Royal Air Force - An archive relating to Wing Commander Eric N. Adlington, 910 Balloon Squadron, Admiralty, London. An extensive collection of papers covering 1939-45, comprising approximately 163 items of Balloon Sqd., ephemera, secret and other documents, together with wartime and post-war correspondence of over 60 letters, Airgrams, postcards etc from his elder brother Lt. Colonel R “Bill” Adlington, RASC, GHQ MEF, who is surprisingly frank and descriptive and apparently his own censor, written from USA, Normandy, and the Middle East. The two brothers appear to have a particularly close relationship and the letters show good insight into daily life and activities of the Royal Army Service Corps.

The lot also includes over 250 items of extensive correspondence received from other serving officers, his wife and young children, father, and other relatives, blank Royal Air Force stationary and further Balloon Sq. ephemera/notebooks. The two letters marked SECRET, relate to a 1943 letter, from the Admiralty, about two balloon units for overseas at very short notice.

Other literature includes a B.R 1938 Naval Ratings Handbook named to M.J.B Adlington; British S.O. Book 136 notebooks, instructions for the use of Royal Navy Glider Mk. 111, Royal Naval Kite and Balloon Section Christmas and greetings cards, together with some post-war correspondence including an invitation to drinks from the First Lord of the Admiralty, 1st Viscount Hall in 1950.

The origin of the Barrage Balloons dates from around 1917, when they were created as a reposte to German Barrage balloons around industrial targets hoisted in 1914/15. As early as 1936, the Air Defense Command felt it was necessary to maintain a London barrage in case of a future war. In 1937, Balloon Barrage Group No 30 was formed as war clouds gathered over Europe. By 1939, there were 47 Barrage Balloon Squadrons, by then the English had improved designs so that dive bombing by German planes was frustrated and this reduced their ability to bomb accurately. Balloons were tethered from barges, drifters and mobile lorries as well as fixed static sites. The flying of Barrage Balloons was finished in the United Kingdom in 1944 and Balloon Command was disbanded in February 1945.

Provenance: Purchased at Dickins Auctioneers in November 2010, originally from the collection of RAF Wing Commander Adlington.