Tester Complete with Container

This device was used for testing Barrage Balloon fabric. I wonder if anyone out there can tell us more about this piece of kit?

A Balloon Fabric Tester

It consists of a gauge with handles on either side. How you would use it intrigues me but I am sure someone has the answer in BBRClub!

View of Balloon Fabric Testing Kit

This is an airgraph sent by Reg Davies of 980 squadron to his brother in the UK

The troops would fill out a blank airgraph and the censor would approve it and then it would be photographed by a special camera.

This is a Airgraph sent to the UK by Reg Davies balloon operator of 980 Barrage Balloon Squadron to his mother in Newport Wales

They were then normally flown back to Britain for printing and distribution.

D-Day Balloons Protecting the Invasion Ships

Seaborne Balloons were used to protect ships from air attack. Generally these were smaller than landbased Barrage Balloons and crewed by RAF and Naval personnel.

Balloon Barrage at RAF Cardington

This is a well known and famous photograph showing Balloons in flight from the winch vehicles below.

This photograph was kindly loaned by Ida Pearsonof Northants and shows Balloon Site 18 based at Widnes in WWII

Anyone able to name the people in the photograph at all?

This is a copy of a painting by the Grace Kingston of Cardington in 1938

This shows in incredible detail the Balloons with their winch vehicles and the crews practicing the "let up!" and "haul down!" technique.