Battle of Britain Airfields

[Gugnunc]

Advice needed please....
I'm planning a VFR trip from Scotland down to the south coast, where I'd like to tour the area and airfields where the Battle of Britain was fought.
Perfection would be to fly first to France, land and stay the night at an airfield used by the Luftwaffe. Then fly back over the channel, over Capel-le-Ferne fly west along the coast and then land and stay at an ex RAF BoB airfield - if possible a small grass airfield as opposed to something big like Biggin Hill.
Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations for airfields and accomodation. My flying colleague is a historian who occasionally teaches RAF history to serving RAF personnnel, and has hosted lectures at Bentley Priory, hence the desire to stay at and see the actual locations of the Battle but with a light aircraft as the form of transport.
Many thanks
Gugnunc.

[Kolibear]

Try & get hold of a copy of a book called 'The Battle of Britain - Then & Now', its part of the 'After the Battle' series. My copy dates back to 1980 & the ISBN is 0-9009 13-19-3

The book compares BoB airfields as they were in 1940 & 1980, obviously many have dissappeared and many have changed out of all recognition.

I'm biased, but can I suggest a visit to North Weald? Some of the original hangars, complete with bomb damage, are still standing, due in no small measure to the paint my Dad applied in 1940. Aerbabe is a good contact at N-W.

[Cricket23]

How about this....

Fly back from France and in the Dover area (can't quite recall where, but someone will), there is a massive propeller sculpture carved out of chalk with a pilot sitting in the middle of it looking out to sea. It would make a great picture from the air.

Then you could fly along the coast (about 20nm) to LYDD. Lydd wasn't used in the Battle of Britain, but just to the south of the airfield you can see the 'sound walls' and other listening devices that were used to listen out for enemy bombers.

From Lydd, you can drop into HEADCORN, about 18nm north of Lydd. This is a great grass strip and very welcoming. Although Headcorn didn't see action until 1942 (and therefore it doesn't fit your criteria), people like Johnny Johnson did. There is also a museum there, plus the Tiger club. There is also the chance that other interesting aircraft will drop in. The website address from Headcorn is http://www.headcornaerodrome.co.uk/default.aspx?module=home

From there you can follow the railway line to REDHILL 35nm away. I say follow the railway line as according to a couple of historical books this is just what the fighter boys did in the BoB to reach Redhill, Kenley and Biggin. Redhill is a grass strip, and was used in the BOB, but there's nothing there to record the event - even the control tower has moved.

All of this could be done in a day, and as far as accommodation is concerned, the Redhill website http://www.redhillaerodrome.com/pages/accommodation.html has a list

On the way back to Scotland, you can drop into Duxford

Hope this helps, I have a few other ideas, so just give me a shout.

Regards,

C23

[SlipSlider]

....fly first to France, land and stay the night at an airfield used by the Luftwaffe.
Abbeville? Not far inland, and IIRC wasn't that where Galland and the yellow-nose Me109s were based? Also, I believe there is motel-type accomodation on the airfield.

....land and stay at an ex RAF BoB airfield - if possible a small grass airfield

Goodwood? A satellite for Tangmere, known as Westhampnett during BoB; it's still grass, with some WW2 buildings still standing. There is a statue of Douglas Bader; IIRC (again..) he took off from there on his last operational flight in 1941. Also Tangmere is not far away; now little trace of the airfield, but there is an excellent museum. No accomodation actually at Goodwood airfield, but plenty available in the locality. Goodwood Aero Club has a Harvard available as well, if that appeals ....

Hope that helps!
Slip

[ChampChump]

[QUOTE=Cricket23]How about this....
Fly back from France and in the Dover area (can't quite recall where, but someone will), there is a massive propeller sculpture carved out of chalk with a pilot sitting in the middle of it looking out to sea. It would make a great picture from the air.
That's the Battle of Britain Memorial, situated between Dover and Folkestone and largely unmissable...especially as there's a model Hurricane guarding it nowadays.
This bit of the coastline was also full of WW1 fields, in its day. Fields they were, then, of course. Sorry, this doesn't add to the information for your trip.
Echoing what Slipslider said, I'd recommend St Omer, too. Maybe worth following the Somme, &/or starting at Abbeville, lunching at St Omer, crossing to Headcorn....
but you ought to allow time for La Coupole and the Blockhouse, both near St Omer. Both sites are a little off the beaten track but really worth the effort.
CC

[kevmusic]

Cricket23 wrote: Fly back from France and in the Dover area (can't quite recall where, but someone will), there is a massive propeller sculpture carved out of chalk with a pilot sitting in the middle of it looking out to sea. It would make a great picture from the air.

It's the BoB Memorial at Cape-le-Ferne near Folkestone. It also looks very impressive from the ground and is a place of pilgrimage for BoB personell and affiliated groups. Great BoB museum at nearby Hawkinge.

Kev.

[BlueRobin]

Duxford and stay the Red Lion, Whittlesford which used to be the "local".

Vannes is another former Luftwaffe airfield and a nice place to stay. Funnily photos of Allied aircraft feature more prominently in the clubhouse.

