I'd already visited one of these sites last year & found little left apart from rubble, & didn't think that there would be much left at the other sites until i began fully researching them, & how wrong i was! This is an ongoing project & i'm hoping to get some pics from their operational days which will be added to this thread as & when.
These sites were the N series of Naval Bombing Decoy Sites, with ten built specifically to deflect German bombers from miltary installations around Plymouth. The sites normally had a Control Bunker protected by a blast wall at the entrance, a small corridor seperated two rooms, one for the generator & one for the control room to operate switchgear for fires & lights, also an observation/escape hatch in the roof.
The sites differed in their configuration;
Q decoy - This was to resemble an active airfield with a sequence of lights. Only one
QF decoy - To replicate a bombed target by lighting a series of controlled fires.
QL decoy - This site was to replicate industrial areas during blackout, comprising of a grid of muted lights usually ste out around ponds or water tanks.
Starfish decoy - These operated by lighting a series of controlled fires to replicate a miltary or urban area targerted by bombs.
The Plymouth sites were coded PL1 to PL10, & not all have remains left or nothing has been found so far. On with the first 3, & joined by Graybags & theterrorwheel, off we went to begin the search for what was left, taking in 3 sites in one afternoon.
The first was PL3 sited at Boringdon Park, where the new golf course is. Not much to be found here apart from a water tank, which looks like it has been slightly adapted for modern use. This site operated as a QL & QF decoy & was constructed in 1941, decomissioned September 1944. It's purpose was designed as a decoy for Laira marshalling yards.
On to the second site, PL5 sited at Wembury which functioned as a Starfish & QL decoy. Much better here, as we found the Control Bunker still standing, although missing it's blast wall at the entrance. Contructed in December 1940, decomissioned September 1944.
Looking into the lobby with the control room to the left, generator room on the right
The control room, escape/observation hatch just visible at the top of the picture...
...the hatch & where ladders once fixed to the wall
Inside the control room looking toward the lobby, beyond that the generator room
The generator block
Exhaust/vent pipes
Fuel pipe?
Back outside now. Water tank on roof
It's possible the fuel tank for the generator is still buried as there's a big mound a few feet away but heavily overgrown, with corrugated sheets scattered around.
Water trough on the side of the control room
Finally, about a hundred feet away lies a rusted steel sheet partly excavated by field ploughing. This would have been a drum filled with oil for the decoy fires.
The third site we visited was PL1 at Down Thomas, not far from the HAA Battery & nothing was found apart from the military fence which surrounded the perimeter of the field. Constructed December 1940, decomissioned September 1944.
Tried getting a closer pic of the fence posts as i thought they were interesting features but an annoyed resident of this very private area was arguing that we needed to leave, so that was it for the day, 3 down, 7 to go & more findings will be added after the visits.
These sites were the N series of Naval Bombing Decoy Sites, with ten built specifically to deflect German bombers from miltary installations around Plymouth. The sites normally had a Control Bunker protected by a blast wall at the entrance, a small corridor seperated two rooms, one for the generator & one for the control room to operate switchgear for fires & lights, also an observation/escape hatch in the roof.
The sites differed in their configuration;
Q decoy - This was to resemble an active airfield with a sequence of lights. Only one
QF decoy - To replicate a bombed target by lighting a series of controlled fires.
QL decoy - This site was to replicate industrial areas during blackout, comprising of a grid of muted lights usually ste out around ponds or water tanks.
Starfish decoy - These operated by lighting a series of controlled fires to replicate a miltary or urban area targerted by bombs.
The Plymouth sites were coded PL1 to PL10, & not all have remains left or nothing has been found so far. On with the first 3, & joined by Graybags & theterrorwheel, off we went to begin the search for what was left, taking in 3 sites in one afternoon.
The first was PL3 sited at Boringdon Park, where the new golf course is. Not much to be found here apart from a water tank, which looks like it has been slightly adapted for modern use. This site operated as a QL & QF decoy & was constructed in 1941, decomissioned September 1944. It's purpose was designed as a decoy for Laira marshalling yards.
On to the second site, PL5 sited at Wembury which functioned as a Starfish & QL decoy. Much better here, as we found the Control Bunker still standing, although missing it's blast wall at the entrance. Contructed in December 1940, decomissioned September 1944.
Looking into the lobby with the control room to the left, generator room on the right
The control room, escape/observation hatch just visible at the top of the picture...
...the hatch & where ladders once fixed to the wall
Inside the control room looking toward the lobby, beyond that the generator room
The generator block
Exhaust/vent pipes
Fuel pipe?
Back outside now. Water tank on roof
It's possible the fuel tank for the generator is still buried as there's a big mound a few feet away but heavily overgrown, with corrugated sheets scattered around.
Water trough on the side of the control room
Finally, about a hundred feet away lies a rusted steel sheet partly excavated by field ploughing. This would have been a drum filled with oil for the decoy fires.
The third site we visited was PL1 at Down Thomas, not far from the HAA Battery & nothing was found apart from the military fence which surrounded the perimeter of the field. Constructed December 1940, decomissioned September 1944.
Tried getting a closer pic of the fence posts as i thought they were interesting features but an annoyed resident of this very private area was arguing that we needed to leave, so that was it for the day, 3 down, 7 to go & more findings will be added after the visits.
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