35th Anti-Aircraft (AA) Brigade was formed on 1 April 1938 at Fort Fareham in Hampshire, and was commanded by Brigadier R.B.

A few bombers got through to Portsmouth on 10 July,[20] and the Portsmouth and Southampton AA guns were in action on 15 August, claiming one 'kill',[21] Again, on 18 August, German air raids crossed Southern England and 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.

After 15 September, the intensity of Luftwaffe daylight attacks fell, and the emphasis switched to night bombing of industrial towns (the Blitz).

Newly-formed units joining AA Command were increasingly 'mixed' ones into which women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service were integrated, while those armed with Z Battery rocket projectiles were partly manned by members of the Home Guard.

The AA defences of Southern England were severely tested in the summer of 1942 by the Luftwaffe's 'hit-and-run' attacks along the South Coast, and there was much reorganisation, accounting for some of the turnover of units listed earlier.

This was a headquarters that had been moved from Scotland to the South Coast to take responsibility for the build-up of AA defences in the Solent–Portsmouth area covering embarkation ports for the Allied invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord).

[62] By this stage of the war, AA Command's strength was diminishing as manpower had to be released to 21st Army Group fighting in North West Europe, and batteries and whole regiments were disbanded or converted other roles.

After VE-Day, the brigade was responsible for 5 and 6 Area AA Maintenance HQs, and for the only fully Mixed searchlight regiments, 26th and 93rd.