During WW2, Portsmouth was a regular target of Luftwaffe bombers due to its large naval base and munitions stores. Sinah Common was a key part of a chain of gun batteries and decoy sites. These defended industrial and military targets on the south coast.
To fool the German bomber crews a large ‘Q’ decoy area on Hayling Island drew the bombers away from important military targets. At night, ehwn an air raid warmign was given, fires were lit at strategic points all around Lansgtone Harbour to simulate bomb damage. These sites were called Starfish sites.
The decoy area worked well, being a similar shape and size to neighbouring Portsmouth, where most military targets were based. German bomber crews were frequently tricked, so the city’s important naval base escaped relatively unscathed. Hayling Island, however, suffered heavy bomb damage in the process.
Hayling also had defences against air raids in the form of two anti-aircraft batteries to defend Portsmouth naval base, one at North Hayling Halt and one at Sinah Common. It was manned by the 219th Battery of the 57th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment and equipped with four 4.5 inch naval guns.
Did You Know?
Much of these original WW2 defences are still visible, including the gun emplacement, ammunition rooms and the air raid shelter
The site is preserved as a memorial to six gunners who died during a particularly heavy bombing raid on Hayling in April 1941. Two of the large emplacements that previously housed anti-aircraft guns have been converted to a recreation area, whilst the heavily reinforced structures of two other site buildings are still visible.
- This site can be found 600 m east of Sinah Farm on Ferry Road, Hayling
- Video about the Hayling WW2 Heritage Trail – click here