Country United Kingdom Type Command Headquarters Bentley Priory | Branch British Army Garrison/HQ Bentley Priory | |
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Active 1 April 1939-10 March 1955 Notable
commanders Lt-Gen Alan Brooke
Lt-Gen Sir Frederick Pile Engagements Battle of Britain, The Blitz, Baedeker Blitz, Operation Steinbock Similar RAF Balloon Command, Royal Observer Corps, Army Ground Forces, RAF Fighter Command, Women's Royal Army Corps | ||
Anti-Aircraft Command (AA Command, or 'Ack-Ack Command') was a British Army command of the Second World War that controlled the Territorial Army anti-aircraft artillery and searchlight formations and units defending the British Isles.
Contents
Origin
The formation of a Command-level body of anti-aircraft defences had been announced in 1938, but Anti-Aircraft Command was not formed until 1 April 1939 under General Sir Alan Brooke, who had been commander of Anti-Aircraft Corps. He then passed control to Sir Frederick Pile, who would remain in command until the end of the war.
AA Command was under the operational direction of RAF Fighter Command as part of Air Defence of Great Britain, and occupied a headquarters known as Glenthorn in the grounds of Bentley Priory, home of Fighter Command.
The majority of AA Command's guns and searchlights were operated by Territorial Army units. Some Regular Army units joined after they returned from the Dunkirk evacuation. Later, as the war progressed, Regulars and TA were freed up for overseas service by the use of men of the Home Guard (loading and firing the guns) and women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (handling ammunition and operating gun directors).
Divisional organisation
Divisions under the command were:
AA Command was also responsible for the Orkney and Shetland Defences (OSDEF).
Corps organisation
At the end of 1940, the Command created three Corps to supervise this expanding organisation:
Group organisation
In October 1942, the corps and divisions were abolished and replaced by seven flexible AA Groups more closely aligned with the operational structure of Fighter Command:
(1st and 2nd AA Groups coincided with No. 11 Group RAF)
Later events
Later, 6th AA Group took over the Solent area to cover the preparations for Operation Overlord and was replaced in NE England by a new 8th Anti-Aircraft Group.
A new 9th Anti-Aircraft Group was formed to cover southern East Anglia during the flying bomb offensive (Operation Diver).
On 1 April 1943, AA Command took over control of smoke screens from the Ministry of Home Security. These installations were manned by the Pioneer Corps.
Postwar
When the TA was reformed after World War II in 1947, AA Command was generously provided for, with a large number of units, some of them including members of the Women's Royal Army Corps (successors of the ATS). It was structured in five regional AA Groups, each commanding a number of TA and Regular AA Brigades:
On 1 December 1954, it was announced that AA Command would be disbanded with effect from 10 March 1955.
Senior staff
The following officers held senior posts in AA Command: