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MHG30364 - Lundy WW2 decoy

Summary

A decoy site constructed to draw bombing raids away from the aluminium works at Fort William.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

A decoy for Fort William civil defence base. Info from Redfern, "20th Century fortifications in the UK" vol IV.
A M Fox, Highland Council, 12.12.01.

Photographs of the surviving ditches from the firetrap at the site - and contemporary documentation - were provided by Martin Briscoe in January 2004. These are held in are held in the Assoc. Docs. File.
(KC 01/2004)

NN17NE 16 centred 1548 7693

A Civil QF/QL site for small fire and lighting decoys has been identified from vertical air photographs (CPE/Scot/UK 287, 3091-3092, flown 29 August 1947), within a walled enclosure (NN17NE 9) in Gleann Domhanaidh, about 4km NE of Fort William. The enclosure has been divided by a wall and all the shallow ditched fire burning areas are situated in the eastern half.
At least three shallow sub-oval ditched enclosures are visible on the 1947 photographs, one of which abuts and may cross the dividing N-S wall. The most northerly oval enclosure has been divided into two by an shallow E-W ditch.
The decoy site was constructed to draw bombing raids away from the aluminium works at Fort William.
Information from RCAHMS (DE, KM), November 2005 <1>

It is suggested that replica pipe framework may have been constructed at the site, to mirror the characteristic piping of the aluminium works at Fort William, which was itself camouflaged. The decoy control shelter, which controlled the decoy site, was located in November 2010. <2>

Martin Briscoe submitted a rough sketch showing the main recognisable features of the decoy site which show up on aerial photographs held by RCAHMS. He also notes that a lot of regular patterns are visible on the ground to the east of the decoy site and wonders whether these could reflect ploughing of the ground as part of the decoy of the smelter. <3>

This site is described in the leaflet "War Years Over Lochaber" published by the Lochaber Archaeological Society. Extensive measuring and recording of the site has apparently taken place and photographs are to be lodged with RCAHMS. <4>

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NN 1560 7690 (60m by 60m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NN17NE
Civil Parish	KILMONIVAIG
Geographical Area	LOCHABER

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (1)