Southampton Airport
EASTLEIGH see also NORTH END
SOUTHAMPTON: Regional airport and military aerodrome
A LONG AND COMPLEX HISTORY
Originally a experimental flying site in 1910 (see listing for NORTH STONEHAM FARM). This site just encroaches on the northern boundary of the modern airport.
I have Peter Marson to thank for much of the detailed information. During WW1 the site, (aka SWAYTHLING PARK), was known by the RFC (Royal Flying Corps) as EASTLEIGH AERODROME, an Aircaft Acceptance Park. EASTLEIGH also became a US Navy Air Station from July 1918 to April 1919.
During the period between WW1 and WW2 usually known as ATLANTIC PARK from 1920 for civil operations but officially from 1932 as 'The Municipal Aerodrome, Atlantic Park, Eastleigh'.
In 1932 the Southampton Corporation opened the site as their municipal aerodrome as SOUTHAMPTON (EASTLEIGH), and Supermarine commenced using the site for flight testing in 1936. The RAF set up a Station in 1935 known initially as RAF EASTLEIGH before renaming it as RAF SOUTHAMPTON in 1936.
In March 1935 renamed SOUTHAMPTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, (using the west side of the airfield), presumably to differentiate it from the military activity on the east side. But, as Peter Marson points out, most people still referred to it, up to WW2 as 'ATLANTIC PARK' or 'EASTLEIGH AIRPORT'.
The military site was on the east side of the aerodrome initially and became HMS RAVEN in July 1939 when fully under Royal Navy (Fleet Air Arm) control. This clearly illustrates that although the official declaration of war with Germany was on the 3rd September 1939, the military forces in the UK had already been mobilised. And indeed, in most cases had been for quite a long period. It is a popular myth that the UK was unprepared for war in 1939 - the truth being that it wasn't fully prepared - and in fact never could have been.
The trade unions had made it their business, in the intervening period between WW1 and WW2 to pretty much render industrial output a hopeless enterprise, and with a lot of justification it has to be said.
After WW2 still generally known as EASTLEIGH, but officially named as SOUTHAMPTON AIRPORT in May 1946. Then SOUTHAMPTON (EASTLEIGH) AIRPORT from later in 1946 to 1965. It really is a most confusing picture, apparently run initally by the Southampton Municipality, then the Air Ministry and finally by Mr J N Somers.
Peter Marson tells me that the EASTLEIGH name was dropped after the opening of the hard runway, as no support was offered by the Eastleigh Borough Council. And, as he pointed out, not too many UK airfields can claim to have been owned/administered by such a wide range of operators, ranging from municipal and private ownership to the RFC, RAF, Fleet Air Arm and the U.S. Naval Air Force!
Note: The first picture is from the John Stroud Collection. The second picture was supplied by Maurice J Wickstead.
Now known as SOUTHAMPTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
ICAO code: EGHI IATA code: SOU
A GALLERY OF PICTURES AND MAPS provided by Mr Peter Marson
Note: Can anybody kindly explain why, in 1918 at least, so many aspects have French names?
On another tack, looking at the 1938 map, three of the five 'runways', landing towards the SW to NW, appear to end adjacent to buildings. How potentially dangerous can that be? Plus of course, in those days, pilots only relied of their judgement - no performance tables were available - even of the kind available to private pilots in later years. And these, even those used by commercial airlines, are not entirely foolproof.
The fourth map shows the location of RFC, RAF and RNAS airfields, and aircraft manufacturers during WW1. And where better than to include it here? However, in the NW corner CHATTIS HILL is shown, and this Vickers-Supermarine 'shadow factory' didn't come into existence until WW2. The rest seem, as far as I can see, accurate.
