artillery units selected for conversion to the Anti-Aircraft (AA) role as 58th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA, and was assigned to 28th (Thames and Medway) Anti-Aircraft Group of 1st Anti-Aircraft Division. In April the following year, 205 Battery was transferred to the smaller 55th (Kent) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, RA based at Rochester. When the TA was augmented at the time of the Munich Crisis, a new 264 Battery was raised on 1 October 1938 within 58th AA Bde at Dartford. On 1 January 1939 the RA redesignated its 'brigades' as 'regiment'. In May 1939 a new 6th AA Division was formed within Anti-Aircraft Command for the air defence of the Thames Estuary, Kent and Essex, and the 28th (Thames and Medway) AA Brigade and its units transferred to the new formation. 28th AA Bde was responsible for the 'Thames South' layout of gun sites. This organisation was in place when war broke out in September 1939. World War II Phoney War Opportunities for action were rare during the Phoney War, but on the night of 22/23 November 1939 the HAA guns of 28 AA Bde manning the 'Thames South' layout combined with those of 37 AA Bde on the other bank of the river ('Thames North') to engage at least two enemy mine-laying aircraft that had strayed into the mouth of the Estuary. One wrecked aircraft was found on the marshes and credited to 206 Bty of 58th HAA Rgt at Allhallows, Kent. On 1 June 1940, along with other AA units equipped with older 3-inch, newer 3.7-inch, or 4.5-inch AA guns, the 58th was designated a Heavy AA Regiment. Battle of Britain The regiment was heavily engaged throughout the Battle of Britain defending the Medway Towns against German bombers. On 18 August, for example, German air raids appeared over RAF airfields at West Malling, Manston, Kenley, Biggin Hill, Gravesend and the town of Sevenoaks, all within four and a half hours in the afternoon. All the gunsites of Thames South and its neighbours were in action and accounted for 23 enemy aircraft. Four days later a mass raid flew up the Thames Estuary to attack RAF Hornchurch on the Essex shore: the raid was broken up by the guns, and then the fighters of No. 11 Group RAF attacked. Follow-up raids were marked for the fighters by 'pointer' rounds of HAA fire. On 1 September over 200 aircraft attacked Maidstone, Biggin