More information : A Second World War 'Permanent Starfish' bombing decoy located at Cragg Vale (SE 004 205). It was constructed to deflect enemy bombing from Leeds. It is referenced as being in use between 01-AUG-1941 and 08-APR-1943. It was also the site of a 'QL' decoy, which was built as part of the 'C-series' of civil decoys for Liverpool to protect Greetland railway station and marshalling yards. This is referenced as being in use on 02-OCT-1942. The 'QL' decoy displayed lights to simulate a marshalling yard.
Thorner (SE 386 397), Barwick in Elmet (SE 399 360), Swillington (SE 402 309), Wintersett (SE 371 162), Chidswell (SE 279 234), Emley (SE 259 138), Ingbirchworth (SE 197 052), and Meltham Moor (SE 095 083). Further 'Starfish' sites were located at Wintersett, Emley, Pudsey (SE 207 316), Barwick in Elmet, Clifton (SE 167 236), Meltham Moor, Swillington, Thorner, Chidswell, Slaithwaite (SE 042 135) and Ingbirchworth. (1)
NGR concords with that given in source 1. The first 'Starfish' sites for Leeds were in operation by Spring of 1941. The 'Starfish' layout was dispersed around Leeds, covering the Leeds-Bradford conurbation and out towards Huddersfield and the separate Manchester system. Two of the twelve 'Starfish' sites for Leeds were closed in February 1943, with a third deleted in June. All urban decoy sites for Leeds were decommissioned by July 1944. (2)
The starfish control bunker still survives at Slate Delf Hill. This consists of two rooms either side of a central entranceway protected by a blast wall. The room on the left was the control room with an escape hatch and the room on the right housed the generators. The decoy site was to the south west of the control bunker towards Great Manshead Hill. It was comprised of two lines of flash pans where oil was burned as well as lights and shadow buildings. (3)
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