Recently released archives show BBC considered camouflaging Broadcasting House against German bombers during WWII
Staff feared that the Germans would easily spot the central London building, which was made of gleaming white Portland stone.
The plan was contained in a memo released on Thursday by the BBC from its wartime archives. Other documents detail the corporation’s intention to hand over editorial control to the Government.
In a memo dated September 28, 1939 and headed ‘Broadcasting House: Protection’, house superintendent HL Chilman wrote to his superiors: “If we are going to have a succession of bright moonlit nights this winter, might it not be worthwhile having a ‘street’ or two and perhaps ‘cross roads’ and an odd dummy shadow or two on the south end and west face of Broadcasting House? At 2am tonight the building shone beautifully.”
The idea was dismissed as Mr Chilman’s bosses felt confident that enemy bombers could not target the building.
Read entire article at Telegraph.co.uk
The plan was contained in a memo released on Thursday by the BBC from its wartime archives. Other documents detail the corporation’s intention to hand over editorial control to the Government.
In a memo dated September 28, 1939 and headed ‘Broadcasting House: Protection’, house superintendent HL Chilman wrote to his superiors: “If we are going to have a succession of bright moonlit nights this winter, might it not be worthwhile having a ‘street’ or two and perhaps ‘cross roads’ and an odd dummy shadow or two on the south end and west face of Broadcasting House? At 2am tonight the building shone beautifully.”
The idea was dismissed as Mr Chilman’s bosses felt confident that enemy bombers could not target the building.