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 the Second World War 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:Frederick, pp. 1048–50. 66th (Leeds Rifles, The West Yorkshire Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Brigade RA (TA) – Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) unit formed at Leeds in 1936 by conversion of 7th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment HQ Battery 184th, 185th, 197th Anti-Aircraft Batteries 186th Anti-Aircraft Battery (at Oulton) 67th (The York and Lancaster Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Brigade RA (TA) – HAA unit formed at Rotherham in 1936 by conversion of 5th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment HQ Battery 187th, 188th, 189th, 198th Anti-Aircraft Batteries 43rd (The Duke of Wellington's Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE (TA) – Searchlight unit formed at Huddersfield in 1936 by conversion of 5th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's RegimentLitchfield, p. 268.43 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45. HQ Company 370th, 371st, 372nd, 373rd Anti-Aircraft Companies 46th (The Lincolnshire Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE (TA) – Searchlight unit formed at Grimsby in 1936 by conversion of 5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment HQ Company 382nd, 383rd, 384th, 385th Anti-Aircraft Companies

Brigadier Frederick Hyland, MC, was appointed to command 31 AA Brigade at the time of its creation on 1 November 1936. He was promoted to major-general and took command of the new 6 AA Division on 30 May 1939. By then the brigade's HQ was at 7 Park Street, York.Army List, May 1939.Robert Palmer, 'AA Command History and Personnel' at British Military History.Farndale, Annex J.Hyland at Generals of World War II.

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 Anti-Aircraft Division when that was formed in Newcastle in June 1939.Routledge, Table LVIII, p. 376. As AA Command continued to expand, existing units moved to other brigades and were replaced by newly formed units.

Second World War

Mobilisation 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:AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot FilesRoutledge, Table LX, p. 378. 66th (Leeds Rifles) AA Regt RA – as above66 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45 96th AA Regt RA – HAA unit formed in 1939 HQ and 294 Btys at Castleford 186 Bty at Oulton from 66 AA Regt 287 Bty at Pontefract 295 and 296 Btys at Halifax 43rd (5 DOW) AA Bn RE – as above 49th (West Yorkshire Regiment) AA Bn RE – Searchlight unit formed at Bradford in 1937 by conversion of 6th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment49 SL Rgt at RA 39–45 HQ, 395, 396, 397, 398 Coys at Bradford 31st Anti-Aircraft Brigade Company Royal Army Service Corps

On 23 September 1939, responsibility for the Humber Gun Zone (including 30 HAA guns manned by 62nd (Northumbrian) and 91st HAA Rgts) was transferred to 31 AA Bde from 39 AA Bde but reverted to 39 AA Bde and 2 AA Division in May 1940.39 AA Bde War Diary 1939–41, TNA file WO 166/2272.91 HAA Rgt War Diary 1939–41, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 166/2382.

During the Phoney War period, AA Command was desperate for men and equipment to meet its huge commitments. When the War Office released the first intakes of Militiamen to the Command in early 1940, most were found to be in low physical categories and without training. 31 AA Bde reported that out of 1000 recruits sent for duty, '50 had to be discharged immediately because of serious medical defects, another 20 were judged to be mentally deficient and a further 18 were unfit to do any manual labour such as lifting ammunition'.Routledge, p. 374. Fitness and training was greatly improved by the time Britain's AA defences were seriously tested during the Battle of Britain and Blitz.

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.

Battle of Britain and Blitz 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 northern Lincolnshire) on 1 November 1940. At this period it was composed of LAA and S/L units, but HAA units rejoined later.

Order of Battle 1940–41

31 AA Brigade's composition during the Blitz was as follows:Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.Farndale, Annex D, pp. 257–9.10 AA Division 1940 at RA 39–45.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/79. 87th HAA RgtLitchfield, p. 54. – joined by May 1941; operationally under 7 AA Div; left brigade June 1941; later to Eighth ArmyRoutledge, Table XXIII, p. 161.Joslen, p. 484. 278, 279, 280 HAA Btys 38th LAA Rgt (part)Litchfield, p. 269.38 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45. – to 2 AA Division by May 1941 51, 124, 125, 230 LAA Btys 71st LAA Rgt – raised January 1941Farndale, Annex M.71 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45. 210, 211, 216 LAA Btys 43rd (DoW) S/L Rgt 370, 371, 372, 373 S/L Btys 49th (West Yorkshire Regiment) S/L RgtLitchfield, p. 259.49 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45. 395, 496, 397, 398 S/L Btys 54th (1/5th Bn Durham Light Infantry) S/L RgtLitchfield, p. 57.54 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45. 411, 412, 413, 547 S/L Btys

Mid-War The Blitz is held to have ended in mid-May 1941, but periodic raids continued against the industrial towns of Northern England. On 28 April 1942 the Luftwaffe carried out one of its so-called Baedeker raids very accurately on York.Pile's despatch.Collier, Chapter XX.Collier, Appendix XXXVII.

