It landed on D-Day and saw action throughout the campaign in North West Europe, providing early warning of attacks by V-1 flying bombs against Antwerp during the winter of 1944–45.

Seconded to the Royal Air Force as an observer (1918–20), he had been awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for making reconnaissance flights under fire during the closing weeks of the Mesopotamian campaign.

On completion of training and field exercises, the regiments were sometimes deployed under AA Command formations to assist Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB).

[9][19] B Troop of 322/103 HAA Bty had a secondary coastal artillery role to protect shipping off Queen sector from attack by German E-boats, particularly at night.

[9][11] As the build-up in the Normandy beachhead grew during June and July 1944, 80 AA Bde was tasked with protecting Juno and Sword beaches, the small port of Ouistreham, and the Orne and Caen Canal bridges at Bénouville, the whole being designated an Inner Artillery Zone (IAZ) at night.

[21] Although Luftwaffe air attacks over the beachhead were generally sporadic, they concentrated on the bridges, while Sword Beach and the whole Eastern Sector remained under mortar and artillery fire.

[9][21] Given the low intensity of Luftwaffe air attacks, HAA guns in the bridgehead were sometimes made available to fire on ground targets for bombardment, counter-battery and anti-tank shoots.

The brigade's HAA guns stationed at the mouth of the Orne were also tasked with a role in coast defence, to fire an airburst high explosive barrage against enemy craft if requested by the Royal Navy.

Some searchlights from 474th S/L Battery were also given a subsidiary coast defence role, while radar sets were used to plot Parachute mines being dropped by German aircraft in the anchorage (though the AA guns were forbidden to engage them for fear of causing casualties among the shipping).

[9][21][22] Brigadier Deacon was awarded a CBE for his work in planning and commanding the AA defences for D-Day and the subsequent Normandy campaign,[23][24] and later received a US Bronze Star for his war services.

[25] At the end of August, 21st Army Group broke out from the Normandy beachhead and began to pursue the defeated German troops across Northern France.

Newly arrived batteries of 41st and 42nd S/L Rgts joined the brigade at Dieppe: one of the roles for the searchlights was to illuminate Prisoner of War (PoW) camps.

[9][27] The headlong advance ended with the failure of Operation Market Garden at Arnhem, and emphasis shifted to bringing the port of Antwerp into use as a supply base.

The planners envisaged a large Gun Defence Area (GDA) to deal not only with conventional air raids but also the threat of V-1 flying bombs (codenamed 'Divers').

While Bde HQ concentrated in this task, all its units were distributed under the operational command of other British and US AA brigades, apart from those training on the new radar and predictors.

Despite concerted attacks on nearby airfields by Luftwaffe fighters on 1 January (Operation Bodenplatte), the ground situation was well under control and the AGRA and local defence plans were cancelled on that day.

By VE Day, Brigade HQ was carrying out occupation duties at Lübeck in Germany, with 28th Battalion Royal Marines and a Special Air Service squadron under command.

[23][35][36] After the end of the war in Europe, 80th AA Bde HQ continued to command occupation forces, engaged in guarding and repatriating PoWs and displaced persons (Operation Clobber), and in internal security exercised through the Wehrmacht Control Police.