During World War Two Gosport had 24 balloons manned by 933 Barrage Balloon Squadron Auxiliary Air Force in three flights of eight balloons each.
Known sites:
Line 1
- Hardway
- Outside Fort Brockhurst
- Fort Rowner
- Fort Grange
- Fort Gomer
Line 2
- St Vincent Playing field
- Ann’s Hill Cemetery
- No.10 Privett Road
Line 3
- Walpole Park
- Blockhouse field
- Fort Gilkicker
- School of Electric Lighting
- No.5 Battery
- Palmerston Way
- No.6 Gosport Park
There were also balloons at
No.12 Junction of Avery Lane and Welch Road
No.17 Junction of Brewers Lane and Wych Lane
No.18 Wych Lane
No. 20 Fleetlands Farm Gosport Road During World War
If you know of any more then please inform the webmaster.
A tragic event occurred on 12 August 1940 when the balloon site at St Vincent was hit during an air raid. Ten men from the AAF and two civilian groundsmen were killed.
These two photos are of the Balloon site in Avery Lane/Welch Road
 Welch Road Balloon Site |
 Welch Road Balloon Site |
This photograph is of the balloon site in bombed out buildings at Beach Street Gosport
Beach Street Barrage Balloon site
In December 1944 Gosport Borough Council Minutes reported that they had been sent a list of redundant barrage balloon sites in Gosport. After an inspection by the Borough Engineer the sites were accepted to be requisitioned and only the ones with wooden huts were to be converted into temporary housing. The ones with Nissen Huts were considered as not suitable. The huts were to be adapted to provide cooking, washing and lavatory facilities.
Requisitioned Balloon sites 1944