On 30 September 1942 the AA Divisions and Corps were dissolved and a new 5 AA Group assumed responsibility for North-East England, including 31 AA Bde. Newly formed AA units joined the brigade, the HAA units increasingly being 'mixed' ones into which women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service were integrated. At the same time, experienced units were posted away for service overseas.

Order of Battle 1941–43

During this period the brigade was composed as follows (temporary attachments omitted):Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/80.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 14 May 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/81.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 1 October 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/82.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 13 March 1943, TNA file WO 212/83. 12th HAA Rgt – from War Office (WO) Reserve August 1942Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional Units), 25 March 1941, TNA file WO 212/5. 4, 18, 203, 249 HAA Btys 128th HAA Rgt – from 62 AA Bde August 1942; to 2 AA Group November 1942''' 287, 309, 407, 436 HAA Btys 182nd (Mixed) HAA Rgt – new regiment formed October 1942; to 57 AA Bde May 1943 588, 592, 594 (M) HAA Btys 615 (M) HAA Rgt - joined March 1943 71st LAA Rgt – to 65 AA Bde June 1942 192 LAA Bty – from 64th LAA Rgt Autumn 1941; to 134th LAA Rgt April 1942 210, 211, 262 LAA Btys 464 LAA Bty – new battery joined February 1942 114th LAA Rgt – from 4 AA Division May 1942; left form mobile training October 1942114 LAA Rgt War Diary 1942, TNA file WO 166/7700. 372, 373, 374, 375 LAA Btys 142nd LAA Rgt – new regiment formed October 1942; to 50 AA Bde April 1943 374 LAA Bty – from 114th LAA Rgt 398, 465, 483 LAA Btys 30th (Surrey) S/L Rgt – from 5 AA Division October 1941; to 11 AA Division January 1942Litchfield, p. 226.30 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45.30 Searchlight Regiment War Diary, 24 August 1939 – 31 December 1941, TNA War Office file WO 166/3044. 318, 323, 567 S/L Btys 41st (5th North Staffordshire Regiment) S/L Rgt – from 57 AA Bde May 1943 363, 364, 365 S/L Btys 42nd (Robin Hoods, Sherwood Foresters) S/L Rgt – from 57 AA Bde May 1943 366, 367, 368, 569 S/L Btys 43rd S/L Rgt – to 32 (Midland) AA Bde March 1943 370, 372, 373 S/L Btys 371 S/L Bty – to 60th S/L Rgt January 1942 49th S/L Rgt 395, 396, 398 S/L Btys 397 S/L Bty – to 63rd S/L Rgt January 1942 54th (1/5th DLI) S/L Rgt 411, 412, 413 S/L Btys 547 S/L Bty – to 51st (Highland) S/L Rgt January 1942 17 AA 'Z' Regiment – new regiment equipped with Z Battery rocket projectiles formed October 1942; to 57 AA Bde May 1943 170, 206, 207, 212 AA 'Z' Btys 225 AA 'Z' Bty – joined January 1943Order of Battle 1943–44 By August 1943, 31 AA Bde was a purely searchlight formation, with the following order of battle:Order of Battle of AA Command, 1 August 1943, TNA file WO 212/84. 41st (5NSR) S/L Rgt – as above 42nd (Robin Hoods) S/L Rgt 366, 367, 368 S/L Btys 369 S/L Boy – disbanded February 194431 AA Bde War Diary, February 1944, TNA file WO 171/1080. 49th (WYR) S/L Rgt – as above 54th (1/5th DLI) S/L Rgt – as aboveNorth West Europe

Early in 1944, 31 AA Bde under the command of Brigadier E. Coley was earmarked for overseas service with 21st Army Group in Operation Overlord. Between training, field force AA units were loaned back to AA Command, and 31 AA Bde retained its responsibilities under 5 AA Group. At the time the brigade was headquartered at Tadcaster, later at nearby Newton Kyme, in North Yorkshire as part of 5 AA Group with the following searchlight units under command:Order of Battle of AA Command, 27 April 1944, TNA file WO 212/85. 41st (5NSR) S/L Rgt 42nd (Robin Hoods) S/L Rgt 54th (1/5th Bn DLI) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery – as above 64th (Essex Regiment) S/L Rgt, later replaced by 58th (Middlesex) S/L Rgt – both remained in the UK and converted to garrison unitsThe regiments re-equipped their AA LMG sections with twin Browning machine guns and carried out 'Bullseye' exercises over North East England with the Night fighters of No. 264 Squadron RAF. On 15 April, 41 S/L Rgt received orders to mobilise for overseas service, followed on 1 June by 31 Bde HQ and 42 and 58 S/L Rgts. 31 Brigade HQ moved to its concentration area at Addlestone in Surrey and came under the orders of 21st Army Group on 21 June (D + 15).31 AA Bde War Diary, February–June 1944, TNA file WO 171/1080.41 S/L Rgt War Diary, April 1944, TNA file WO 166/14873.Routledge, Table XLIX, p 319. However, embarkation would not follow for several months, during which the HQ staff had to undergo three weeks of Battle Training at Perranporth in Cornwall, and then run S/L training in Wiltshire.31 AA Bde War Diary, April–October 1944, TNA file WO 171/1080.