Home anti-aircraft defence units

All units are of the Royal Garrison Artillery unless indicated. They are listed on this page in approximately north to south geographical location.

The units were equipped as shown. Searchlights were either single or in a pair. Some companies had one spare mobile light included in the total.

Zone Z

  • 14 AA Company located at Cromarty
    • Four 3-inch 5-cwt guns plus five searchlights
  • 16 AA Company located at Dundee
    • One 18-pounder AA gun plus three 3-inch 5-cwt guns plus five searchlights

Forth AA Defence Command:

  • 17 AA Company located at North Queensferry
    • Four 18-pounder AA guns plus four 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eleven searchlights
  • 52 AA Company at Glasgow
    • Eight 75mm AA guns plus eleven searchlights
  • 54 AA Company at Edinburgh
    • Five 18-pounder AA guns plus four 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus twelve searchlights

Tyne AA Defence Command:

  • 1 AA Company (Royal Engineers) located at Newcastle
    • Eighteen searchlights
  • 19 AA Company at Newcastle
    • One 18-pounder AA gun plus eight 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus thirteen searchlights
  • 20 AA Company at Newcastle
    • Two 18-pounder AA guns plus seven 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eleven searchlights
  • 21 AA Company at Gretna
    • Four 18-pounder AA guns plus two 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus seven searchlights

Tees AA Defence Command:

  • 22 AA Company located at Middlesbrough
    • Two 18-pounder AA guns plus four 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eleven searchlights
  • 23 AA Company at Middlesbrough
    • Four 18-pounder AA guns plus four 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eleven searchlights

Leeds AA Defence Command:

  • 2 AA Company (Royal Engineers) located at Ripon
    • Thirteen searchlights
  • 3 AA Company (Royal Engineers) at York
    • Fourteen searchlights
  • 24 AA Company at Leeds
    • Seven 18-pounder AA guns plus ten searchlights
  • 25 AA Company at Halifax
    • Seven 18-pounder AA guns plus nine searchlights
  • 28 AA Company at Selby
    • Six 75mm AA guns plus one 3-inch 20-cwt gun plus nine searchlights

Humber AA Defence Command:

  • 4 AA Company (Royal Engineers) located at Gainsborough
    • Twenty searchlights
  • 26 AA Company at Immingham
    • Two 18-pounder AA guns plus six 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus twelve searchlights
  • 27 AA Company at Hull
    • Seven 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eleven searchlights

Manchester AA Defence Command:

  • 46 AA Company located at Northwich
    • Six 12-pounder 12-cwt guns plus six searchlights
  • 48 AA Company at Manchester
    • Eight 12-pounder 12-cwt guns plus thirteen searchlights

Liverpool AA Defence Command:

  • 47 AA Company located at Liverpool
    • Seven 12-pounder 12-cwt guns plus one 3-inch 5-cwt gun plus ten searchlights

Nottingham AA Defence Command:

  • 5 AA Company (Royal Engineers) located at Grantham
    • Twenty-two searchlights
  • 29 AA Company at Sheffield
    • Nine 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus thirteen searchlights
  • 30 AA Company at Lincoln
    • Six 12-pounder 12-cwt guns plus seven searchlights
  • 33 AA Company at Nottingham
    • Nine 12-pounder 12-cwt guns plus nine searchlights

Birmingham AA Defence Command:

  • 5 AA Company located at Dudley
    • Seven 75mm guns plus eight searchlights
  • 12 AA Company at Birmingham
    • Seven 75mm guns plus eight searchlights
Illustrated London News of Saturday 23 October 1915: “Like a thief in the night. One of the fleet of hostile airships which raided this country on October 1913 over the London area. Shells from anti-aircraft guns bursting around it. (British Newspaper Archive).

