N0. 968 Barrage Balloon Squadron operated in Belfast from September 1940 to December 1943. At first they had 16 balloons but by 1943 this total was 40 balloons.
During its time in Belfast, No. 968 Barrage Balloon Squadron operated at sites around Belfast Docks, and Belfast Lough. On arrival, the squadron consisted of 5 flights totalling 16 balloons. Of these, half were waterborne. One of the first places to see the erection of barrage balloons was Sydenham close to the airfield, naval yard, shipyard, and aircraft factories. Balloon tethers remain within the grounds of Stormont, the seat of Northern Ireland's Parliament.
