RAF Chigwell cont.

The balloons consisted of 24 panels made of rubberised Egyptian cotton, coated on the outside with aluminium powder. Each panel was known as a 'Gore', a term used to describe a triangular or tapering piece of material. The gores were sewed and glued together. This job needed great precision and afterwards the seams were carefully checked.

During assembly the handle on a compressor was rotated to force air into the balloons. This was a very tiring job. The women standing inside the balloons carefully knotted the cotton material onto the rigging. Tension in the rigging lines had to be just right. It was pitch black inside the balloons and the only illumination came from hand held lamps. Balloons were constructed over thick mats to prevent damage. It was common practice to remove shoes and work in stockinged feet, although soft overshoes were provided. Work-sheds had air thick with solvent fumes so workers received a pint of milk daily to neutralise its effects.

Lorries towing hydrogen cylinders on trailers were used for launching. Low flying planes made difficult targets and the balloons forced enemy pilots to fly higher into concentrated anti-aircraft fire. The combination of balloons and spitfires made enemy planes vulnerable when dive bombing. Some balloons carried small explosive charges that got pulled towards the aircraft to ensure its destruction. The weight of long cables made barrage balloons impractical against the high-level bombers that replaced the dive bombers. However, balloons were still made and nearly 3,000 existed in 1944.