There might have been barrage balloons on Mill Lane Sheila, but there was definitely an American searchlight battalion (The Skylighters) there to defend against air attacks. They used large searchlights to track enemy aircraft, providing defense for our area.
One of the battalions was stationed at the Red Barns area of Mill Lane over the railway bridge on the right before you got to the main Shields to White Mare Pool road.
Mike Ellison wrote about this many years ago.