26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade

26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade (26 AA Bde) was an Air Defence formation of the British Army during World War II. It defended London during the Blitz.

Origin
26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade was organised on 16 December 1935 at the Duke of York's Headquarters, Chelsea, London. It formed part of 1st AA Division, which had been formed the previous day at RAF Uxbridge to command the growing number of Territorial Army (TA) anti-aircraft gun and searchlight units around London.

Order of Battle 1935
26 AA Brigade was initially composed of the following units:
 * 51st (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Royal Artillery (TA) (heavy anti-aircraft (HAA) gun unit formed in 1922 at Chelsea)
 * HQ at Duke of York's Headquarters
 * 151st (London) AA Battery at Duke of York's Headquarters
 * 152nd(London) AA Battery at Duke of York's Headquarters
 * 153rd (London) AA Battery at Duke of York's Headquarters


 * 52nd (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA (TA) (HAA unit formed in 1922 at Acton, London)
 * HQ at Artillery House, Acton
 * 154th (London) AA Battery at Artillery House, Acton
 * 155th (London) AA Battery at Artillery House, Acton
 * 271st AA Battery


 * 53rd (City of London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA (TA) (HAA unit formed in 1922 at Putney), recruited mainly from men in banks and insurance companies in the City of London)
 * HQ at White City, London
 * 157th (City of London) AA Battery at White City
 * 158th (City of London) AA Battery at White City
 * 159th (Lloyd's) (City of London) AA Battery at White City


 * 54th (City of London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA (TA) (HAA unit formed in 1922 at Putney)
 * HQ at Putney
 * 160th (City of London) AA Battery at Putney
 * 161st (City of London) AA Battery at Putney
 * 162nd (City of London) AA Battery at Putney
 * 26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Battalion (London Electrical Engineers), Royal Engineers (TA) (converted into a searchlight unit during World War II)
 * HQ at Duke of York's Headquarters
 * 301st AA Company at Duke of York's Headquarters
 * 303rd AA Company at Duke of York's Headquarters
 * 321st AA Company at Duke of York's Headquarters
 * 339th AA Company at Duke of York's Headquarters


 * 27th (London) Anti-Aircraft Battalion (London Electrical Engineers), RE (TA) (a searchlight unit)
 * HQ at Streatham
 * 304th AA Company at Westminster
 * 305th AA Company at Westminster
 * 306th AA Company at Westminster
 * 390th AA Company at Westminster

The AA Groups took the more usual formation title of Brigades in 1938 after the Royal Artillery replaced its traditional unit designation 'Brigade' by the modern 'Regiment'.

Outbreak of war
During the period of tension leading to the Munich crisis and eventually the outbreak of World War II, the Territorial Army grew enormously, and existing TA infantry battalions continued to be converted to AA regiments. The number of divisions and brigades was expanded, and the whole AA defence of the United Kingdom was taken over by Anti-Aircraft Command on 1 April 1939. When the UK declared war on 3 September 1939, 26th (London) AA Bde had given up its searchlight units and had the following composition:


 * Brigade HQ: Brompton Road, Chelsea


 * 26th (London) AA Regiment, RA (TA)
 * HQ, 157th, 158th, 159th (Lloyd's) City of London AA Batteries as before


 * 86th (Honourable Artillery Company) AA Regiment, RA (TA)
 * HQ, 273rd, 274th, 275th AA Batteries all at Armoury House, Finsbury


 * 88th AA Regiment, RA (TA)
 * HQ, 281st, 282nd, 283rd AA Batteries all at White City

In 1940 the AA Regiments of the RA were redesignated Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) regiments to distinguish them from the existing Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) regiments

The Blitz
By late 1940, at the height of The Blitz, 26 AA Bde was still serving in 1 AA Division covering London, but had the following composition:


 * Commander: Brigadier S.K. Thorburn (12 November 1940–19 February 1943)


 * 4th HAA Regiment, RA (a Regular unit returned from Dunkirk; went to West Africa January 1942)
 * 1, 3, 27 HAA Batteries


 * 52nd (London) HAA Regiment, RA (TA) (went to Ceylon May 1942)
 * 154, 155, 271 HAA Batteries


 * 119th HAA Regiment, RA (TA) (a new unit formed in December 1940)


 * 62nd LAA Regiment, RA (TA) (a new unit formed in October 1940)