page_title: 52nd Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom)
section_title: Mobilisation
hierarchical_section_title: 52nd Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom) / Mobilisation
caption_attribution_description: English: 90cm Projector Anti-Aircraft, British, c.1940. At Fort Nelson, Hampshire, England. Height: 2.6m (8'6") Weight: 662kg (1,460lb) Crew: 9 Luminosity: 2 billion candlepower Ceiling: 8km (5 miles)
context_page_description: 52nd Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army during World War II. Formed on the outbreak of war to control static searchlight sites in Scotland, it later operated as a headquarters for mobile anti-aircraft gun units in the Allied invasion of North Africa and subsequent Italian Campaign.
context_section_description: 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
caption: 90 cm 'Projector Anti-Aircraft', displayed at Fort Nelson, Hampshire.
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