Mullion flying sites
MULLION: Military Airship Station later temporary civil aerodrome in 1934.
(Aka CURY AIR STATION)
NOTE: This listing includes BONYTHON FARM used in 1934.
Notes: The first picture was obtained from Google Earth ©. As so very often I have the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust web-site to help me pin-point this location. We have Robert Wilcockson to thank for a link to the aerial photo which can be found on a few web-sites. Due to its age I imagine it is probably copyright free?
Military users: RNAS/RAF (Royal Naval Air Service / Royal Air Force)
Class F Airship Station
(with sub-stations at BUDE, LAIRA, TOLLER and TRESCO), for non-rigid airships 1916 to 1919
RNAS/RAF Marine Operations Station 1917 to 1919
236 Sqdn Special Duty Flights
Location: In/near Mullion on the B3296, W of the A3083, W side of the Lizard peninsular, about 5nm SE to SSE of Helston
Period of operation: 1916 to 1919
Site area: 320 acres 1767 x 1006
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a long term friend of this 'Guide', to thank for investigating what is available to illustrate these two locations.
The excerpt is from Battlebags - British Airships of the First World War by Ces Mowthorpe.
Photo One is of the airship C.2, and Photo Two is of C.23A in 1917. Both obtained from An Illustrated History of the RAF by Roy Nesbit.
Photo Three and Photo Four were obtained from Action Stations 10 by Bruce Quarrie.
This article, in four parts, was published in The Cornishman on the 22nd January 1919.
Photo Five, of the last airship flight from MULLION, on the 25th January 1919, was obtained from Facebook.
MULLION: Temporary civil aerodrome, known as BONYTHON FARM
NOTES: Years ago I made this comment: "On the 4th August Sir Alan Cobham’s 1934 Tour displayed in/near Mullion. It would seem reasonable to suppose that they also used the WW1 site. But did they? These 'Flying Circus' tour operators are notorious for using farmers fields offering the best prices, and often used sites near to, or even next to, existing operational airfields. Once again, if anybody can kindly offer advice, this will be much appreciated."
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY (Cont'd)
The advert was placed in the West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser on the 2nd August.
The Notice was published in the St Austell Gazette and Cornwall County News on the 1st August.
MORE NOTES: The visit by Sir Alan Cobham's NAD Tour on the 4th August was the 105th venue. The Tour started at CENTRAL PARK, Dagenham on the 14th April and terminated at MAYLANDS Aerodrome, Romford on the 30th September. 159 venues were planned to be visited, and without too much doubt the majority were, mostly on time. We do not know exactly which field was used, but suspect the one closest to the public road.
I had hoped to find evidence of a helipad at the Goonhilly Downs satellite facility just to the east. But failed. Surely helicopters must have visited this site over the years since it was established?
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