[FantomZorbin]

Gugnunc

How about looking at Coltishall* (NE of Norwich) - the RAF still has it (just) and, although flying has ceased, if you give them a ring they may let you make an approach or two.

* Coltishall was the very last continuously operational Battle of Britain airfield the RAF had till the Sqns moved out at the end of March this year:{ :(

[Gugnunc]

Excellent feedback!

From all you've said, and from what we'd like to do, we will plan to use either North Weald or Duxford to start the trip (ta Koliber), then Abbeville for an overnight, Capel Le Ferne and then another overnight at Goodwood (ta SlipSlider).

In between these main stops we can explore/divert/mosey around the others you suggested.


Many thanks

Gugnunc

[Gugnunc]

Ah, just seen the post from Fantom Zorbin.

The whole East Anglian & East Coast RAF & USAAF area is something we'd like to do as a different trip in the future. Although I live in Scotland I grew up in Essex/Suffolk and first soloed at Weathersfield. Coltishall, Wattisham, Mildenhall, Andrewsfield, Duxford and Marham all used to be well known.

This trip is more about the South Coast and the patch fought over by Keith Park.

Cheers

Gug

[GeeRam]

Coltishall was the very last continuously operational Battle of Britain airfield the RAF had till the Sqns moved out at the end of March this year:{ :(

Hmmm...not quite true, depends on your definition. Perhaps as far as front line jets are concerned, but really technically Jaguar's are mud mover's so, Colt lost it's status as a fighter station after the last Lightnings left 30 years ago....;)

And you have Wittering which was a Battle of Britain fighter station, although haven't the jump jets moved to Cottesmore now:confused:

Of course, there is still one remaining 11 Group airfield still in RAF use, although not frontline and that's RAF Northolt.

There is also another still serving military Battle of Britain fighter station but it's not RAF, and that's the ACC base at Middle Wallop, which of course still has it's original grass runways IIRC.

As for North Weald's wartime hangers, didn't they get destroyed and demolished after the big fire there some years ago......???

Interestingly home many of the Battle of Britain Luftwaffe airfields in France are still used for flying, any ideas...??
I thought most of them were pretty much converted farm land with no real faciliites, rather than specific aerodromes?

[nigelisom]

No one has mentioned Manston yet, complete with Spitfire museum. It is also a customs field, very useful when returning from France.

Nigel

[Bravo73]

Gugnunc,

If you're overnighting at Goodwood, try getting a cab to the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum (http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk). It's just down the road and has a couple of Spits and a Hurricane (amongst other jets and the like) and has a Battle of Britain Hall (http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/battle_hall.html).

It's on the site of the old RAF Tangmere.


HTH,

B73 :ok:

[ChampChump]

If it's of any help, this will take you to the site for La Coupole, where there's also a link to the Blokhaus. The French language version of the site is far superior to the English. I'm sorry my techno skills are limited to cut and paste.
www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/page/affichelieu.php?idLieu=121&idLang=fr
Both places are fascinating if you want to learn more about the German presence and plans, beyond that involving Hannah Reisch. I hope you have time to visit. As I said previously, St Omer is close by and is a splendidly welcoming airfield; the residents may be able to expand on its particular history, which superficially appears to be a memorial erected in the last year or so.
It looks as if your trip could expand into quite a long one! I'm realising how lucky we are - now - to be so close to it all down 'ere in Hellfire Corner.

[Kolibear]

As for North Weald's wartime hangers, didn't they get destroyed and demolished after the big fire there some years ago......???


Hangar No 1 is still standing complete with shrapnel damage to the doors. The two T2 hangars nos 5 & 6 were originally up th road at Willingale, but were moved to NW post war.

Question:-

How many BoB airfields had hard runways in 1940? IMHO, the answer is none, but I'm sure someone will correct me.

[AerBabe]

Hangar No 1 is still standing complete with shrapnel damage to the doors.

If anyone wants to see this, it's the big pink hangar used on the Saturday market. Look on the left side for the most impressive collection of holes and dents.

North Weald also sports intact E pens, revetments and pillboxes. There is also the 'secret' nuclear bunker down the road at Kelvedon Hatch (signposted, for those that don't like secrets).

[Arclite01]

Kenley had hard runways in 1940.

It's still there but closed to power traffic.

You can still see some bits of West Malling but largely gone now (Sad)

No one has mentioned Rochford (AKA Southend) or Stapleford Tawney (AKA Stapleford) either. They ae both GA friendly........

Not that I'm a WW2 airfield anorak or anything..........:}

Arc

[GeeRam]

Kenley had hard runways in 1940.


So did Biggin Hill, as can be seen in the photos taken from the Do17's that attacked low level on the morning of 18th August 1940.

[Arclite01]

I'm not sure. Am checking my extensive library...........

Arc

[Dope]

Manston, Headcorn, fly over the old emergency landing field at Sundridge near 7oaks en-route to Redhill (You'll get a good view of Biggin and Kenley), Kenley is well worth a road visit, still lots to see, especially the new memorial in an 'E pen'. Then back via North Weald, Duxford etc.

[Cricket23]

puts anorak on...

...A hard runway was built at Biggin in 38/39. It was 4,500ft by 150ft.

Takes anorak off....!

C23