Whitelees Decoy

Records indicate that a World War II Naval Starfish decoy was located on Whitelees Moor, to the south of Greenock. Part of the Clyde AA Defences. Site number GG2. Records also indicate the presence of another decoy on the moor, but give no further information other than the site number, GG3.

Local reports also suggest the presence of two naval decoys in this area. A QL (lighting) decoy, located in the area between the bunker and the Gryffe Reservoir to the south, and a QF (fire) decoy to the west, in the area where the cottage road meets the Old Largs Road. Aerial views suggest boat shapes in the area of the QF site.

The remains of a brick and concrete bunker survive on the moor, and appear to be of Air Ministry pattern CTD 557/41. The bunker lies on the north side of a gated single track road leading past Whitelees Cottage, with the road having a large warning painted on its surface, "PRIVATE ROAD, 24 HR ACCESS, NO PARKING." The bunker is in near complete condition, and would originally have been given additional protection in the form of earth banking around the walls, however this has largely been eroded. Various holes can be seen in the walls, and these would have allowed the various control for the decoy signals to exit the bunker. The metal rungs of the emergency escape ladder still lead to the roof hatch, and would also have served to allow the crew to look out from the top of the bunker and observe the operation of the decoy, under cover of a metal shield - a box with viewing holes, placed over the hatch.

The size of the bunker suggests it would have controlled decoy fires on the moor, and would have been a QF decoy. The fires would have been arranged in baskets, within firebreak areas to prevent them spreading out of control, and little, if anything, tends to remain of these.

There are a number of circular features visible on the moor, now water filled, and believed to be bomb craters suggesting the decoys were effective. This example lies to the northwest of the bunker.

Photographs

External links

Aerial views

Map

• ⚠ (:gma-point lat=55.9227914 lon=-4.7610283 link='Whitelees Decoy GG2. Control bunker.' :)
• ⚠ (:gma-point lat=55.9215 lon=-4.77501 link='Whitelees Decoy GG3.' :)
• ⚠ (:gma-point lat=55.9204619 lon=-4.7749758 link='Area with boat shapes.' :)

⚠ (:gma-map view=sat :)

⚠ [[!World War II]] ⚠ [[!Clyde AA Defences]] ⚠ [[!Starfish Decoy]] ⚠ (:WPCategoriesList:)

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