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Simon Davies of the Sutton and Wawne Museum has made a detailed study of Hull's air defences in the First and Second World Wars, identifying the locations of the various
anti-aircraft gun sites around the city, explaining how evidence was found at the National Archives, and showing where local information and
memories are still available.
As well as gun sites, Simon also covers the
activities of the barrage balloon units, largely 'manned' by women, as were the
radar and direction-finding equipment installed as the war progressed. Simon will show RAF aerial reconnaissance photos, explain the type of guns used, and discuss progress from gun batteries to rocket
batteries and the current evidence for these.
A substantial section of his talk,
again supported with maps and aerial photos, deals with the once-secret ‘Starfish’
locations along the Humber Bank below Paull, where mock-ups of Hull docks were
dredged from the marshes to deceive enemy pilots. These were manned by army
units who lit fires and even set of flashes to imitate tramway overhead activity.
New members always welcome!
New members always welcome!
More information: hedon.history@gmail.com