World War Two Decoys

Beginning in 1940, decoys to confuse the enemy aircraft as to the location of their target were put in place. The decoys were sophisticated and required a lot of manpower. They were also very effective, ensuring that the enemy bombs fell away from military and civilian targets. The decoy system consisted of four types:

1) dummy aerodromes – day ‘K’ sites and night ‘Q’ sites

2)dummy factories and buildings

3) diversionary fires (‘SF’ or ‘Starfish’ sites)

4)simulations of urban lighting (‘QL’ sites)

Urban Decoy Fires- (‘SF’ or ‘Starfish’ sites)

‘SF’ stands for Special Fires, but the name Starfish was also used for these sites. The sites were meant to look like a just bombed site, with fires raging. Presumably enemy aircraft would think that this was the true bombing site and try to hit it as well. It was a sophisticated set up, with fires differing in appearance, intensity and duration. For example fires may differ in their ignition and appearance by burning coal, oil or paraffin. The site itself had an infrastructure that included access roads, firebreak trenches and a means to control the fires remotely, usually from a building.

QL Sites- simulating the lights of towns and cities

These were first introduced in August 1941. They were mainly to deflect bombing away from civilian targets. The sites were placed in clusters to simulate the extent of an area that needed protection and varied from 5 to 30 acres in size. Some were specifically to protect ordnance factories which produced vital munitions for the war effort.

SF and QL sites were frequently found together. One type would be built first and then the second type added soon afterwards. English Heritage considers any substantial surviving remains to be of national importance. Such remains may include a night shelter or control building.