Airfield Obstruction during WW2

Land at Hunsdon was cleared for the start of airfield construction in 1940. The area was littered with old vehicles and farm machinery to deny use of a landing ground for enemy troops and aircraft .
But It didnt stop Leutnant E Fischbach from putting his riddled and mortally wounded Heinkel He-111 down on the surface between two rows of derelict vehicles. The Heinkel from KG53 was one of five lost during a raid on Radlett airfield and was brought down by hurricanes of 601 Squadron, one of who's pilots was Flt/Lt Willie Rhodes-Moorhouse.

I dug up some correspondence at the Gloucestershire Country Records Office a while back concerning airfields and land to be blocked.

It details 9 specific areas of land that need to be protected and lists the airfields that are at thread from an airborne landing in those areas.

In a separate letter from the Civil Defence Comissioner dated 20th July 1940 it lists a number of airfields "currently under construction which should not be blocked, even if occupied" - Bibury, Southrop West [sic], Staverton, Stoke Orchard, Windrush. Of those I know only Bibury was blocked from April - July 1940 buy the use of old cars pushed onto the airfield.

Interestingly the note is the paragraph "I should prehaps add that the sites to which I have referred above are distinct from the emergency landing grounds selected by War Agricultural Executive Comittees in collaboration with the Air Ministry, details of which have been, or will be forwarded to you."

I assume this refers to the early ELG's or "scatter fields" three of which I know existed in Gloucestershire.

PNK wrote:

Just been reading again the IOW airfields links that Daveg4otu posted. The IOW airfields, apart from Somerton (Cowes) were obstructed during the war.
I have never really thought about how this was done.

I did read somewhere ("Narrow Margin" springs to mind) that old cars were used to do this and, in at least one case, wheeled off to enable use of one airfield.

The 1940s shot of Bembridge, for example(UKAerialphotos.com), appears to display a grid type pattern which suggest something more permanent like a line of poles or a small trench. Does anyone know what would have been used and also what other airfields were obstructed for the duration in this way?

I heard there was a Battle of Britain Dummy field near tangmare.or middle wollap.
terry

The item in my copy of 'The Narrow Margin' shows a photo of old cars used to obstruct an airfield. They would be worth a few quid now!

AP 3236 descibes the means adopted (to obstruct airfields and open spaces) as 'various'.

QUOTE

'In the early stages derelict motor vehicles were largely used, later to be replaced or supplemented by other means when the vehicles were required as a source of scrap metal. At the time also, the excavation of trenches forming rectangles of 200-300 yards square, was laargely resorted to but the disadvantage to agriculture and the danger to cattle led to the reduction of this method to the minimum, except on ground which had no agricultural value.

The most frequently used methods were the construction of stone or concrete cairns at close centres such that no clear run for an aircraft exceeding 250 yards was possible, and the erection of poles similarly placed, the poles being sufficiently strong to damage or break aircraft beyond the hope of further flight. Frequently too, wire cable such as surplus balloon cable, was strung from pole to pole adding still greater hazards to landing.

In numerous instances, particularly on airfields where it might be desired to remove the obstructions at short notice, the poles were replaced by tubular scaffolding tripods, which had the additional merit that they remained obstructions no matter which way up they were placed.

UNQUOTE