General . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁inten se ▁organis ational ▁pressure ▁on ▁AA ▁Command ▁and ▁its ▁staff : ▁already ▁short ▁of ▁man power , ▁its ▁best ▁men ▁were ▁dra ined ▁away ▁for ▁active ▁service ▁over se as ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁women ▁of ▁the ▁A ux ili ary ▁Territ orial ▁Service ▁and ▁part - tim ers ▁of ▁the ▁Home ▁Guard , ▁who ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁integrated . ▁A ▁new ▁stream lined ▁command ▁structure ▁was ▁introduced , ▁with ▁divisions ▁and ▁corps ▁reduced ▁to ▁a ▁single ▁layer ▁of ▁Group ▁headquarters ▁more ▁closely ▁matching ▁those ▁of ▁R AF ▁F ighter ▁Command . ▁New ▁ro cket ry ▁and ▁rad ar ▁techn ologies ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁introduced , ▁and ▁def ences ▁re position ed ▁to ▁meet ▁new ▁thre ats , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Ba ed ek er ▁ra ids , ▁and ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe ''' s ▁' hit ▁and ▁run ' ▁attacks ▁on ▁the ▁South ▁Coast ▁of ▁England . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁after ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁post , ▁Wh itt aker ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁command ▁ 2 ▁AA ▁Group , ▁which ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁def ending ▁South ▁East ▁England . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁group ▁was ▁dealing ▁with ▁small - scale ▁night ▁ra ids ▁coming ▁over ▁the ▁coast ▁heading ▁towards ▁London ▁( the ▁' B aby ▁Bl itz ') ▁and ▁with ▁re organ ising ▁the ▁def ences ▁of ▁Southern ▁England ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁build - up ▁of ▁troops , ▁sh ipping ▁and ▁equipment ▁for ▁the