HeritageGateway - Home
Site Map
Text size: A A A
You are here: Home > > > > Historic England research records Result
Historic England research recordsPrintable version | About Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Starfish Bombing Decoy Sf10c

Hob Uid: 1415789
Location :
North Yorkshire
Hambleton
Osmotherley
Grid Ref : SE4758898438
Summary : A Second World War bombing decoy site at Osmotherley. It was built in June 1941 as a 'Strategic Starfish' site to deflect enemy bombing from the town of Middlesbrough. The 'Starfish' decoy operated by lighting a series of controlled fires during an air raid to replicate an urban area targeted by bombs. The 'Strategic Starfish' were designed to reconstruct a general urban area rather than replicating specific features of a city. The decoy was decommissioned in June 1943. A control buiding, which would have housed an operations room and provided the decoy crew with shelter, survives in good condition at the site. The base of an additional building is located 20 metres to the south of the control building. The firebreaks were located at SE 476 984, but this is now scrubland. Further 'Starfish' sites for Middlesbrough were located at Middleton, Kirkleatham, Guisborough, Sneaton Moor and Newton Bewley. The bombing decoy site including the decoy site shelter is visible as cropmarks, earthworks, an extant building and extant structures on air photographs. These have been mapped as part of the North York Moors National Mapping Programme Project. Elements of the features appear extant on the latest 2009 vertical photography.
More information : BOMBING DECOY SITE. SRF, with 2 photographs. Starfish site. Control bunker with blast wall. SF10C. Recorder- H. Newbould. (1)

A Second World War 'Permanent Starfish' bombing decoy located at Osmotherley (SE 476 987). It was constructed to deflect enemy bombing from Middlesbrough. It is referenced as being in use between 01-AUG-1941 and 08-APR-1943. Further 'Starfish' sites for Middlesbrough were located at Middleton (NZ 480 113), Kirkleatham (NZ 616 193), Guisborough (NZ 608 118), Sneaton Moor (NZ 903 029) and Newton Bewley (NZ 475 260). (2)

Aerial photography from 1973 shows that a control building survives in very good condition at the decoy site. The base of an additional building is located 20 metres to the south of the control building. The firebreaks were located at SE 476 984 on scrubland. (3)

NGR concords with that given in source 1. The 'Strategic Starfish' decoy at Osmotherley for Middlesbrough was built in June 1941 and was decommissioned in June 1943. (4)

The Second World War bombing decoy site as described by the above authorities is visible as earthworks, cropmarks, an upstanding building and hard standing on air photographs, centred at SE 4746 9820. The firebreaks can be seen centred at SE 4758 9847 as 13 irregular shaped curvilinear enclosures, the majority containing numerous internal rectangular shaped cropmarks. The cropmarks appear to have been formed by vegetation clearence. Two conjoined firebreaks can be seen as ditched enclosures. The decoy site shelter is visible approximately 330m south of the firebreaks, centred at SE 4737 9791 (UID 1345542). 2m south-west of the shelter a concrete hard standing can be seen. Elements of the features appear extant on the latest 2009 vertical photography.
(5-6)
Sources :
Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : The two databases developed by the Project can be searched on-line through the Archaeology Data Service at http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/specColl/dob/index.cfm
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 2
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 144,149
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 3
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 60
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 4
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 89,135,184,260
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 5
Source :
Source details : NMR RAF/540/567 3205 29-JUL-1951
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 6
Source :
Source details : GXL ANY AJC 264/20 XX-XXX-XXXX
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Monument Types:
Monument Period Name : Second World War
Display Date : Second World War
Monument End Date : 1945
Monument Start Date : 1939
Monument Type : Bombing Decoy, Firebreak, Decoy Site Shelter, Blast Wall, Hard Standing
Evidence : Levelled Earthwork, Cropmark, Extant Building, Earthwork, Extant Structure
Monument Period Name : Second World War
Display Date : 1941-1943
Monument End Date : 1943
Monument Start Date : 1941
Monument Type : Starfish Site, Bombing Decoy, Decoy Site Shelter
Evidence : Documentary Evidence, Extant Building
Components and Objects:
Related Records from other datasets:
External Cross Reference Source : DoB Non Anti Invasion Database UID
External Cross Reference Number : 5239
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (N Yorks Moors National Park)
External Cross Reference Number : 4481
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SE 49 NE 42
External Cross Reference Notes :
Related Warden Records :
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type :
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association
Related Activities :
Associated Activities :
Activity type : MEASURED SURVEY
Start Date : 1995-04-01
End Date : 2002-03-01
Associated Activities :
Activity type : MEASURED SURVEY
Start Date : 2008-01-01
End Date : 2009-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH INTERPRETATION
Start Date : 2010-06-01
End Date : 2011-05-01