In July 1939 the aerodrome was subject to the Army Home Defence Scheme, all aircraft would be camouflaged and airfield defences upgraded. At Hucknall three dispersals were created on the south, west and north west perimeter of the airfield. The south dispersal featured a concrete Pentagonal Pillbox with an adjoining mounting for an anti-aircraft gun, (see British hardened field defences of World War II) along with a Stanton Air-raid shelter and a flight office of wooden frame and corrugated steel construction; the west dispersal featured slit trenches and a wooden flight hut and the northwest dispersal featured two Stanton air-raid shelters along with a wooden flight hut.