31st (North Midland) Anti-Aircraft Brigade

The 31st (North Midland) Anti-Aircraft Brigade (31 AA Bde) was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army from 1936 until 1948. During World War II it defended West Yorkshire and later participated in the North West Europe campaign.

Origins
The formation was raised as 31st (North Midland) Anti-Aircraft Group on 1 November 1936 at Retford forming part of 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division. Its initial order of battle was as follows:

Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) unit formed at Leeds in 1936 by conversion of 7th (Leeds Rifles) Bn West Yorkshire Regiment
 * 66th (Leeds Rifles) (The West Yorkshire Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Brigade RA (TA) –
 * HQ Battery
 * 184th Anti-Aircraft Battery
 * 185th Anti-Aircraft Battery
 * 186th Anti-Aircraft Battery (at Oulton)
 * 197th Anti-Aircraft Battery

HAA unit formed at Rotherham in 1936 by conversion of 5th Bn York and Lancaster Regiment
 * 67th (The York and Lancaster Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Brigade RA (TA) –
 * HQ Battery
 * 187th Anti-Aircraft Battery
 * 188th Anti-Aircraft Battery
 * 189th Anti-Aircraft Battery
 * 198th Anti-Aircraft Battery

Searchlight unit formed at Huddersfield in 1936 by conversion of 5th Bn Duke of Wellington's Regiment
 * 43rd (The Duke of Wellington's Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE (TA) –
 * HQ Company
 * 370th Anti-Aircraft Company
 * 371st Anti-Aircraft Company
 * 372nd Anti-Aircraft Company
 * 373rd Anti-Aircraft Company

Searchlight unit formed at Grimsby in 1936 by conversion of 5th Bn Lincolnshire Regiment
 * 46th (The Lincolnshire Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE (TA) –
 * HQ Company
 * 382nd Anti-Aircraft Company
 * 383rd Anti-Aircraft Company
 * 384th Anti-Aircraft Company
 * 385th Anti-Aircraft 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. 31st AA Bde transferred to the new 7th AA Division when that was formed in Newcastle in June 1939. As AA Command continued to expand, existing units moved to other brigades and were replaced by newly-formed units.

World War II
On the outbreak of war 31 AA Bde was based at York and was mobilised to defend West Yorkshire, with the following order of battle:


 * 66 (Leeds Rifles) AA Regt RA –as above
 * 96 AA Regt RA – HAA unit formed in 1939
 * HQ at Castleford
 * 186 Bty at Oulton from 66 AA Regt
 * 287 Bty at Pontefract
 * 294 Bty at Castleford
 * 295 Bty at Halifax
 * 296 Bty at Halifax
 * 43 (5 DOW) AA Bn RE – as above
 * 49 (West Yorkshire Regiment) AA Bn RE – Searchlight unit formed at Bradford in 1936 by conversion of 6th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment
 * HQ, 395, 396, 397, 398 Coys at Bradford
 * 31st Anti-Aircraft Brigade Company Royal Army Service Corps

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, 31 AA Bde remained responsible for AA defence of the West Yorkshire towns and cities, and was transferred to a new 10th AA Division (covering Yorkshire and Humberside) on 1 November 1940. At this period it was composed of LAA and S/L units:


 * 38 LAA Regt (part)
 * 71 LAA Regt – formed January 1941
 * 43 (DOW) S/L Regt –as above
 * 49 (WYR) S/L Regt –as above
 * 54 (1/5th Bn Durham Light Infantry) S/L Regt

On 30 September 1942 the AA Divisions and Corps were dissolved and a new 5th AA Group assumed responsibility for North-East England, including 31 AA Bde.

As the campaign in North West Europe developed after Operation Overlord, 31 AA Bde joined 21st Army Group as one of the HQs to control the large number of AA units deployed. Their orders of battle were flexible and changed frequently during the campaign.

Postwar
When the TA was reformed in 1947, 31 AA Bde was renumbered as 57 AA Bde', with its HQ at Immingham, and the following order of battle:


 * 462 (Northumbrian) HAA Regt at Hull
 * 491 HAA Regt at Harrogate
 * 581 HAA Regt at Scunthorpe – former 46 S/L Regt, see above
 * 529 LAA Regt at Grimsby
 * 539 LAA Regt at Lincoln

However, the brigade was disbanded by 27 September 1948. AA Command was disbanded and the air defence of the UK was reorganised in 1955. A new 31 AA Bde was formed as a TA HQ from the Regular Army's 8 AA Bde, based at Gosforth. It 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