52nd Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade
military unit
52nd Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) during the Second World War. Formed on the outbreak of war to control static searchlight (S/L) sites in Scotland, it later operated as a headquarters (HQ) for mobile anti-aircraft (AA) gun units in the Allied invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch) and subsequent Italian Campaign.
Mobilisation
On 24 August 1939, ahead of the official declaration of war on 3 September, the TA units of Anti-Aircraft Command were fully mobilised at their war stations, with 3rd Anti-Aircraft Division covering Scotland. 52nd Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade was formed at Stirling with responsibility for searchlight provision across 3 AA Division's sectors. Initially, it had the following composition:
51st (Highland) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers (RE) – formed 1938
HQ, 320 (Dundee) AA Company at Dundee
319 (City of Aberdeen) AA Company at Aberdeen
404 AA Company at Cowdenbeath
4th/5th Battalion, The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) (52nd Searchlight Regiment) – converted from infantry 1938 in central Edinburgh
HQ, 405, 406, 407 Companies
5th Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (56th Searchlight Regiment) – converted from infantry 1938 at Bridgeton, Glasgow
HQ, 417, 418, 419 S/L Batteries
8th Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (57th Searchlight Regiment) – formed 1 November 1938 by duplication of above, based in south Glasgow
HQ, 420, 421, 422, 423 S/L Batteries
52nd AA Bde Company, Royal Army Service Corps (RASC)
On the outbreak of war, these regiments deployed 159 S/Ls; by 6 June 1940 they had 297 90 cm S/Ls and four of the newer 150 cm model.
On 1 August 1940 all the S/L units in AA Command, whether AA battalions of the RE or still forming part of their parent infantry regiments, were transferred to the Royal Artillery (RA). The units of 52 LAA Bde were therefore redesignated as follows:
51st (Highland) Searchlight Regiment, RA
52nd (Queen's Edinburgh, Royal Scots) Searchlight Regiment, RA
56th (Cameronians) Searchlight Regiment, RA
57th (Glasgow) Searchlight Regiment, RA
Battle of Britain and Blitz
During the Phoney War period there were a number of attacks on the naval bases of Scotland before the Luftwaffe turned its attention to the campaigns in Norway and France and the Low Countries.
Eastern Scotland largely escaped air attack during the Battle of Britain. In November 1940, at the height of The Blitz, a new 12 AA Division was formed to take over responsibility for western Scotland (including Glasgow and the Clyde) while 3 AA Division retained responsibility for eastern Scotland. The only effect of this on 52 LAA Bde was that 57th (Glasgow) S/L Rgt transferred to 12 AA Division.
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