Barrage Balloon Collection

Barrage Balloon
1st August 1918: A barrage balloon tethered at Queens Club, London, in the background the tents used for housing the balloons. (Photo by A. R. Coster/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Barrage balloon, Somme, northern France, c1914-c1918. Photograph from a series of glass plate stereoview images depicting scenes from World War I (1914-1918)

Aerostiers et Observateurs en Ballon; Tandis que le ballon, abandonne a son sort, acheve... 1917. Creator: Unknown
Aerostiers et Observateurs en Ballon; Tandis que le ballon, abandonne a son sort, acheve de bruler a terre, deux sapeurs s'efforcent de sauver la soupape qui est la plus precieuse de

Aerostiers et Observateurs en Ballon; Un ballon. Ramene a terre apres... 1917. Creator: Unknown
Aerostiers et Observateurs en Ballon; Un ballon . Ramene a terre apres avoir ete attaque par un avion allemand, s'enflamme entre les mains des servants

Barrage balloon, Parris Island, S. C. 1942. Creator: Alfred T Palmer
Barrage balloon, Parris Island, S.C

U. S. Marine Corps, bedding down a big barrage balloon, Parris Island, S. C. 1942. Creator: Alfred T Palmer
U.S. Marine Corps, bedding down a big barrage balloon, Parris Island, S.C

Marine Corps barrage balloon, Parris Island, S. C. 1942. Creator: Alfred T Palmer
Marine Corps barrage balloon, Parris Island, S.C

Marine Corps barrage balloons, Parris Island, S. C. 1942. Creator: Alfred T Palmer
Marine Corps barrage balloons, Parris Island, S.C

Workers on the Liberator Bombers, Consolidated Aircraft Corp. Fort Worth, Texas, 1942. Creator: Howard Hollem
Workers on the Liberator Bombers, Consolidated Aircraft Corp. Fort Worth, Texas

Parris Island, S. C. barrage balloon, 1942. Creator: Alfred T Palmer
Parris Island, S.C. barrage balloon

British barrage balloon protecting a ship, World War II, 1939-1945 (photo)
6015195 British barrage balloon protecting a ship, World War II, 1939-1945 (photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: British barrage balloon protecting a ship)

Fleet and barrage balloon at Toulon, Cote D Azur (colour photo)
3096268 Fleet and barrage balloon at Toulon, Cote D Azur (colour photo) by French Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Fleet and barrage balloon at Toulon, Cote D Azur)

Picture taken when the British battleship H. M.s Royal Sovereign
Picture taken when the British battleship H.M.S Royal Sovereign, together with 4 British submarines (Ursula, Unison, Unbroken and Sunfish)

A barrage balloon is a large unmanned tethered kite balloon used to defend ground targets during the Second World War. (Picture)

Barrage balloons for merchant ships 31st October 1941 Balloons being transferred from the balloon launch to merchant ships off the coast of Greenock

Barrage Balloon in flames over Dover, Kent. No date for picture. Mirrorpix will offer 1st August 1940

Laden landing craft setting out for the French coast in the early hours of the 6th June 1944

The R. A. F. lost no time in establishing itself in Sicily after the first landings
The R.A.F. lost no time in establishing itself in Sicily after the first landings. Ground crews were soon ashore, and balloon defences were speedily organised. 10th July 1943 watscan - - 29/03/2010

World War II Women: W. A. A. F.s man the barrage balloons. W. A. A. F
World War II Women: W.A.A.F.s man the barrage balloons. W.A.A.F.s laying out the fins during bedding down whilst Sergt. Jerry, the mascot, wanders around. August 1941 P010247

Barrage Balloons
circa 1930: Barrage balloons lined outside their hangar at the RAF school in Cardington. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Observation Balloon
A French observation balloon is raised above a crowd of soldiers during the Battle of the Marne, Western Front, France, World War I. A small cemetery with wooden crosses is in the foreground

Lea Bridge Rubber Works Ltd - Aircraft Section, 1941. Creator: Unknown
Lea Bridge Rubber Works Ltd - Aircraft Section, 1941. Advertisement for a company that manufactured items used by the British armed forces during the Second World War: barrage balloons, parachutes

Royal Field Artillery Kite Balloons Were The Eyes of Our Guns in France, (1919). Scene from the First World War, 1914-1919: The observers were highly trained men

One of Our Observation Balloons, (1919). Creator: Unknown
One of Our Observation Balloons, (1919). Scene from the First World War, 1914-1919: It is seen coming to rest after a mornings work peering over the German lines near Ypres, [Belgium]

At A Balloon Centre, c1943. Creator: Cecil Beaton
At A Balloon Centre, c1943. Barrage balloons were used to defend against attack by enemy aircraft. They were raised aloft on cables to create a risk of collision

Balloon Fabric Workers, c1943. Creator: Cecil Beaton
Balloon Fabric Workers, c1943. WaFs making barrage balloons. The Womens Auxiliary Air Force (WaF), whose members were referred to as WaFs

Balloon Operator, c1943. Creator: Cecil Beaton
Balloon Operator, c1943. Woman in waterproofs operating a barrage balloon. The Womens Auxiliary Air Force (WaF), whose members were referred to as WaFs

