Site of Second World War Bombing Decoy, Stanford-le-Hope (EHER 20303)

The site of a Second World War bombing decoy site at Stanford le Hope. It was built by the Petroleum Board in 1941 as part of the 'P-series' of oil decoys to deflect enemy bombing from the oil refinery at Shell Haven. This was an oil 'QF' decoy, where fuel oil was burned in specially-shaped pools and channels lined with brick or clay that when seen from the air replicated fuel storage tanks targeted by bombs. The decoy was ignited electrically from a remote shelter or control building. Aerial photography from 1981 show that the site had been given over to agricultural use and no features of the decoy survive.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Documented in contemporary records, "Stanford-le-Hope" was a World War Two "Oil QF" decoy parented by Thames Haven oil refinery, two miles to the E. QF decoys were an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to simulate the results of a night-time bombing raid on an oil installation. Ignited at the beginning of an attack, burning pools of oil and simulated "ring fires" from burning oil storage tanks would, hopefully, induce following bombers to drop their loads on this position, in open countryside, rather than that of the genuine installation. Control and electrical power for the ignition of the fires came from a substantial earth-covered "night-shelter", situated some distance away, which housed the generator and decoy manning personnel. It is referenced as being in use on 01-MAR-1942. <1> <2> Aerial photography shows that by 1981 the site had been given over to agricultural use and no features of the decoy survive. <3> Site visit September 1999: The contemporary Military Grid Reference of the site, 108/144997, is on open agricultural land flanked to the S by the grass-covered sea wall and the waters of the Thames Estuary. Nothing survives of the decoy itself but on the sea wall, some 150 yards to the S of the decoy MGR is the base remains of concrete walling with cut-off reinforcement rods sticking up from it. This base appears to be at least 36' long by perhaps 18" wide, although it is not known if this is a continuous length as it is partly covered with soil and grass. On the shoreline at this point, there is a great quantity of broken brick and concrete, some of it in very large pieces with reinforcement rods projecting from them. It is probable that these remains, and the base on the sea wall, are the surviving parts of the night shelter and concrete storage bays for the fuel drums (see SMR 10328, Oil QF at Fobbing, for description of surviving night shelter and oil storage bays). An aerial photograph taken in May 1946 shows something on the sea wall at this point, with an area of rough ground on the land behind it, but it is too indistinct to provide any positive identification. <4> Five photographs were taken of the site <5>. Report ref <6> The oil 'QF' decoys were built and manned by the Petroleum Board in 1941. Fuel oil was burned in specially-shaped pools and channels lined with bricks or clay. They were ignited electrically from remote shelters. <7>