A feature of the skies around key targets that summer were the balloon barrages. They were a fine sight, those hundreds of balloons. Each balloon looked like a silver sausage some 29 ft long and around 25 ft wide. They were filled with hydrogen and flew at some 2 to 5,000 ft up. They were secured by a steel hauser which was tethered, at ground level, to a winch. They usually flew in a large group, several hundred feet apart.

Their purpose was to prevent attacking aircraft swooping low over a target. The point is that enemy aircraft tended to avoid them. Occasionally, a balloon was responsible for bringing a fighter down. But one thing was for certain, their very visible presence gave a reassurance to those below. They were all part of the deterrent effect of the counter measures that summer.