Repairing Barrage Balloons, c1943. Creator: Cecil Beaton
Repairing Barrage Balloons, c1943. Barrage balloons were used to defend against attack by enemy aircraft. They were raised aloft on cables to create a risk of collision

Observation of enemy positions from a barrage balloon, c1914-c1918. Barrage balloons were also used to make an attackers approach more difficult

Barrage balloon, c1914-c1918. Photograph from a series of glass plate stereoview images depicting scenes from World War I (1914-1918)

Use of the winch for barrage balloon, Somme, northern France, c1914-c1918. Photograph from a series of glass plate stereoview images depicting scenes from World War I (1914-1918)

Raising of barrage balloon with basket for observation, c1914-c1918. Photograph from a series of glass plate stereoview images depicting scenes from World War I (1914-1918)

Basket of barrage balloon, c1914-c1918. Photograph from a series of glass plate stereoview images depicting scenes from World War I (1914-1918)

Winch for barrage balloon, Genicourt, northern France, c1914-c1918. Photograph from a series of glass plate stereoview images depicting scenes from World War I (1914-1918)

Barrage balloon, Genicourt, northern France, c1914-c1918. Photograph from a series of glass plate stereoview images depicting scenes from World War I (1914-1918)

French soldiers, c1914-c1918. Photograph from a series of glass plate stereoview images depicting scenes from World War I (1914-1918)

Working on balloons, 1940. From Life in the W.A.A.F. booklet on the Womens Auxiliary Air Force (WaF), in Tucks Better Little Book series

Putting barrage ballons into a hangar, 1943
Putting the balloons to bed in giant hangars is part of the intensive training undertaken by balloon operators. From Roof Over Britain. [His Majestys Stationery Office, London, 1943]

Woman of the WaF handling a barrage balloon, 1943. The WaF takes over. The handling of barrage balloon requires skill, team-work and considerable physical strength. From Roof Over Britain

March past, 1941. Artist: Cecil Beaton
March past, 1941. From Air of Glory, by Cecil Beaton. [His Majestys Stationery Office, London, 1941]

Packing, 1941. Artist: Cecil Beaton
Packing, 1941. Women of the Womens Auxiliary Air Force working on a barrage balloon. From Air of Glory, by Cecil Beaton. [His Majestys Stationery Office, London, 1941]

The cord, 1941. Artist: Cecil Beaton
The cord, 1941. Women of the Womens Auxiliary Air Force working on a barrage balloon. From Air of Glory, by Cecil Beaton. [His Majestys Stationery Office, London, 1941]

The monster mastered, 1941. Artist: Cecil Beaton
The monster mastered, 1941. Men grapple to keep a barrage balloon under control. From Air of Glory, by Cecil Beaton. [His Majestys Stationery Office, London, 1941]

The web (WaFS working on a balloon), 1941. Artist: Cecil Beaton
The web (WaFS working on a balloon), 1941. From Air of Glory, by Cecil Beaton. [His Majestys Stationery Office, London, 1941]

The front page of His Majestys Minesweepers, 1943. From His Majestys Minesweepers. [His Majestys Stationery Office, London, 1943]

Barrage balloon at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, USSR, 1942. Found in the collection of the Russian State Film and Photo Archive, Krasnogorsk

Barrage balloons near Moscow, USSR, World War II, 1941. Found in the collection of the Russian State Film and Photo Archive, Krasnogorsk

WWII: D-DAY, 1944. American jeeps loading onto a landing ship in a port town in England, in preparation for the Allied invasion of Normandy, France. Photograph, June 1944

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During World War I and II, barrage balloons played a crucial role in protecting troops and assets from aerial attacks. These massive balloons were strategically placed to deter enemy aircraft by creating a formidable obstacle in the sky. One such example was seen during the Battle of Somme in northern France between 1914 and 1918. The sight of a barrage balloon floating above the battlefield served as a constant reminder to both sides of the dangers lurking overhead. In Parris Island, South Carolina, in 1942, U. S. Marine Corps personnel were tasked with handling these colossal balloons. Captured through the lens of Alfred T Palmer, we catch glimpses of Marines diligently bedding down these imposing structures for deployment. The photographs captured by Palmer also showcase an array of Marine Corps barrage balloons dotting the skyline at Parris Island. These images serve as a testament to their commitment towards safeguarding military installations against potential air raids. Not limited to military use alone, workers at Consolidated Aircraft Corp. , Fort Worth, Texas in 1942 can be seen working on Liberator Bombers while being protected by towering barrage balloons hovering above them. Howard Hollem's photograph beautifully captures this symbiotic relationship between man-made machines and natural barriers. Across the Atlantic Ocean during World War II (1939-1945), British ships relied on their own set of protective measures - including barrage balloons - to ward off enemy planes attempting to strike from above. A photograph depicting one such British ship shielded by its accompanying balloon showcases how vital these floating shields were for naval defense. Moving further south along Cote D Azur lies Toulon where fleet and barrage balloons coexist harmoniously amidst picturesque surroundings captured vividly in color photography. Finally, an unexpected flight depicted through colorful lithography reminds us that even though they were primarily used defensively during wartime, there was still room for moments of surprise and wonder when it came to these majestic creations known as barrage balloons.