Military users: WW1: RFC AAP (1917) Transferred to USNAS in 1918 for assembly, testing repair and supply of aircraft to the Northern Bombing Group and transferred again to the RAF
for use in 1919 & 1920
1930s: RAF SOUTHAMPTON
WW2: RN (HMS RAVEN) Air Fighter & Training School, & storage depot
Training School (Miles Magisters, Hawker Ospreys & Nimrods)
Air Fighter School (Blackburn Rocs & Skuas, Gloster Gladiators and one early Mk Spitfire)
Also US Army Air Corps?
Operated by:
1959: MTCA
1965: Southampton Airport Ltd
1984: Airports UK Ltd
2000: Southampton International Airport Ltd
Note: This map was supplied by Dr Anne Tarver, Nottinghamshire County Archive Service. The Provincial advert was supplied by Maurice J Wickstead.
British airline users: Pre 1940: Crilly Airways, Great Western & Southern Air Lines, Guernsey Airways, International Air Lines*, Jersey Airways, Portsmouth, Southsea & Isle of Wight Aviation, Provincial Airways, Railway Air Services, Spartan Air Lines, Western Air Express
A MIKE CHARLTON GALLERY
Note: These six pictures from postcards were kindly provided by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection. See, www.aviationpostcard.co.uk
First picture: The Douglas C-47B Dakota 4 G-AMZG was one of a batch of twenty-five ex-RAF Dakotas which appeared on the UK register from February through to July 1953. Their registrations were spread amongst other types from G-AMYJ to G-ANAS. In the case of 'MZG it was initially KN700 in the RAF but given XF748 when used for 'Trooping' duties. It was first registered to Transair at GATWICK from the 24th April 1953 until the 6th August 1959.
It was then registered to the Alares Development Company at the STATES of JERSEY AIRPORT from the 6th August 1959 until the 4th June 1966. Trading as Jersey Airlines throughout this period I assume? It was then sold to Iceland as TF-AIO.
Second picture: This I think is rather interesting in a couple of repects. The Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer 160 G-ARET was first registered in the UK on the 2nd September 1960, and I might well have seen it being shoe-horned out of a DC-7C freighter on the north side of LAP (LONDON AIRPORT, now HEATHROW), or sitting in its crate on the freight area.
G-ARET has a long and interesting history and may well (in 2018) still be flying. What caught my eye was that it was registered to Rent-a-Plane from the 21st March 1961 until the 15th June 1964, during which time they changed their address three times, from KIDLINGTON (OXFORDSHIRE), SOUTHAMPTON AIRPORT and finally London E.15. Beyond is the Jersey Airlines Dakota G-AMZG so this fits the time-frame perfectly.
Third picture: A bit difficult to see, but I reckon this Dakota is G-AMZG.
Fourth picture: This time a hand-tinted colour postcard, a popular method for producing 'colour' pictures for many years. Without any doubt a Jersey Airlines Dakota, and quite likely G-AMZG once again.
Fifth picture: When I first saw this picture, I have to confess, I doubted if it really was Southampton and made some basic checks just to confirm. It is so very different from the airport we see today, (in 2018). Advice will be very welcome, but I suspect this picture was taken in the 1970s?
