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: 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 Infantry 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. 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. 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: 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 battalion
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.
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: 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 1941 203, 204, 205 LAA Btys 7th AA Z Rgt – new unit raised in September 1940, equipped with Z Battery rocket launchers 106, 109, 110, 117 Z Btys