Anti-Aircraft Command

Anti-Aircraft Command
Active	1939-1955
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Command
Garrison/HQ	Bentley Priory

Anti-Aircraft Command was a British Army command of the Second World War that controlled the anti-aircraft artillery units of the British Isles.

History

The formation of a body of anti-aircraft guns had been announced in 1938 but Anti-Aircraft Command was not formed until 1 April 1939 under General Sir Alan Brooke who then passed control to Sir Frederick Pile, another British Army officer. Pile would remain in command until the end of the war.

It was under the operational direction of RAF Fighter Command and occupied a headquarters known as Glenthorn in the grounds of Bentley Priory, home of Fighter Command.^[1]

The majority of the guns of AAC were operated by regular British Army units. Later as the war progressed, these were freed up 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).

General Officers Commanding-in-Chief

General Officers Commanding-in-Chief have included:^[2][3][4]

• April 1939 - July 1939 General Sir Alan Brooke
• 1939 - 1945 Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Pile
• 1945 - 1946 Lieutenant General Sir William Green
• 1946 - 1948 Lieutenant General Sir Otto Lund
• 1948 - 1950 General Sir Ivor Thomas
• 1950 - 1953 Lieutenant General Charles Loewen
• 1953 - 1955 Lieutenant General Maurice Chilton

References

1. ^ Peter Wykeham, Fighter Command: A Study of Air Defence, 1914-1960, accessed 30 May 2008
2. ^ Whitaker's Almanacks 1939 - 1955
3. ^ Anti-Aircraft Command at Regiments.org
4. ^ Army Commands

• The Anti-Aircraft Defence Of The United Kingdom From 28th July, 1939, To 15th April, 1945 London Gazette

See also

• Balloon Command