KQ airfield decoy site.Norfolk

[Mikeymutt]

I have visited this little place several years ago.but I was driving past so gave it a lttle look again.built in World War Two to distract enemy bombers from the main airfields.fake planes and trucks and other things airfield related things to replicate an airfield.lights were lit at night to replicate a runway.when the bombs fell the crew would shelter in here.this also housed the generator.there is loads of info online about them.they were a very secretive in the war.so secretive the true nature of these and associated starfish sites that the true nature of there use did not come out till the eighties.i think there was a book published called fields of deception.i can imagine it was a funny feeling being in the shelter when they were attacked.but they served there purpose.in fact they were so good.there was stories of allied planes landing on them by mistake.sometimes with disastrous consequences.

 

[oldscrote]

That's a goodun Mikey. Apparently after a few allied planes had cracked up landing on the decoys they started to put a bar of red lights across the end of the white landing lights to warn incoming pilots.

 

[HughieD]

Beautifully captured Mikey...

 

[krela]

The book is very interesting and well worth a read if you can get a copy from a local library.

The whole decoy scheme was conceived and put into action in the space of a few days after a particularly bad set of air raids. Different types of decoy site emulated different bombing targets. Starfish emulated towns/cities, KQ emulated airfields, QF emulated industrial factories etc. Usually all that's left is the crew and generator set bunker as they were the only permanent structure, as is the case here.

 

[Mikeymutt]

Thank you all..I have never heard off the red lights at the end of the white ones oldscrote.very interesting..I ain't actually managed to read the book yet.we have a starfish near me keep meaning to go back.its very overgrown now sadly.never seen a qf site though.

 

[Sam Haltin]

Interesting photos. One way to confuse the Germans during the war.

 

[smiler]

Liked that Mikey, the opening shots a beaut, Thanks

 

[Mikeymutt]

Thank you all again.i know it's a tiny thing.but off so much importance

 

[prettyvacant71]

Interesting stuff there mikey...I could do wiv a decoy car