Grimista
Note: This map only gives a rough location within the UK. If anybody can kindly provide a more exact location, this advice will be most welcome.
GRIMISTA: Kite Balloon Base (also known as LERWICK)
Military user: RNAS
Location: More or less near the A970, in/near Grimista, roughly 1.5nm NNW of Lerwick
Period of operation: 1917 to 1919
Site area: 15 acres
NOTES: Twelve manned 'kite' balloons were said to be based here and in early 1918 there were plans to make this site into a RNAS seaplane station, which it seems, didn’t materialise.
I suppose one has to wonder about the purpose of having these manned 'kite' balloons based here. What exactly was the perceived threat? Several studies in later years have revealed that many senior officers, in all three military services, would now qualify in IQ tests as 'morons', a distinct category closely defined. I suspect a few were employed in deciding on this location as a balloon base - but will gladly be proven wrong.
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