1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an Air Defence formation of the British Army, during the Second World War, and served in the Battle of France and during The Blitz.

It then transferred to the Middle East, where it defended the Eighth Army's lines of communication during the final phases of the North African Campaign.

[1] On the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939, 1st AA Bde had the following composition:[2] The brigade proceeded to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

54th (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (a Territorial Army (TA) unit) joined by November 1939 (less one of its batteries).

When the German Army broke through, forcing the BEF to begin withdrawing again, the AA batteries gave cover leap-frog fashion.

52nd (East Lancashire) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (TA) (154th, 155th and 156th LAA Batteries) had started the campaign attached to I Corps and had been heavily engaged during the retreat.

The AA units attempted to cover the shrinking Dunkirk 'pocket' against air attack until it was their turn to destroy their equipment and join the queues of men waiting to be taken aboard small boats back to England.

The brigade now had the following composition:[21][22][23][24][25] At this time The Blitz was in full swing, with frequent night air raids on the industrial cities.

[39] After Eighth Army broke through the Axis positions at the Second Battle of El Alamein and began its pursuit across Libya, the AA units were leap-frogged forwards to cover the important objectives as they were taken.