Balloons on the Western Front

Many men could claim to be the unsung heroes of the Great War, but those flying observation balloons have a strong claim for that honour.

At 5,000-6,000ft in the air, with only an inch of wicker basket between them and the ground, they were much in demand for reconnaissance missions, and could direct heavy artillery at enemy targets unreachable by any other means.

This talk will describe the role of kite balloons on the Western Front, using images and first-hand accounts.