Maxstoke Bombing Decoy Site

Description of this historic site

A bombing decoy site from the Second World War designed to confuse the enemy into dropping their bombs in the wrong place. Documentary evidence places it 800m east of Maxstoke.

Notes about this historic site

1. Maxstoke bombing decoy site in the Q programme for Birmingham.
Lighting decoys were a cheap and effective method of confusing the enemy and their deployment dates from July 1941. Every site differed, so that they were a sort of theatrical lighting show to mimic the lights from some specific local vulnerable point. An associated shelter would have been built to house the generator/s and other equipment.
2 There is no evidence of the decoy site at the documented grid ref of SP224868 on an aerial photo from 1947.

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