▁part ▁of ▁a ▁concentration ▁of ▁AA ▁guns ▁under ▁Operation ▁D iver ▁to ▁target ▁V - 1 s ▁coming ▁in ▁over ▁the ▁English ▁Channel . ▁As ▁the ▁launch ing ▁sites ▁in ▁France ▁were ▁over run ▁by ▁ 2 1 st ▁Army ▁Group ▁by ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe ▁switched ▁to ▁air - launch ing ▁V - 1 s ▁over ▁the ▁North ▁Sea , ▁forcing ▁another ▁re deploy ment ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁of ▁London . ▁ ▁The ▁brig ade ▁was ▁formally ▁dis band ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁following ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁It ▁was ▁reform ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁as ▁ 5 4 ▁( Th ames ▁and ▁Med way ) ▁AA ▁Brigade , ▁but ▁perman ently ▁dis band ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁ ▁Inter war ▁period ▁German ▁air ▁ra ids ▁by ▁Ze ppel in ▁air ships ▁and ▁Goth a ▁bom bers ▁on ▁London ▁and ▁other ▁British ▁cities ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁had ▁shown ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁strong ▁anti - air craft ▁( AA ) ▁def ences ▁in ▁any ▁future ▁war . ▁When ▁the ▁Territ orial ▁Army ▁( TA ) ▁was ▁reform ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁it ▁included ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁dedicated ▁AA ▁units ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Art illery ▁( RA ) ▁and ▁Royal ▁Engine ers ▁( RE ). ▁At ▁first ▁these ▁were ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁London ▁under ▁ 2 6 th ▁and ▁ 2 7 th ▁Air ▁Def ence ▁Brig ades