No1 Balloon Centre Book and Memorial Information

Introduction

This page provides information on a book about the London, No 1 Balloon Centre of RAF Command at RAF Kidbrooke in WW2. It also covers the development of a permanent memorial to those that flew barrage balloons to spoil the accuracy of German bombers. It is to be published in support of a memorial expected to be built at the Thomas Tallis School, Kidbrooke. Cpl Henry Sydenham, the author's father, was a Balloon Operator there. The author is the last known living link to a serving person of the No 1 Balloon Centre.

Henry miraculously survived a direct hit by a V1 bomb on his hut in June 1944, being the only person to not be killed of the 10 in that hut.

No 1 Centre Book

RAF Kidbrooke No 1 Balloon Centre: 1938-1945

This book, by Dr Peter H Sydenham is to be published by Red Robin Publishing, mid 2023.

It will be available via Printed on Demand POD by IngramSpark.

ISBN 978-0-6450071-1-4

156x234mm. Soft gloss cover.

130 figures including many in colour. 180pp.

To be available online in soft-cover print and e-book formats. Distribution world-wide. Retail ca £9.99. (Search using title name.)

Book Contents

Chapter 1. Emergent Years of Balloons in War use.
Chapter 2 Birth of Balloon Command.
Chapter 3 Use of RAF Kidbrooke Over its Life.
Chapter 4 Balloons Become an RAF Command.
Chapter 5 Make-up and Roles of a Balloon Centre.
Chapter 6 Squadron 992 on the Move.
Chapter 7 Learning the Ropes.
Chapter 8 From Operations Record Books.
Chapter 9 Sacrifice at No 1 Balloon Centre.
Chapter 10 RAF Kidbrooke after the War.
Chapter 11 Roll of Honour for No 1 Balloon Centre.
Chapter 12 Memorials to Balloon Command
Appreciations and Acknowledgements.
About the Author.
List of Illustrations.
Index.

Synopsis

In 1937, land in London between the Thomas Tallis school and Kidbrooke railway station, was the location of the RAF No. 1 Balloon Centre.

During WW2 it supported flying of barrage balloons to defend targets from accurate enemy bombing. RAF Balloon Command had twenty Centres that flew thousands of balloons in the British Isles and abroad.

No 1 Centre was the first in operation with its Squadrons 901, 902 and 903. Personnel and support were needed for round the clock operation in all weathers.

It was a dangerous home-front service. Around 50 men and women, of the Balloon Command’s 500 personnel who lost their lives, died serving in this Centre.

The Thomas Tallis school looks like being a site of a Balloon Barrage Reunion Club memorial set up in memory of the men and women who gave their lives serving there in WW2.

Its historic importance has been recognised with a Heritage Award of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Its plaque is now looking for a suitable outside site on that base.

Described in the book are the creation of the Centre, its facilities, record books and its post-war use. An Honour Board lists details of the fallen. Memorials to Balloon operations are described, including the projects being set up in Kidbrooke.

The book is ready for publication but must wait until the memorials at Kidbrooke and their description have been added to the book.

Persons interested in the topic should contact Peter Sydenham on email: sydenham@senet.com.au

Memorial Update

The memorial project began in 2013. Having decided a memorial to those who gave their lives in service in WW2, the task was to locate a place to put it where it would be seen by the public.

In 2019 the owners and staff of the Thomas Tallis School agreed to a school site seen from the footpath in Kidbrooke Park Road. London, SE3 9PX, the school having been built on part of the former RAF Kidbrooke base land..

A design competition was set up at the school. It ended in April 2022.

The colourful winning design was announced and exhibited at the 50th Celebrations of the School held on 15 July 2022. The better approach to make it now appears to be to find an indoor build path that will allow the colour and 3D parts to be made at low cost: external monuments need costly extreme durability and bright colours are difficult.

The RAeS Heritage Award has been granted. It is now seen to be best placed somewhere on the large former RAF site at some spot where it can be embedded into the footpath or set up on an external outside wall.