In 1940 the brigade was responsible for the defences on the south side of the Thames Estuary including the Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham and the Port of Dover.

From mid-1944 the German Luftwaffe began launching V-1 flying bombs against southeast England, whose speed and maneuverability made them hard for AA guns to destroy.

As a result, the brigade was repositioned along the South Coast as part of a concentration of AA guns under Operation Diver to target V-1s coming in over the English Channel.

As the launching sites in France were overrun by 21st Army Group by late 1944, the Luftwaffe switched to air-launching V-1s over the North Sea, forcing another redeployment to the east of London.

There were also 313 and 314 independent AA searchlight companies of the RE (TA) in Kent, but these were not formally subordinated to 28 AD Bde at this time.

[1][2][3][4] At first, 28th AD Bde was subordinate to the Home Counties Area of Eastern Command, but as Britain's AA defences expanded during the 1930s, higher formations became necessary.

[5][3] The 28th ADB was reorganised as 28th (Thames & Medway) Anti-Aircraft Group, based at Kitchener Barracks, Chatham, and commanding all the gun and searchlight units in the area.

It was serving in 6 AA Division, which was formed on 30 May 1939 to take responsibility for the air defence of the Thames Estuary, Essex and Kent.

One wrecked aircraft was found on the marshes and credited to 206 Battery of 58th HAA Regiment, based at Allhallows, Kent.

[17] During the summer of 1940 the brigade was joined by 53rd (City of London) HAA Regiment, which had been evacuated from Marseille after abandoning its guns in the wake of the Fall of France.

In July 1940 it began heavy daylight raids against south coast ports and shipping; the guns at Dover were in action virtually every day.

On 18 August, for example, German air raids appeared over RAF airfields at West Malling, Manston, Kenley, Biggin Hill, Gravesend and the town of Sevenoaks, all within four and a half hours in the afternoon.

On 7 September heavy raids up the estuary attacked oil wharves at Thameshaven, Tilbury Docks and Woolwich Arsenal: a total of 25 German aircraft were claimed by AA guns and fighters.

For example, on 28 July two Junkers Ju 88 from the same German formation were damaged over the Thames Estury by anti-aircraft fire but managed to return to occupied Europe; however, both crashed on landing and were written off.

[28] One of the lessons the Germans learnt during the Battle of Britain was that day bombers needed to fly in tight formation for mutual protection against fighters.

The opening salvo from a troop of four 3.7-inch guns of 28 AA Bde brought down the three leading aircraft and scattered the others in disorder; they jettisoned their bombs as they escaped.

[29] On 15 September, remembered as the zenith of the battle, the guns of 28 AA Bde were in prolonged combat, engaging German aircraft over Chatham in the morning, and again in the afternoon.

[31] After 15 September the intensity of Luftwaffe day raids declined rapidly, and it began a prolonged night bombing campaign over London and industrial towns known as The Blitz.

[18] During 1942 more of the brigade's experienced units were transferred to War Office (WO) control, trained and equipped for mobile warfare, and then sent to active theatres overseas, particularly for Operation Torch in North Africa.

Increasingly, the replacement HAA and support units were "Mixed", indicating that the operational personnel included women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS).

[44][45] During this period the brigade was composed as follows (temporary attachments omitted):[46][47][48][44][49][50] After this rapid turnover, the brigade only had three units under command by the end of 1943:[50][83] By March 1944 AA Command was releasing manpower for the planned Allied invasion of continental Europe and 90th HAA and 4th LAA Regiments joined Second Army to prepare for the Normandy Landings (Operation Overlord).

[42][69][84] Although many regiments were reduced by one or more batteries, there were few other changes to the brigade's order of battle in the early part of 1944:[83] By October 1944, the brigade's HQ establishment was 9 officers, 8 male other ranks and 24, female, members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), together with a small number of attached drivers, cooks and mess orderlies (male and female).

[88] After two weeks' experience of the V1 threat AA Command carried out a major reorganisation, stripping guns from the London IAZ and other parts of the UK and repositioning them along the south coast.

New HAA sites had to be quickly established, with new Pile Platforms' being built and thousands of huts moved and re-erected to shelter the crews as winter approached.