103 Anti-Aircraft Brigade was re-designated from 39 Anti-Aircraft Brigade in May 1943. It became a Mobile Brigade but still retained a commitment to AA Command. Therefore some of its units were part of the Field Force while others were from AA Command. The Brigade went to France in September 1944 to defend Le Havre. It subsequently moved to Dieppe & Boulogne, then Calais and finally Antwerp. In April 1945, 103 Anti-Aircraft Brigade was converted to an Infantry Brigade performing occupation duties.
Illustrations of the formation badges under which a unit served or supported are given. This is no guarantee that the unit used this formations badge.
May 43 | Re-designated from 39 Anti-Aircraft Brigade East Anglia | | GHQ Reserve |
Jun 43 | Cornwall – Part Field Force part AA Command | | 3 Anti-Aircraft Group |
Dec 43 | Weymouth, Dorset | | 21 Army Group |
Jun 44 | Southend, Essex – Diver deployment | | 21 Army Group |
Sep 44 | Le Havre, France | | 21 Army Group |
Oct 44 | Dieppe & Boulogne | | 21 Army Group |
Dec 44 | Calais | | 21 Army Group |
Mar 45 | Antwerp | | 21 Army Group |
Apr 45 | Converted to 103 Infantry Brigade | | |
Order of Battle May-June 1943
109 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (342, 343, 344 Batteries) |
161 (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (447, 448, 593 (M) Batteries) |
121 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (142, 396, 397, 399 Batteries) |
123 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (405, 408, 409 Batteries) |
469 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery from 138 LAA Regiment |
425 Searchlight Battery from 58 Searchlight Regiment |
188 Independent Z Battery |
Order of Battle June-December 1943
Field Force units |
12 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (4, 18, 203 Batteries) |
110 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (345, 346, 354 Batteries) |
176 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (595, 597, 599 Batteries) |
198 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (634, 635, 636 Batteries) |
50 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (58, 93, 245 Batteries) – Left July 1943 |
139 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (94, 177, 230 Batteries) – Joined September 1943 |
150 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (504, 505, 506 Batteries) – Joined July left September 1943 |
Anti-Aircraft Command units |
177 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (596, 598, 600 Batteries) – Left July 1943 |
137 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (326, 376, 462, 468 Batteries & 450 attached) |
381 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery from 98 LAA Regiment – Left July 1943 |
313 Searchlight Battery attached from 29 Searchlight Regiment – Left July 1943 |
382 Searchlight Battery attached from 46 Searchlight Regiment – Left July 1943 |
318 Gun Operations Room Falmouth |
209 Sector Operations Room Portreath |
Order of Battle April-September 1944
110 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (345, 346, 354 Batteries) |
176 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (595, 597, 599 Batteries) |
20 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment – RHQ only |
1 LAA/Searchlight Battery |
2 LAA/Searchlight Battery |
4 LAA/Searchlight Battery – Joined August 1944 |
5 LAA/Searchlight Battery – Joined August 1944 |
557 Independent Searchlight Battery |
1 Mobile Searchlight Troop Royal Canadian Artillery |
161 AA Operations Room |
202 Fixed Defences |
13 Fire Command Post |
30 Coast Observer Detachment |
Order of Battle October 1944
Dieppe |
103 AA Brigade HQ |
110 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
176 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
139 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
3 LAA/Searchlight Battery |
161 AA Operations Room = main body |
Boulogne |
103 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
320 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery from 93 LAA Regiment with Triple Polstens |
395 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery from 120 LAA Regiment |
161 AA Operations Room – sub-operations room |
Order of Battle March-April 1945
110 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
155 (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
183 (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
93 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
114 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
139 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
161 AA Operations Room |
21 AA Workshop Company REME |
806, 845, 846 Smoke Companies Pioneer Corps |
Under Operational Control |
465 Battery from 146 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
10 & part of 7 Batteries from 4 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
218 Battery from 73 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment |
7 Battery from 1 Searchlight Regiment |
411 Battery from 54 Searchlight Regiment |
No 4 Detachment, No 1 Local Warning (Radar) Troop |
159 Balloon Wing, RAF |
601 AAA Gun Battalion, US Army |
Two Batteries 787 AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion, US Army |
Two Batteries 789 AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion, US Army |
24 Chemical Smoke Generator Battalion, US Army |