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Summary

The site of a Second World War Bombing Decoy at Cofflete. Elements of the decoy are visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as earthwork banks and a pit or ditched feature. The decoy cannot be seen on later aerial photographs.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX55SW/158

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BOMBING DECOY (XX - 1901 AD to 2000 AD (Between))

Full description

RAF, Cofflete Site "PL4(E)" (Cartographic). SDV324249.

Tracing from 6" Ordnance Survey sheet CXXIV SE. Shows location of Leaky Lighting, Splutter Fire, Marshalling Yard and Signal Lights decoys. Other details: APM 199 733.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV177469.

Crawshaw, A. /WWII decoy sites/(1996)/Disk in SMR.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2119 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Earthwork banks and ditches are visible defining rectangular enclosures and pits.

Horner, W., 1996, Bombing Decoy, Cofflete Park (Worksheet). SDV357019.

Cofflete Bombing decoy, for the defence of Plymouth. Night fire (QF) and light (QL) decoys recorded in 1941-2 at SX546510 and SX548510 (A. Crawshaw). Visit by Mr A. Clamp in 1995. Brick built surface shelter, possibly a command post, at SX54605209. Further shelter, also brick, at SX54725202. An RAF aerial photo of 1946 records military buildings at SX54885186. Huts mostly, maybe associated with decoy.

Dobinson, C. S., 1996, Bombing decoys of WWII, 116,119 (Report - non-specific). SDV324125.

PL4 decoy. QL/QF. NGR given as SX548510. Documented between 1/8/1941 and 12/3/1942.

Crawshaw, A., 1996, WWII Bombing decoys (Un-published). SDV145387.

Cofflete bombing decoy for defence of Plymouth. Night fire and light decoy operational in 1941. NGR given as SX546510. Also documented in 1942 at SX548510. Original plans indicate site was decoy for Laira railway marshalling yard 4 miles distant. Features included leaky lighting, splutter fire, marshalling yard and signal lights.

Bannister, N. R., 1998, Ambion Brick, Steer Point: Archaeological Evaluation (Report - Evaluation). SDV324148.

Archaeological evaluation.

Bannister, N. R., 1998, Sketch Plan of Earthworks South of Cofflete (Plan - sketch). SDV348217.

Sketch plan showing earthworks and features to the south of Cofflete.

Exeter Archaeology, 2000, Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed New Settlement Site, Brixton, South Hams (Report - Assessment). SDV324147.

Archaeological assessment of a proposed new settlement site, Brixton, South Hams. Other details: 16.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

Elements of the Second World War bombing decoy at Cofflete are visible as possible earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1946. The original site plans show the site as comprising several rectangular components to generate, ‘Leaky lighting’, ‘Splutter Fire’, Marshalling Yard’ and ‘Signal Lights’ (see SDV 145387). Only two or possibly three rectangular earthwork bank and pit defined features can be seen on aerial photographs of December 1946. The control building for the decoy is not identifiable. More components are probably present but not visible, possibly obscured by woodland.

Horner, W., 26/06/1998, Cofflete Bombing Decoy (Personal Comment). SDV357018.

Reference in AM lab report to a bank surviving in woodland here. May relate to decoy also given possible extent of site the AM lab geophysical survey of a 'field system' and 'settlement' may in part at least have recorded decoy features.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV145387	Un-published: Crawshaw, A.. 1996. WWII Bombing decoys.
SDV169268	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 2119. [Mapped feature: #96363 ]
SDV177469	Migrated Record:
SDV324125	Report - non-specific: Dobinson, C. S.. 1996. Bombing decoys of WWII. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England. III. A4 Stapled + Digital. 116,119.
SDV324147	Report - Assessment: Exeter Archaeology. 2000. Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed New Settlement Site, Brixton, South Hams. Exeter Archaeology Report. 00.69. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV324148	Report - Evaluation: Bannister, N. R.. 1998. Ambion Brick, Steer Point: Archaeological Evaluation. A4 Bound + Digital.
SDV324249	Cartographic: RAF. Cofflete Site "PL4(E)". Site plan.
SDV348217	Plan - sketch: Bannister, N. R.. 1998. Sketch Plan of Earthworks South of Cofflete. Plan + Digital.
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV357018	Personal Comment: Horner, W.. 26/06/1998. Cofflete Bombing Decoy.
SDV357019	Worksheet: Horner, W.. 1996. Bombing Decoy, Cofflete Park. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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