Barrage balloons were used during World War 2 to protect vulnerable and important locations, such as urban areas, factories and military bases.
Flying into the sky from heavy steel cables tethered to concrete blocks or to a winch on a six-wheeled lorry, these balloons prevent enemy aircraft from performing manoeuvers.
Bombers were forced to fly higher to avoid the risk of striking the balloons or their cables. This also made the planes easier to attack with anti-aircraft guns.
Barrage balloons were huge!
Barrage balloons were 20m long x 9m wide – about the size of 4 double-decker buses!
They were filled with 20,000 cubic feet of hydrogen gas and made from a cotton fabric which was rubber-proofed to make it gas-tight, and coated with an aluminium powder to reflect heat.
Protecting Plymouth
During World War 2, these balloons flew above many of Plymouth’s parks – including Blockhouse Park, Plymouth Hoe, Central Park, Devonport Park & Alexandra Park.
The barrage balloon at Blockhouse Park was staffed by No. 934 (County of Devon) Balloon Squadron AAF. Their HQ was at Beaumont House, Penlee Way in Stoke. The balloon flew here from 2nd September 1939 until the end of WWII.
The staff used a wooden hut in Blockhouse Park as their staff quarters, which later became a Scout Hut.
This building has since been demolished, and the site is now a Community Garden near the Packington Street entrance to Blockhouse Park.
In 2024, we made Barrage Balloon lanterns for our community lantern parade as a creative way to share these histories.
Contributors:
- Rachel Dobbs
- Richard Fisher
References: