Whitley Home Farm
WHITLEY HOME FARM: Temporary aerodrome
Operated by: Berkshire Aviation Company (1919), Central Aircraft Company (1920)
Location: About 1.25nm SSE of Reading town centre
Periods of operation:
Berkshire Aviation Company - 5th to 8th June, then 20th to 23rd June 1919
Central Aircraft Company - 1st to 15th April 1920
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Although already listed with scant details in this 'Guide', we have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide' to thank for providing the following items to illustrate this new individual listing.
The article and photo were published in the Reading Standard on the 14th June 1919, as was the advert for a return visit.
Note that the article gives the venue location as being Cusden's Meadow, whereas the advert simply states WHITLEY HOME FARM. Both Mike and I agree that it is highly probable that the two events occurred on the same field (?), but, we have no way of knowing. In the greater scheme of things it doesn't much matter of course, as this is simply a 'Guide'. Advice of course is always most welcome.
It appears that the Berkshire Aviation Company started operations in April 1919, initially visiting fairly local venues, with THATCHAM being the first, (27th to 29th April), followed by WANTAGE, THAME, AYLESBURY and then READING - this venue. Clearly their itinerary was flexible enough to allow a second visit barely two weeks later. Without much if any doubt this operation was very much a 'suck-it-and-see' affair, gauging the public response as they went.
After READING they visited FARINGDON, ABINGDON, SWINDON, and OXFORD, all within easy reach of their base at EAST HANNEY near WANTAGE. Having gained some experience with this new venture, and finding a very positive response from the public, in mid-June they decided to venture much further afield, but, cautiously: LEIGHTON BUZZARD, BEDFORD, NORTHAMPTON, LEICESTER etc. Ending up it appears in EDINBURGH in late December!
THE CENTRAL AIRCRAFT COMPANY
The Notice One was pubished in the Reading Standard on the 27th March 1920. Notice Two was published in the Reading Observer on the 3rd April 1920.
Starting with a factory in Kilburn, north-west London, by this time they had moved to RAF NORTHOLT. In those days it seems, having civil operations co-existing with the military, was not seen as having conflicting interests.
The local area and area views are from my Google Earth© derived database.
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