30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade

The 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade (30 AA Bde) was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army from 1936 until 1955, which defended Tyneside and Sunderland during World War II.

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 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 AA Company
 * 308th AA Company
 * 348th AA Company
 * 349th AA Company


 * 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 AA Company
 * 387th AA Company
 * 388th AA Company
 * 389th AA Company

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'. Anti-Aircraft Command was formed in April 1939 to control all the TA's AA units and formations. 30th AA Bde transferred to the new 7th AA Division when that was formed in Newcastle in June 1939. As AA Command continued to expand, 62 AA Bde and 47 S/L Bn moved to other brigades in 7 Aa Division and were replaced by newly-formed units.

World War II
On the outbreak of war 30 AA Bde was mobilised to defend its home area of Tyneside and Sunderland, with the following order of battle:
 * 63rd (Northumbrian) AA Regt RA – as above
 * 64th (Northumbrian) AA Regt RA – as above
 * 87th AA Regt RA – HAA unit formed at Hebburn May 1939
 * 37th (Tyne Electrical Engineers) AA Bn RE – as above
 * 5th Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (53rd Searchlight Bn RE) – searchlight unit formed at Walker-on-Tyne in 1939 by conversion of infantry battalion

In 1940, RA regiments equipped with 3-inch or 3.7-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.

During The Blitz, 30 AA Bde comprised both HAA and LAA artillery while the searchlight units in the area were controlled by 57 AA Bde:
 * 63 (Northumbrian) HAA Regt – as above
 * 64 (Northumbrian) HAA Regt – as above
 * 37 (Tyne Electrical Engineers) LAA Regt – duplicate of 37 AA Bn RE (above), organised on 28 August 1939 as an LAA Regiment RA
 * 38 LAA Regt (part) – new unit raised on 28 August 1939 in North Yorkshire

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; 63 HAA Regt went to Ceylon in May 1942;  38 LAA Regt went to North Africa in August 1942  and 64 HAA Regt went to Tunisia in May 1943.

On 30 September 1942 the AA Divisions and Corps were dissolved and a new 7th AA Group assumed responsibility for North-East England, including 30 AA Bde.

Postwar
When the TA was reformed in 1947, 30 AA Bde was renumbered as 56 (Northumbrian) AA Bde', with its HQ at Washington, Co Durham, and the following order of battle:
 * 325 (Sunderland) LAA Regt at Sunderland – formerly 125 (Northumbrian) Anti-Tank Regt
 * 463 (Durham) HAA Regt at Sunderland – formerly 63 (Northumbrian) HAA Regt (above)'
 * 485 (Tees) HAA Regt at Middlesbrough – ''formerly 85 (Tees) HAA Regt
 * 589 Searchlight Regt (Durham Light Infantry) at Stockton-on-Tees – formerly 54 S/L Regt (The Durham Light Infantry)
 * 590 LAA/SL Regt at Stockton – formerly 113th (Durham Light Infantry) LAA Regt
 * 654 LAA Regt at Bishop Auckland – newly raised

654 LAA Regt was placed in suspended animation in May 1949, and 325 LAA Regt merged into another unit in January 1954. Then on 1 March 1954, 56 (Northumbrian) AA Bde HQ was disbanded at Seaburne, Sunderland. The following year AA Command was disbanded and the air defence of the UK was reorganised. A new 30 AA Bde was formed as a TA HQ from the Regular Army's 1 AA Bde, based at Edenbridge, Kent. It had no connection with Northumbria and was disbanded in 1961.

External sources

 * British Military History


 * British Army units from 1945 on


 * Orbat.com


 * Orders of Battle at Patriot Files


 * The Royal Artillery 1939–45