Post 1945: Air Atlantique, Airlines (Jersey), Air UK, Airviews, Aurigny Air Services, British Airways, British Caledonian Airways, BEA (British European Airways), British Island Airways, British Regional Airlines, British United Airways, Brooklands Aviation, Brymon Airways, Cambrian Air Services, Cambrian Airways, Channel Airways (EASTLIEGH used when PORTSMOUTH waterlogged), Channel Islands Airways, Eastern Airways, Flightline, Flybe, Goodhew Aviation, Great Western & Southern Airlines, Guernsey Airlines, Invicta Airways, Jersey Airlines, Jersey European, Jersey & Guernsey Airways, Loganair, Manns Air Charter, Manx Airlines, Patrick Aviation, Scilly Skybus, Scot Air, Silver City, Suckling Airways, Thomson fly, Yorkshire European Airways
Foreign airline users: Post 1945: Aer Arann, Air Berlin, Air France, BritAir, Fairways (Rotterdam), KLM (KLM - UK & KLM Cityhopper), Netherlines
Charter/air taxi: Post 1945: Air Enterprises, Air Europa, Air Kruise, Air Malta, Air Transport, Bees Flight, British Midland Airways, British Westpoint Airlines, Brooklands Aviation (?), Channel Air Services, Channel Airways, Channel Islands Air Freight, Dan-Air, Derby Airways, Don Everall Aviation, East Anglian Flying Services, Escadrille Mercury, Fairflight, Fairways Aviation, Flightways*, Flower Air Services, Fred Olsen Air Transport, Goodhew Aviation, Lancashire Aircraft Corporation, Melba Airways, Morton Air Services, Oasis, Olley Air Services, Pickfords Airways, South Coast Air Taxis, Starways, Trans-Union, Trent Valley Aviation
*Note: In the 1957 The Aeroplane directory Flightways were recorded as operating two DH89A Dragon Rapides.
Car ferry: Post 1945: British United Air Ferries, Silver City Airways
Flying club/school: Pre 1939: The Hampshire Aeroplane Club
Post 1945: Bees Flight (?), Carill Aviation Flying School, Hampshire Aeroplane Club, Hampshire School of Flying, One-to-One Aviation, Premi-Air Aviation, Solent Flight, Supermarine Flying Club
Note: In the 1957 The Aeroplane directory, Hampshire Aeroplane Club were operating, from "Southampton Airport": One de Havilland DH89A Tiger Moth, one Auster, one de Havilland DH87B Hornet Moth, one DHC1 Chipmunk, one Percival Proctor and one Avro 19. This latter type is generally known as, when in RAF service, the Avro C19 Anson.
It appears that the Supermarine Flying Club was affiliated to the Hampshire Aeroplane in 1957 at least.
1959 ‘snapshot’: Hampshire Aeroplane Club, Silverline Flying Group
Maintenance: Autowork (Winchester), Avco Aviation, Genavco Air Ltd, Hampshire Aeroplane Club, Osprey, Rollasons Ltd, Signature Aviation
Note: All the following pictures are by the author unless specified.
Manufacturing: Pre 1940: Cunliffe Owen, Foster Wikner Aircraft, Kay Giroplane, Vickers-Armstrong, Weir Co (Simmonds Aircraft and Spartan Aircraft where based nearby)
WW2: Cunliffe Owen, Supermarine, Vickers-Armstrong *
Post 1945: Cierva Autogiro Co, Cunliffe Owen, Folland, Hampshire Aero Club (?), Saunders-Roe, Vickers-Armstrong, Vickers Supermarine, Westland
Location: E of A335, NE of junction 5 (M27), NE outskirts of Southampton
Period of operation: 1917, (mostly continuous?), Certainly opened as a Municipal airport in 1932, then continuous operations to present day
Note: These maps are reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runways: Originally ‘all-over’ grass airfield
1933: Max landing run 1326 grass
WW2: NNE/SSW 1161 grass WNW/ESE 622 grass 02/20 1097 grass
Note: In 1959 BEA switched Channel Island operations to Bournemouth (HURN), because their new Viscounts couldn’t handle grass runways
1965: 03/21 1539x122 grass 15/33 1143x122 grass
2000: 02/20 1723x37 hard (this runway being built in 1966)
NOTES:According to Mike Roussel in his book Spitfire's Forgotten Designer, (this is Joe Smith, not Reginald Mitchell), Mr Edwin Rowland Moon used a field here which was then known as North Stoneham Farm He conducted some flying experiments with his aircraft Moonbeam II, probably in 1910 at first. His first experiments with Moonbeam I were basically a series of hops conducted near CALSHOTT.
