Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Burton Marsh WW2 Bombing Decoy

The whole idea of the WW2 Bombing Decoys was that we knew the Luftwaffe bombers came up the Dee Estuary from the south, and then turned right, to pass over the Wirral, and then Liverpool. After the first bombers had passed over, we then lit up fires and electric lighting, so that it looked as the decoy site was the real site, hoping that subsequent bombers would bomb Burton Marsh, which they did, and it still bears the scars.

The whole affair and operation was Ultra Secret, and very efficient, with numerous bombs being dropped by the Luftwaffe onto Burton Marsh. the local populace were told nothing about the real reason for the nightime activity, and to this day some still believe what they were told was "the truth".

I can only surmise that it was like the Cherry Cob Sands Decoy on the Humber, with lights angled downwards, pointing at a water surface, with the lights arranged in the shape of the actual dock edge. Cherry Cob Sands on the Humber was a similar arrangement, and was what really got me started here. It was also featured in a TV documentary whereby it was re-created.

This post: Cherry Cob Sands Decoy describes the Cherry Cob Sands decoy.

I've always been puzzled as to the actual location of the decoy for Garston Docks, which was built on Burton Marsh. Contemporary reports describe, poles, wires and electric lights. Speaking to a local chap, he described where the decoy was actually located on Burton Marsh.

Using the "Archeology by Photoshop" technique, I took a Google Earth picture of Garston Docks, cut it out, and pasted it onto a Google Earth picture of Burton Marsh, where I thought it should go.

Putting it at the same scale and orientation, gives an exact fit as to where I was told that it was, corresponding to various bunkers, feeding canals, and water ponds etc.

This shows Garston Docks:



This Shows Burton Marsh, at the same scale and orientation:



And, this shows where I understand that the Garston Dock Decoy was positioned, superimposed on Burton Marsh:



And a few pics of the location:

Control Bunker, this contained generators and control equipment. It also had a light anti-aircraft gun alongside. It still exists, perched on the edge of the estuary bank, near the entrance roadway to the (ex) Decca Navigator Site:





Walkway back to the Control Bunker in the estuary bank:



There was a water supply canal to feed the reflecting ponds - it cuts a non-natural course across the marsh, and cuts across existing features, i.e. here cutting across an existing gutter:



Garmin GPS tracks around the same bridge:



Ponds for reflecting lights, the electric lights would have been above, pointing downwards, and arranged in the outline shape of Garston Docks:

Great info and excellent pics mate.

This really is superb stuff - most of us are looking on land, not realising the history around our coast as well - fantastic!

Thanks for posting that. Most interesting.

very interesting. thanks

amazin stuff and i like the way you us pics aswell to back up ya info great work dude

A couple of pics:



General layout of the decoy areas on Burton Marsh



Shows the Garston Docks railway marshaling yard area of the decoy, with "access" tracks, small railway for transport, and the areas where the grass has been scraped away and canvas pegged over (or corrugated iron) laid over to look like trains & wagons.

Excellent stuff!

Great and interesting story. Thanks.