Zone X

Harwich AA Defence Command:

  • 6 AA Company (Royal Engineers) located at King’s Lynn
    • Twenty searchlights
  • 7 AA Company (Royal Engineers) located at Elmswell
    • Fifteen searchlights
  • 35 AA Company at Harwich
    • Seven 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eleven searchlights
  • 36 AA Company at Pulham
    • Two 18-pounder AA guns plus four 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus seven searchlights

St. Alban’s AA Defence Command:

  • 18 AA Company located at St. Alban’s
    • Seven 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus seven searchlights
  • 31 AA Company at St. Alban’s
    • Seven 18-pounder AA guns plus seven searchlights
  • 55 AA Company at St. Alban’s
    • Nine 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus six searchlights

Epping AA Defence Command:

  • 43 AA Company located at Epping
    • Total nine 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus six searchlights
  • 49 AA Company at Epping
    • Total nine 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus six searchlights
  • 53 AA Company at Epping
    • Total nine 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus six searchlights

London AA Defence Command:

  • Northern Sub-Command
    • 12 AA Company (Royal Engineers)
      • Seventeen searchlights
    • 6 AA Company
      • Six 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus six searchlights
    • 14 AA Company
      • Seven 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus nine searchlights
  • Western Sub-Command
    • 11 AA Company (Royal Engineers)
      • Seventeen searchlights
    • 56 AA Company
      • Nine 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus ten searchlights
    • 57 AA Company
      • Nine 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus twelve searchlights
      • I found a document in a man’s service record that suggested that this unit was located at Gainsborough in December 1917
  • Eastern Sub-Command
    • 10 AA Company (Royal Engineers)
      • Seventeen searchlights
    • 8 AA Company
      • Seven 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus twelve searchlights
    • 10 AA Company
      • Six 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eight searchlights

Staines AA Defence Command:

  • 32 AA Company located at Staines
    • Six 18-pounder AA guns plus six searchlights
  • 34 AA Company at Staines
    • Seven 18-pounder AA guns plus seven searchlights
  • 58 AA Company at Staines
    • Six 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus six searchlights

Thames and Medway AA Defence Command:

  • 8 AA Company (Royal Engineers) located at Woodham Mortimer
    • Fourteen searchlights
  • 37 AA Company at Chatham
    • Seven 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus nine searchlights
  • 38 AA Company at Beacon Hill
    • Seven 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus seven searchlights
  • 39 AA Company at Bower’s Gifford
    • Six 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eight searchlights
  • 40 AA Company at Burton’s Point
    • Six 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eight searchlights

Redhill AA Defence Command:

  • 50 AA Company located at Sevenoaks
    • Total nine 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus six searchlights
  • 51 AA Company at Redhill
    • Total nine 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus seven searchlights
  • 59 AA Company at Redhill
    • Seven 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus seven searchlights

Dover AA Defence Command:

  • 9 AA Company located at Ashford
    • Twelve searchlights
  • 41 AA Company at Dover
    • Seven 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eight searchlights
  • 45 AA Company at Cliff’s End
    • Six 3-inch 20-cwt guns plus eight searchlights
  • 9 and 10 Mobile AA Batteries
    • Total twelve 13-pounder 9-cwt guns and six searchlights

Portsmouth AA Defence Command:

  • 42 AA Company located at Southampton
    • Six 18-pounder AA guns plus eight searchlights
  • 44 AA Company at Portsmouth
    • Eight 18-pounder AA guns plus one 3-inch 20-cwt gun plus twenty searchlights

The establishent of each command and company varied depending on its armament and equipment. They were relatively small units in terms of manpower. As an illustrative example, the headquarters of Staines AA Defence Command included 17 officers and men of the Royal Garrison Artillery (of which one was a Lieutenant-Colonel RGA in command) plus two attached Drivers of the Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport. Its Number 32 AA Company included ten officers and men of the Royal Garrison Artillery (of which one was a Captain RGA in command) plus four officers and men of the Royal Engineers.

Sources

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Development of anti-aircraft defence in the Great War

Royal Artillery

Royal Engineers