36th (Scottish) Anti-Aircraft Brigade


36th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army, created in the period of tension before the outbreak of the Second World War. It was responsible for defending eastern Scotland.

Origins

Large numbers of Territorial Army units were converted to anti-aircraft and searchlight roles in the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers during the 1930s, and higher formations were required to control them. 36th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was formed on 1 May 1938 at Edinburgh, to command the units responsible for the air defence of Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth. Its first commander was Brigadier G.C. Kemp. Initially the brigade was formed within Scottish Command, later being subordinated to 3rd Anti-Aircraft Division when that formation was raised at Edinburgh on 1 September 1938 to command all the AA defences of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Subsequently, Anti-Aircraft Command was created on 1 April 1939 and took control of AA Defence throughout the United Kingdom.

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. 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.

Order of battle 1939

The composition of 36 AA Bde on the outbreak of war was as follows:
In September 1939, the brigade had 28 heavy AA guns deployed round the Forth, with one more out of action.

Battle of Britain and the Blitz

The AA regiments of the RA were designated 'Heavy AA' from the summer of 1940 to distinguish them from the newer Light AA units being formed.

Order of Battle 1940–41

During the night bombing Blitz on industrial cities in the winter of 1940–41, 36 AA Bde had the following composition:

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. 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.

Order of Battle 1941–42

From the summer of 1941 the brigade's order of battle was as follows:
  • 71st HAA Rgt
  • * 227, 229, 325 HAA Btys
  • * 382 HAA Bty – attached to 108 HAA Rgt June 1941; left Summer 1941
  • * 317 HAA Bty – from 101st HAA Rgt Summer 1941
  • 114th HAA Rgt – to 51 AA Bde May 1942
  • * 357, 360 HAA Btys
  • * 358 HAA Bty – to new 147th HAA Rgt February, returned March 1942
  • * 317 HAA Bty – from 147th HAA Rgt March 1942
  • 129th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – formed August 1941
  • * 444, 445, 454, 455 HAA Btys
  • 158th (Mixed) HAA Rgt – formed May, joined August 1942
  • * 540, 541, 548, 572 HAA Btys
  • 19th LAA Rgt – from Orkney & Shetland Defences June 1941; to 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division February 1942
  • * 54 LAA Bty – left Summer 1941
  • * 60, 104 LAA Btys
  • * 263 LAA Bty – joined Summer 1941
  • 20th LAA Rgt – from 9 AA Division Spring 1942; left AA Command June 1942, later 21st Army Group
  • * 62, 63, 244 LAA Btys
  • 31st LAA Rgt – left June 1941
  • * 61, 101, 224 LAA Btys
  • 72nd LAA Rgt – from 7 AA Division Summer 1941; to 9 AA Division Spring 1942
  • * 212. 213, 217 LAA Btys
  • 95th LAA Rgt – from 51 AA Bde June 1942
  • * 263, 294, 297, 302, 446 LAA Btys
  • 135th LAA Rgt – formed February 1942; to 52 AA Bde June 1942
  • * 94, 445, 460, 478 LAA Btys
  • * 478 LAA Bty – to 114th HAA Rgt May 1942
  • * 450 LAA Bty – joined May 1942
  • 46th (Lincolnshire Regiment) S/L Rgt – from 7 AA Division January 1942; to OSDEF August 1942
  • * 382, 383, 384, 385 S/L Btys
  • 59th (Warwickshire) S/L Rgt
  • * 399, 427, 428, 516 S/L Btys
  • 3rd AA 'Z' Rgt – to 12 AA Division September 1941; returned May 1942; designated Mixed May 1943
  • * 107, 115, 118, 191 Z Btys
  • 36 AA Bde Mixed Signal Office Section, part of 1 Company, 3 AA Division Mixed Signal Unit, Royal Corps of Signals

Later war

In August 1942, 3rd AA Division HQ moved south to help AA Command control the reinforcements to countering the Luftwaffe 'hit-and-run' raids against the South Coast, and the brigade briefly came under the command of 7th AA Division. However, in October 1942 AA Command reorganised its structure, replacing the AA Divisions with AA Groups coinciding with RAF Fighter Command's Groups. 36 AA Bde came under 6 AA Group covering Scotland.

Order of Battle 1942–44

During this period the brigade was constituted as follows :
  • 122nd HAA Rgt – from OSDEF November 1943
  • * 397, 400, 401, 453 HAA Btys
  • 129th HAA Rgt – to 43 AA Bde April 1943
  • 145th (M) HAA Rgt – from 43 AA Bde April 1943
  • * 500, 501, 502, 536 HAA Btys
  • 158th HAA Rgt – to 51 AA Bde Summer 1943
  • 180th (M) HAA Rgt – from 42 AA Bde November 1943
  • * 547, 586, 609, 613 HAA Btys
  • 85th LAA Rgt – from 51 AA Bde November 1943
  • * 52, 56, 304 LAA Btys
  • 95th LAA Rgt
  • * 263, 294, 297, 302 LAA Btys
  • 151st LAA Rgt – converted from 114th HAA Rgt ; to 2 AA Group May 1943
  • * 449, 478 LAA Btys
  • 59th S/L Rgt – left for conversion to 148 (Warwickshire) LAA Rgt April 1943
  • * 399, 427, 428 S/L Btys
  • * 516 S/L Bty – disbanded February 1943
  • 3 AA 'Z' Rgt
  • * 107, 115 Z Btys – to 11 AA Z Rgt Winter 1942–3
  • * 118 Z Bty
  • * 191 Z Bty – unregimented January 1943
  • * 208, 217, 218 Z Btys – new batteries joined December 1942
  • 36 AA Bde Mixed Signal Office Section. part of 1 Mixed Signal Company, 6 AA Group Signals, RCS

Disbandment

By early 1944, AA Command was being forced to release manpower to 21st Army Group for the planned Allied invasion of continental Europe, and a number of AA batteries, regiments and formations had to be disbanded. 36th AA Brigade was one of those to be disbanded, on 20 February 1944. 6 AA Group HQ went south to take over part of the responsibility for defending the Overlord embarkation ports, and a new 8 AA Group was formed to cover Scotland. 122nd HAA Regiment went to Southern England with 6 AA Group and joined 30 AA Bde while the rest of 36 AA Bde's units joined the new 8 AA Group.

Postwar

When the TA was reformed in 1947, 36 AA Bde's Regular Army units reformed 12 AA Bde, while the TA portion was renumbered as 62 AA Bde, both at South Queensferry and forming part of the Edinburgh-based 3 AA Group. 62 AA Brigade had the following composition:
  • 494 HAA Rgt – see above
  • 514 LAA Rgt
  • 519 LAA Rgt
  • 532 LAA Rgt – see above
  • 587 LAA Rgt
However, the reformed brigade was short-lived, being disbanded in September 1948.

External sources