It was later converted to a field force formation, covered the embarkation ports for Operation Overlord and defended London against V-1 flying bombs.

It served in the campaign in North West Europe, defending Antwerp against V-1s and supervising the clean-up of the notorious Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

39th AA Brigade was raised on 29 September 1938 at Retford in Nottinghamshire, the HQ later moving to RAF Digby in Lincolnshire.

[1] [2][3][4][5][6] At the time the brigade was formed, the TA's AA units were in a state of mobilisation because of the Munich crisis, although they were soon stood down.

[4] LAA units (mainly equipped with Lewis Light machine guns (LMGs)) were distributed to defend VPs such as factories and airfields.

[4] In November 1939 the brigade moved eight S/Ls (from 42nd AA Bn) from the western side of its area to the East Coast in an attempt to pick up low-flying aircraft laying Parachute mines in the mouth of the Humber.

[4] At the beginning of March the brigade's first Gun-laying Mk I radar set became operational in the Sheffield Gun Zone.

The battalion took over the existing S/L sites in Lincolnshire and along the Humber Estuary, with company HQs at Market Rasen, Grimsby, Brigg and Thorne.

[4] After the Fall of France, German day and night air raids and mine laying began along the East Coast of England, intensifying through June 1940.

Several times the Humber HAA guns were in action against aircraft attacking the Saltend (Hull) and Killingholme oil installations, and some of the airfields in 39 AA Bde's area were attacked, 30th (Surrey) AA Bn reporting damage to searchlight equipment from bomb splinters, and one searchlight site engaged an enemy aircraft with its Lewis gun.

[4] As German night air raids on UK cities intensified (The Blitz), 39 AA Bde sent detachments to London in September and then to Sheffield in November to assist in their defence.

The cluster system was an attempt to improve the chances of picking up enemy bombers and keeping them illuminated for engagement by AA guns or night fighters.

The AA defences kept the attackers flying high and the mines often landed on shore; the brigade's guns claimed five 'kills' during the fortnight's activity.

A more serious raid on 13/14 March left many fires burning and numerous casualties, and RAF fighter and bomber stations were attacked the following night.

[4][44][45] In March, in response to the mine-laying, 39 AA Bde ordered 30th (Surrey) S/L Rgt to establish a mobile detachment to help the defenders engage these raiders.

Fires started on 7/8 May drew enemy aircraft to the target, and many of the bombs were large parachute mines that caused widespread damage and many casualties across the city.

[4][45] The Blitz is generally considered to have ended on 12 May,[46] but there was another significant raid on Hull on 28/29 May, mainly minelaying that caused the Humber to be closed to shipping for some time.

[33] 6th HAA Regiment, a mobile unit under training before deployment overseas,[54] took up temporary positions along the coast around Hornsea and Leconfield under the command of the Hull GDA in July.

Similarly, 80th (Berkshire) HAA Rgt of the War Office (WO) Reserve was attached to the brigade from November to March 1942.

[17][69][70] 62nd HAA, 39th LAA and 30th S/L Rgts all embarked for North Africa in November 1942, joining Allied Force Headquarters in January 1943 for the Tunisian Campaign and later in Italy.

This led to a continual turnover of units, which accelerated in 1942 with the preparations for the invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch) and the need to transfer AA units to counter the Baedeker raids, which also meant that 39 AA Bde had to make plans to relocate S/Ls to Sheffield (under the codename 'Cutlery', an allusion to the Sheffield Cutlery trade).

The Luftwaffe carried out occasional harassing raids in the brigade's area, including a damaging attack on the naval base at Yarmouth on 18 March[80] 126th LAA Rgt departed for battle training on 3 April, and was relieved by 121st LAA Rgt, which rejoined the brigade after completing its own mobile training.

The Yarmouth and Lowestoft defences were reinforced by moving detachments of 123rd LAA Rgt from guarding RAF stations and equipping them with 20 mm Hispano cannon.

[52][84] As well as guarding VPs such as the Royal Navy Cordite Factory, Holton Heath, and Portland Naval Base, the brigade became responsible for air defence of the area's growing encampments of troops (mainly US Army) preparing for the Allied invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord) and their landing craft gathering in Portland and Poole Harbours.

Brigade HQ moved to New Romney, with guns deployed to Littlehampton to guard 'Phoenixes' waiting to be used in constructing the Mulberry Harbour.

[88][90] However, the first V-1 'Divers' crossed the brigade's GDA during the night of 12/13 June, and two days later the guns at Littlehampton and Newchurch were heavily engaged.

AA Command then put Operation Diver into effect, and mobile HAA batteries were redeployed to London from protecting the Overlord embarkation ports.

However, there was dispute as to whether units at Le Havre were under US Navy or 21st Army Group control, and the brigade had to improvise its own support services, with the brigadier acting as military commandant of the town.

The brigade moved to Fallingbostel in Germany and took over occupation duties under Second Army, including responsibility for ameliorating the horrors of the newly liberated Belsen concentration camp.

On 3 June the brigade (less 633rd Rgt) moved to Kreuztal under 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division and took over responsibility from US troops in the area.