SU5746 : WWII Hampshire - civil bombing decoy control bunker, North Waltham (1)
taken 7 years ago, near to North Waltham, Hampshire, England
WWII Hampshire - civil bombing decoy control bunker, North Waltham (1)
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Civil Bombing Decoy (C Series) DoB ID: e18780
The corner of a wartime brick and concrete control bunker for a combined 'QL' and 'Starfish' bombing decoy, peeps out from under its mantle of vegetation in a field northeast of North Waltham. The combination of controlled lighting and fire was designed to simulate the after effects of bombs falling on the nearby town of Basingstoke. The aim was to lure enemy bombers away from the town and instead to release their bombs harmlessly over open countryside.
SU5746 : Unmarked ruin Almost certainly the remains of the North Waltham WW2 civil bombing decoy control bunker that protected the town of Basingstoke. A combined 'QL' and 'SF' site, together they would have provided both special decoy lighting (QL), and explosive fire effects (SF or Starfish), simulating poorly blacked out residential or commercial areas under attack.