26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade (26 AA Bde) was an Air Defence formation of the British Army during the Second World War. It defended London during the Blitz.
Origin
German air raids by Zeppelin airships and Gotha bombers on London and other British cities during the First World War had shown the need for strong anti-aircraft (AA) defences in any future war. When the Territorial Army (TA) was reformed in 1922 it included a number of dedicated AA units of the Royal Artillery (RA) and Royal Engineers (RE). Two formations were organised in London District to command these units, provisionally known as the 2nd and 3rd London Air Defence Brigades, but soon numbered 26th and 27th. Both were based at the Duke of York's Headquarters in Chelsea, where the units of the 2nd AD Bde were accommodated in buildings used before the First World War by King Edward's Horse and the Royal Army Service Corps divisional train of the 47th (1/2nd London) Division. Extra buildings erected for the units included gun drill sheds and a store for each battery. Meanwhile, 3rd AD Bde's units were based at Lytton Grove, Putney, taking over pre-war buildings previously used by the City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders). The brigades had the following composition:.
26th (London) Air Defence Brigade
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 156th (Barking) AA Battery at Empress Hall, Ripple Lane, Barking 26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Battalion (London Electrical Engineers), Royal Engineers (TA) (a searchlight unit) 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 26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Signal Company, Royal Signals
27th (London) Air Defence Brigade
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 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 27th (London) Anti-Aircraft Signal Company, Royal Corps of Signals
1935 Reorganisation
As Britain's AA defences expanded during the 1930s, higher formations became necessary. 1st AA Division was formed in 1935 at RAF Uxbridge to command the growing number of Territorial Army (TA) anti-aircraft gun and searchlight units covering London and the Home Counties. The 26th AD Bde was reorganised at Chelsea on 16 December 1935 as 26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Group, commanding all the gun and searchlight units of the two former brigades, while the 27th was reformed as 27th (Home Counties) Anti-Aircraft Group at RAF Kenley, to command new AA units in the South London suburbs.
The AA Groups took the more usual formation title of Brigades on 1 January 1939 after the Royal Artillery replaced its traditional unit designation 'Brigade' by the modern 'Regiment'.