It is also often said to be where Supermarine started Sptifire production, but this occurred at their Woolston factory initially at least until WW2, with initially only test flying taking place here. For two or three years before WW2 Supermarine had just a smallish flight shed here, and that was at the southern end of the site, becoming part of the Ford van factory and now south of the M.27.
EASTLEIGH became used for Spitfire final assembly, and test flying of course, from or just before WW2 commenced. Another Supermarine factory at Itchen was opened in 1939. As a point of detail it appears it was actually Vickers-Armstrongs who had the Spitfire factories in Woolston and Itchen, prior to and during WW2, as they then owned Supermarine. The first Spitfire K5054 first flew here on the 5th March 1936. After the bombing of Southampton commenced, plans that already been developed were put in place and Supermarine had flying activities at CHATTIS HILL, CHILBOLTON, HIGH POST and WORTHY DOWN. Spitfire production was also undertaken by Westland at YEOVIL, CUNLIFFE-OWEN in Eastleigh and at CASTLE BROMWICH in Birmingham. The latter being, I believe, the largest facility for Spitfire production. It is claimed that a total of 22,759 Spitfires and Seafires were built over a period of ten years.
One other detail. For many years Supermarine used a Miles Monarch as the company hack and during WW2 they used the Airspeed Oxford AB649, the General Aircraft Monospar G-AFSA, the Miles Falcon G-ADTD and a Miles Magister. These were used mainly to farry test pilots around the various Spitfire centres. According to Mike Roussel they also frequently flew to BOSCOMBE DOWN, HENLY, ALDERMASTON and HORNCHURCH.
FLYING CIRCUS VISITS
The itinerary for the C.D. Barnard Air Tours 1931 ‘Tour of the UK’ states a visit, in July, to the Atlantic Park Aerodrome, Eastleigh.
In 1932, (11th August), Alan Cobham’s National Aviation Day UK Display Tour visited Atlantic Park Aerodrome, Eastleigh.
Venue (29th April 1933) for Alan Cobham’s No.2 Tour of the UK
Venue (4th July 1934), for Alan Cobham’s 1934 Tour of the UK
*INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES
One ‘airline’ needs to be remembered I suppose. International Air Lines started a CROYDON, PORTSMOUTH /Southampton (EASTLEIGH) – Plymouth (ROBOROUGH) service on August 24th 1933 using two Monospar ST.4s – G-ABVN and G-ACJF. Operations ceased ten days later. Possibly holding the world record for the shortest lived airline?
PROVINCIAL AIRWAYS etc
In October 1933 Provincial Airways Ltd was formed to take over the International route, but excluding PORTSMOUTH it seems – using just one DH Fox Moth G-ACCF. In November 1933 they flew the route for just two days, on the 25th and the 26th, (or was this simply a single return trip?) before suspending operations due to the ill health of the managing director Harry Kent. Operations did however resume from March 1934.
From the 29th July to the 29th September 1934 Railway Air Services used a DH.84 Dragon (probably G-ACVD?) on a service from Birmingham (CASTLE BROMWICH) via Bristol (WHITCHURCH) via Southampton to Cowes (COWES WEST) on the Isle of Wight.
THE START OF A LEGEND
It is claimed that the first prototype Spitfire, (originally to be named the ‘Shrew’ if Reginald Mitchell had his way, or so some believe it seems), flew from EASTLEIGH on March 5th 1936. (Others say the 6th of March). Without any doubt it was on the 5th and I would like to quote this from Mike Roussel's excellent book, Spitfire's Forgotten Designer: "The prototype Spitfire K5054 was first flown in 1936 by Joseph 'Mutt' Summers,......" Jeffrey Quill (another Supermarine test pilot) flew 'Mutt' Summers down from BROOKLANDS (SURREY) in the firm's Miles Falcon Six, on the 5th March specifically for this first flight. "When Summers piloted the first flight of K5054 the undercarriage was not retracted, but after a number of initial checks during the 8-minute flight, Summers landed K5054 and said, 'I don't want anything touched.' As Quill points out in Spitfire: A Test Pilot's Story, this remark was destined to become widely misinterpreted:
"What [Summers] meant was that there were no snags which required correction or adjustment before he flew the aircraft again. Mutt's comment has crept into folklore as implying that the aeroplane was perfect in every respect from the moment of its first flight - an obviously absurd and impracticable notion."
Without any doubt the modern myth of the Spitfire suddenly emerging in WW2 to win the ‘Battle of Britain’ is a nonsense. Two thirds of Fighter Command aircraft were Hurricanes and their pilots regarded them as being first class for the most essential task of attacking Luftwaffe bombers. Pretty handy at combat with the Me.109 too. In fact it seems the early Spitfire type(s) employed in the ‘Battle of Britain’ were only barely a match for the Me.109s and their Luftwaffe pilots. But, the Spitfire was a ‘dream machine’ to fly in those days.
Essentially, mainly due to our radar and observer system, combined with the quite superb plotting and planning structure Dowding had overseen, and the inescapable fact our pilots had more endurance fighting over home ground, RAF pilots had the advantage. It is probably mostly due to these factors that the ‘battle’ was won? Plus of course, (we really musn’t forget this), the British had the ‘blustering buffoon’ Herman Göering, the chief of the Luftwaffe, who can easily be regarded as being on our side, making ridiculous claims to Hitler and devising many equally ridiculous plans/strategies which aided our defence no end. Nevertheless, (see my article on the 'Battle of Britain'), it was arguablly a very big mistake having any aicraft based in Kent, especially fighters.
This said, and it still brings a tear to my eye, the sheer bravery of so many young and often barely trained Spitfire, (and Hurricane), pilots totally resolved to “give it their best shot” against almost insurmountable odds, is surely the real story? Many were ‘Cannon fodder’, a concept brought forward by ‘Stuffy’ Dowding from his war experience in WW1 perhaps? Not that he had much choice of course having been handed control of Fighter Command in the earliest stages of WW2 when he was due to retire! Undoubtably the ultimate head figure of the Battle of Britain saga was old ‘Stuffy’, presented with a mostly poorly trained, under-resourced Fighter Command. Not exactly a job most people would relish?
Thankfully he had Churchill mostly, (but not always don’t forget), on his side, and of course the utterly phenomenal New Zealander Sir Keith Park in Command of 11 Group. As Lord Tedder, (then chief of the RAF wrote in 1947), “If any one man won the Battle of Britain he did. I do not believe it is realized how much that one man, with his leadership, his calm judgement and his skill, did to save not only this country, but the world.” Disregarding the last three words as hyperbole, the rest is most surely true.
THE FORGOTTEN FEW
It used to be overlooked and indeed deliberately ignored after WW2 by most ‘official’ British historians, that of the 2917 men awarded the ‘Battle of Britain’ clasp, from the 10th July to October 31st 1940, 2334 were British and 583 foreign. Indeed, it can now be very convincingly argued that if it wasn’t for these often vastly superior foreign pilots, especially the Polish pilots which I think are worth ‘highlighting’, the ‘Battle of Britain’ would certainly have been lost. The main problem with the RAF pilots being the way they were trained for combat in mostly utterly futile tactics like the ‘vic’ formation for example, a system that endured even into 1941. As I see it today, the very best British ‘B of B’pilots quickly learned to ignore RAFtechniques. Most of the foreign pilots knew it was all garbage from the start to put it bluntly.
SOME NUMBERS
It appears that in September 1939 the RAF had only four hundred Spitfire Mk.1s in service. This aircraft has a fabulous history of course, being still in service well after WW2, and with twenty-four ‘basic’ versions designed and built. The real ‘hero’ type of the Battle of Britain was the Hawker Hurricane. Can we please now remember this.
From a manufacturing point of view the Spitfire really was a nightmare, the German equivalent, the ME.109 being vastly superior to produce, and also superior in many flying aspects too, especially with its fuel injected engine. But, this uncompromising design of R J Mitchell proved it’s worth, being very adaptable and flexible, and eventually a stunning performer in most versions.
MANUFACTURING
Nothing is simple in our aviation manufacturing history especially during WW1 and WW2. Aircraft production was spread out, divided up and sub-contracted. As a youngster I’d wrongly assumed that a Vickers or Avro or Handley Page aircraft were designed and built by these companies. My “aircraft” were built entirely by Airfix or Revel for example so why should I think differently? Of course, I now realise that nothing could be further from the truth. What these famous companies really did was design an aeroplane and administer it’s production and source nearly all the components.
Assembling the airframe might have been in a factory owned by the company or sub-contracted either partly or in whole. For example, regarding the basic airframe one sub-contract company might be producing the outer wing section, a tail section or a fuselage section. Almost without exception all the equipment within and attached to the airframe would be sourced outside by specialist companies. Engines, propellers, undercarriage, gun turrets etc. In turn these specialist companies would turn to even more specialised companies to provide various components and they would also turn to very much more specialised companies to provide various detailed components.
For example, a manufacturer of undercarriages would most probably not make the tyres, the electrical looms, parts and connections, piping or the hydraulic fluid. They almost certainly wouldn’t make the nuts and bolts, rivets or clamps involved either. In essence the production of almost any aeroplane, (even small private home-built types), involves the sourcing of materials and components from a wide spectrum of specialist suppliers.
This applies to virtually ever aspect. Looking across the years even the fabric, aluminium or even the materials required to produce composite components aren’t usually made by the aircraft “so called” manufacturer. Paint, dope, valves, sprockets, grommets, rivets, nuts, bolts and washers let alone what the ‘instrument panel’ and cockpit switches, knobs and levers department involves.
SPREADING IT AROUND
When in WW2 the Supermarine Woolston factory was bombed the production of Spitfires was dispersed around Southampton and administered by Supermarine. The design office went to the Polygon Hotel, fuselage and jig production went to Sewards Garage and assembly took place at the Hants & Dorset Bus Station. Henly’s Garage undertook fuselage assembly also and detail fitting etc took place at the Sunlight Laundry. Lothers Garage became a Tool Room whereas Shorts Garage was a Machine Shop and Weston Rolling Mills were the Coppersmiths. Chisnells Garage became a Sheet Metal and Press Shop whereas Lingwood Precision, (owned by Sewards), took care of the landing gear. I expect the reality was even more complicated but; one simple question seems unanswered - where were the normal activities of these businesses in turn dispersed to?
MILITARY TRAINING
I have banged on in this Guide to quite some length regarding the invariably hopeless if not breathtaking incompetence regarding military pilot training regimes up to World War Two and even beyond. However, this account in his book The Urge To Fly, when Don Robertson attended the Air Fighter course at EASTLEIGH in June 1940 certainly flabbers my ghast: “An odd collection of fighter aircraft had been assembled: some Blackburn Rocs, Gladiators, Skuas and, to everyone’s surprise, a Spitfire which had been built at Woolston and assembled at Eastleigh. Our particular aircraft was a very early version with a manually operated retractable undercarriage and a two position propeller. After a half-hour in a Gladiator to familiarise myself with its handling, I was surprised to find myself flying in a Vee formation with my CO, Lieutenant Commander Brian Kendall, leading. He took us up through broken cloud, insisting that we get closer and closer, finally breaking into clear brilliant sunshine. The other aircraft stood out sharply, silhouetted against the white clouds or hanging stationary in the blue sky with highlights from the wings and fuselage reflecting the brilliant sunlight; I had never been so close to other aircraft in flight before.”
“To fly in tight formation is, in many ways, easier than in a loose formation when any loss of position takes longer to recognise, but close formation requires very heavy concentration and a determination to keep one’s wingtip in the right position with your leader’s wings parallel with your own. On entering a turn greater power is required by the outside wing aircraft, both in order to climb a little, and to increase speed for the greater distance caused by the bigger radius of the turn; conversely, the inner wing man has to cut back the power sharply.”
“One loses sense of direction, height and even horizon in concentrating on maintaining one’s position in relation to the leader and I was surprised, therefore, when ordered to lower flaps for landing. Flaps on the Gladiator had to be pumped down with a lever on the starboard side of the cockpit which was awkward in formation as it meant releasing the throttle and changing hands on the stick. The sight of grass a foot or two under the leader’s wheels then appeared and soon we rumbled to a stop.”
All this to cope with, and just thirty minutes ‘on type’. UN-BE-LIEVABLE?
A TOTALLY AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY
The general lack of common sense safety procedures coupled with a similar lack of situation information for pilots, (and perhaps pilots thinking they didn’t need advice of course), is well illustrated in another story Don Robertson tells: “During the two and a half months of my training there were seventeen serious accidents in our squadron but the worst of all occurred one evening to a visiting aircraft. A Lockheed Hudson belonging to the Air Transport Auxiliary landed to pick up a few pilots who had just delivered some Spitfires to the Supermarine assembly hangar for some modification to be fitted.”
“The whole Southampton area, which included not only the Supermarine works building Spitfires but many naval and armament factories, was defended by a large number of balloons. They were controlled by winches on the ground, their cables creating a very deadly obstruction to an aircraft in flight – but they were down when the Hudson landed. Unfortunately, an enemy air raid was reported as being imminent and the balloons went up as the Hudson taxied out, evidently intending to take off. Johnnie Wakefield, a young Sub-Lieutenant, RNVR, of the famous Wakefield Castrol Oil firm, who happened to be Officer of the Watch in the Duty Pilots Office at the time, ran out on to the aerodrome and fired a red Verey light. By this time most of the balloons were at about 500 feet but one, right in the take-off path, was already at about 2000 feet. The pilot must have thought there was a gap as, with the low, shallow windscreen of the Hudson, he could not see upwards and proceeded to take off. Again Johnnie fired another red Verey light low across his bow but to no avail. On reaching 500 feet the aircraft struck the cable, slowed up, stalled and spun in, right into the middle of the town of Eastleigh. All eighteen people on board and two on the ground were killed.”
It strikes me as almost beyond belief, that at such a very busy aerodrome, no form of ATC Air-Ground radio communication was in place. Small wonder then, that tragic accidents such as this, were virtually inevitable? But then again, isn’t this exactly the problem we all share? Once an established procedure has been set in place, which we’ve become accustomed to and familiar with, and despite being aware of the faults, the human mind invariably exhibits a severe reluctance to accept change. An attitude that gets more entrenched the older we become - which really makes no sense at all - simply because experience and wisdom really should engender a wish to always improve matters?
POST WAR
Nearly every airfield contains small history, perhaps just one individual trying to ‘make a go’ of things. In an excellent article by Francis Donaldson in the December edition of Light Aviation magazine, regarding the history of the Foster-Wikner Wicko G-AFJB, he makes mention of the Australian Geoffrey Wikner buying back ‘JB’ after it had been impressed for military duties during WW2. To quote: “Post war, ‘JB was brought back by Wikner, who had a new C of A issued in March 1946. Wikner had himself spent the war as an ATA pilot. Ever adventurous, in the same year he managed to buy a surplus Halifax bomber and flew it to Australia along with 21 passengers and crew. To help finance this venture, the Wicko was sold to ex-Hamble ATA pilot Philippa Bennet who had set up as an air taxi operator, based at Eastleigh.”
I trust you will agree that stories such as these are both fascinating, very informative, and so often utterly misleading? The story goes on; “One can’t help but wonder how successful the Wicko could ever have been as an air taxi, handicapped as it was by a complete absence of a baggage compartment, the only space for bags being on a shelf behind the crew’s heads.” So far so good, but, here comes the questionable item. “It was during its air taxi period that, according to legend, during a landing at Walney Island in bad weather, the aircraft ran off the end of the runway and fell off an 80ft cliff, ending up inverted in the sea, fortunately without serious injury to the crew. One can only wonder at the difficulties of escaping from the aircraft in this position. For most aircraft this would have been the end of the road, but the chunky Wicko survived the exploit to be repaired and returned to service at Eastleigh.”
I mention this simply to also illustrate how pieces of a story get exaggerated. Having flown past and photographed Walney I think I can prove, without any doubt, there are no 80ft cliffs in the vicinity of this airfield. Indeed, with an ASL height given as 25ft, and just looking at it, it seems quite remarkable the airfield doesn’t get flooded on a very high tide! In fact, if you look at a map of the aerodrome it seems highly unlikely a light aircraft, running off any of the three runways, would have enough momentum to travel as far as the sea. As Mr Donaldson prudently observes, it is “according to legend”. Even today, over sixty years on, it can be quite a task sifting fact from all the accumulated myth, legend and propaganda.
A BIT MORE INFO
On June 13th 1950 the world’s largest helicopter, the Cierva Airhorse G-ALCV with three rotors, disintegrated in mid-air over EASTLEIGH killing the crew of three including the test-pilot H A Marsh
In 1959 only BEA, Cambrian Airways, Jersey Airlines and Silver City were the main airlines operating here. For us ‘oldies’ the Hampshire Aeroplane Club fleet in 1959 is a revelation, surely the most diverse and interesting throughout the UK at this period? Or any other period for that matter? Surely an unique history? For example they were operating the four-engine de Havilland DH.86 Express G-ACZP, (not many flying clubs have operated an airliner! Let alone three if you include the DH Dragon Rapide G-AKSE and the Airspeed Consul G-AIUS. They were also flying two DH Hornet Moths G-ADKC & G-ADNE, Auster J/1N Alpha G-AGYT, DH Tiger Moth G-AHND, DHC Chipmunk G-AORF and…the Currie Wot G-APNT. Incredible, isn’t it?
Being suitably amazed I trust (?) I’ve left the best for last of course. They were also operating the Vickers-Supermarine Spitfire Tr.8 G-AIDN! If my memory serves correctly, this would have been the era when the club operated under the auspices of Viv Bellamy.
A PERSONAL MEMORY
In around August 1993 I was asked, by Nigel Huxtable the Chief Engineer at Wycombe Air Centre, to retrieve a Cessna 152 which had 'pranged' at BODMIN in CORNWALL. Within a short period one of their pilots had managed to taxy into one of the lighting stands at SOUTHAMPTON, badly denting a wing. Having landed at SOUTHAMPTON I still cannot undertand how this can be accomplished - but it was.
By a remarkable feat of lateral thinking it was realised that a wing from the 152 at BODMIN could be swapped with the 152 at SOUTHAMPTON enabling that aircraft to be flown back. So, as it were, along the way back to WYCOMBE AIR PARK, I made a detour to SOUTHAMPTON.
Corpely.com
This comment was written on: 2019-08-22 16:24:51During the 19 Mr J. N. Somers bought the airport from Southampton Corporation, securing its financial future. Manyimprovements were made including a new 17 concrete runway.
David Tavendale
This comment was written on: 2020-11-29 11:05:42Used to go up the side of the airfield where the old North Stoneham farm was and indeed some of it still remains. Found lots of old aircraft bits from wartime aircraft and Gyrocopters down the side and took them home and gave them to the local museum because Mum got fed up with it all. I think they used to push all their unwanted bits of aircraft down the bank towards the old canal as I have found bits of Blenheim bomber and items from a spitfire. Needs a proper search down there because I reckon there will be tons more stuff.
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