Monument record 7105/0/1 - Civil Bombing Decoy C90a

A Second World War bombing decoy site at Knotting. It was built as a 'QL' decoy as part of the 'C-series' of civil decoys to deflect enemy bombing from Wellingborough marshalling yard. The 'QL' decoy displayed simulated marshalling yard lights and locomotive glows to reconstruct the railway yards. The site is referenced as being in use between 1942 and 1943. Aerial photography from 1975 shows an uncovered control building standing at the site in good condition, with blast walls fronting its entrance. The control building would have housed an operations room and provided the decoy crew with shelter.

{1} QL decoy at Knotting for Wellingborough marshalling yards. Notes that Knotting parish is in Bedfordshire but that the actual site of the decoy is in Northamptonshire.

{2} The report gazetteer makes specific reference to this C Series (civil) decoy (a QL site. The report also contains detailed descriptions of the decoy type (summarised in part 4 of this report). The QL target was Wellingborough marshalling yard with MY lights and loco glows being used at the QL decoy. The QL site identified in the gazetteer as being in use at least 2.10.1942 - 1.5.1943.

{3} Aerial photography from 1975 shows a control building surviving at the site in good condition. Its earthen mound covering is missing, but blast walls fronting its entrances are intact

{4} NGR concords with that given in source 1.

{5-9} A Second World War bombing decoy control room is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. Located on a field boundary adjacent Bedford Road about 480 metres NNW of Knotting Fox Farm and centred at SP 98557 62752, the earth covered control room measures about 26 metres x 14 metres, has an entrance on its NW facing side with a facing blast wall and a shaft protruding from the earth covering at the SW end that may be for ventilation or an exit. Extant on aerial photographs taken in 1950, the earth covering on the control building appears to have been removed on aerial photographs taken in 1975 and remains extant in 1986, but appears to have been demolished by 1991.

<1> Lowry B., 1997, Letters, (unchecked) (Letter). SNN46695.

<2> Dobinson C.S., 1996, Twentieth Century Fortifications in England: Bombing Decoys of World War Two, p.131+139+165 (unchecked) (Gazetteer). SNN46600.

<3> Anderton M.J., 1999, Twentieth Century Military Recording Project: World War Two Bombing Decoy Sites (Survey Undertaken for MPP), Page 82 (Report). SNN106122.

<4> Dobinson C., 2000, Fields of Deception: Britain's Bombing Decoys of World War II, Page 285 (Book). SNN105856.

<5> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/541/483 RP 3222 07-APR-1950 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<6> Oblique Aerial Photograph, OS/75174 V 138 06-JUN-1975 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN111738.

<7> Bedford Borough Council HER, 1986, Georeferenced composite layer of vertical aerial photographs taken in 1986. Held by Bedford Borough Council HER (Archive). SNN115229.

<8> Bedford Borough Council HER, 1991, Georeferenced composite layer of vertical aerial photographs taken in 1991. Held by Bedford Borough Council HER (Archive). SNN111744.

<10> Harrington Aviation Museum Society, 2016, Sites used for Military Purposes in the 20th Century, Harrington Museum, Accessed 19/03/2024 (Website). SNN116234.

Record last edited

Mar 19 2024 3:57PM