Birchanger
BIRCHANGER: Temporary Landing Ground
Operated by: Mr Brock and Santa Claus
Location: Just N of the A120, just W of Birchanger village, roughly 1.5nm NE of Bishops Stortford town centre
Period of operation: 25th December 1913
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for discovering this location which featured in The Daily Mirror published on the 26th December 1913. We do not know for certain which field was actually used, but it certainly makes sense to suppose it was this one which is closest to the school. I do not consider myself as being at all sentimental, but, adding this listing to the 'Guide' on the 14th December 2024, it does seem rather appropriate.
NOTES:
The local area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
Later Mike Holder found this photograph of Mr Brock, (probably taken at HENDON?), which was published in Flight magazine on the 8th November 1913.
So, who was Mr Brock? I cannot be at all certain, but, delving into the inter-web, I think he was probably Lieut. Henry Le Marchant Brock, (1889 - 1964), of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, who gained his Certificate No.551 with the Deperdussin School at HENDON on the 10th July 1913.
Who 'Santa Claus' was remains a mystery? If anybody can kindly offer advice, this will be most welcome.
ANOTHER ASPECT
In researching this 'Guide', sometimes trying to determine exact locations can be difficult if not impossible. But of course, this is after all just a 'Guide'. However, this location was, it seems, very close to the gliding site listed as BISHOPS STORTFORD. Having worked on this project for now, (2024), am still astonished to find that I am still adding new flying sites pretty much every week!
Without any doubt the U.K. has a fabulous aviation heritage, second to none in any other country in the world considering our size geographically. Could be mistaken (?), but seems to me to be a heritage largely unknown about and, indeed, ignored. Why?
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