33rd (Western) Anti-Aircraft Brigade
| 33rd (Western) Anti-Aircraft Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1936–1955 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 Territorial Army
|
| Type | Anti-Aircraft Brigade |
| Role | Air Defence |
| Part of |
2nd AA Division 4th AA Division 4 AA Group |
| Garrison/HQ |
Chester Liverpool Warrington |
| Engagements | The Blitz |
The 33rd (Western) Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Anti-Aircraft Command of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army, formed shortly before the outbreak of World War II. It defended Merseyside and West Lancashire during The Blitz.
The 33rd (Western) Anti-Aircraft Group (later Brigade) was formed on 1 November 1936 at the Drill Hall, Chester, as part of 2nd AA Division, with the following AA units of the Royal Artillery (RA) and Royal Engineers (RE) under command:
The 33rd AA Brigade was reassigned to 4th AA Division when that formation was created in Western Command on 1 September 1938. AA Command took over all TA air defences in 1939.
AA Command mobilised in August 1939, and its units were already at their war stations on the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939. 33rd AA Brigade was responsible for the air defence of Liverpool and West Lancashire, controlling the following units:
During the early part of the war the brigade's searchlight regiments were transferred to other formations and were replaced by new HAA and Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) regiments. By the time of the Liverpool Blitz of 1940–41, 33 AA Bde had its headquarters at Liverpool in 4 AA Division, with the following units under command:
On 1 January 1947, 33 AA Bde was redesignated 59th Anti-Aircraft Brigade' in the reformed TA, constituting part of 4 AA Group based at Warrington:
AA Command was disbanded on 10 March 1955 and there was a series of reductions and mergers in the TA's AA units. 59 AA Brigade was itself placed in suspended animation on 31 October 1955 and formally disbanded on 31 December 1957.
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