AA Bde continued to wear its Royal Warwicks cap badge, together with RA collar badges. At the same time, 5th Royal Warwicks converted to 45th (The Royal Warwickshire Regiment) AA Battalion, RE (a searchlight unit). Since the establishment of an searchlight battalion was much larger than an infantry battalion or an AA gun brigade, 69th AA Bde moved out of Thorp Street to Brandwood House, Kings Heath, (RHQ, 192 and 199 AA Btys) and Fernbank House, Alum Rock Road (190 and 191 AA Btys). Both the new units were subordinated to 32nd (South Midland) Anti-Aircraft Group in 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division. On 1 January 1939, the RA's AA gun 'brigades' (such as the 69th) became regiments, and the AA Groups adopted the more usual designation of brigades. Bishop Vesey's Grammar School Cadet Corps and the Norton Training School Cadet Corps were affiliated to the regiment. World War II Mobilisation The TA's AA units were mobilised on 23 September 1938 during the Munich Crisis, with units manning their emergency positions within 24 hours, even though many did not yet have their full complement of men or equipment. The emergency lasted three weeks, and they were stood down on 13 October. In February 1939 the existing AA defences came under the control of a new Anti-Aircraft Command. In June a partial mobilisation of TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA and searchlight positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations. By the outbreak of war the 69th (Royal Warwickshire) AA Regiment had moved to the command of the Coventry-based 34th (South Midland) Anti-Aircraft Brigade in 4th AA Division. At that stage, the three heavy AA regiments in 34th AA Bde had a total of 32 serviceable guns, plus four out of action, to cover the Gun Defended Areas of Birmingham and Coventry. 69th Regiment's share by midnight on 24 August was 4 x 3-inch and 2 x 3.7-inch guns at Coventry and 4 x 3.7-inch at Birmingham, together with crews manning Light machine guns (LMGs) at Vital Points (VPs) in the two cities. On 26 August Regimental HQ (RHQ) opened at the Westfield House TA Centre in Coventry. Phoney War Once war was declared there was little to do. 69th AA Regiment sent