight equipment from bomb splinters, and one searchlight site engaged an enemy aircraft with its Lewis gun. Other S/L sites combined with RAF Night fighters in a number of successful interceptions. During July the brigade was strengthened by further units: a battery of 52nd (East Lancashire) LAA Rgt, 400 AA Co (50th (Northamptonshire Regiment) AA Bn) and 467 S/L Bty (72nd (Middlesex) S/L Rgt). 17 HAA Bty (1st HAA Rgt) was ordered to man sites at Scunthorpe, and by the end of August had been joined by 1 and 2 HAA Btys, making Scunthorpe a full Gun Zone. As the Battle of Britain got under way during the summer, the Luftwaffe concentrated on Southern England, with occasional raids on the Humber and Sheffield.Routledge, Table LXII, pp. 379–80.

On 1 August 1940 the AA battalions of the RE were transferred to the RA, where they were termed searchlight regiments and the companies became batteries.Routledge.Litchfield.SL Rgts at RA 1939–45.

In September the brigade transferred most of its responsibilities south of the Humber, including 1st HAA Rgt and 40th S/L Rgt, to other brigades in 2 AA Division. The S/L layout was also thinned out to a 6000-yard spacing and 306 AA Bty returned to London, but the brigade received one of the new Z Batteries equipped with AA rocket launchers (121 AA 'Z' Bty from the division's 2 AA 'Z' Regiment, RA), which was stationed at Grimsby.

The Blitz

As German night air raids on UK cities intensified (The Blitz), 39 AA Bde sent detachments to London in September and then to Sheffield in November to assist in their defence. 13th LAA Regiment left the UK in November, arriving in Egypt in January 1941, where it served in the Greek campaign, the Siege of Tobruk and later in the Italian campaign.Routledge, pp. 129, 133; Table XX, p. 141; p. 271.

In November 1940, AA Command began changing S/L layouts to clusters of three lights spaced 10,400 yards (9500 m) apart. The cluster system was an attempt to improve the chances of picking up enemy bombers and keeping them illuminated for engagement by AA guns or night fighters. Eventually, one light in each cluster would be equipped with searchlight control (SLC) radar and act as 'master light', but the radar equipment was still in short supply.Routledge, p. 393.

A new 10 AA Division was created in November 1940, and 39 AA Bde was transferred to it, retaining its responsibility for the defence of the Humber Estuary and Scunthorpe.Farndale, Annex D.10 AA Division 1940 at RA 39–45. However, in practice the brigade remained responsible for Sheffield until 8 February 1941, when it handed over to 62 AA Bde. The Luftwaffe made a heavy raid on Sheffield on the night of 12/13 December which was also engaged by the Humber guns as it passed over.

On 15/16 January 1941 there was continuous activity through the night, as single Luftwaffe aircraft attacked various airfields and dropped mines in the Humber. There was intensive minelaying again in February, particularly on the nights of 14/15 and 22/23, with numerous engagements. The AA defences kept the attackers flying high and the mines often landed on shore; the brigade's guns claimed five 'kills' during the fortnight's activity.

Hull Blitz