Ashbourne Airfield query
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Ashbourne Airfield query
Just a quck question please. Went past Ashbourne airfield ( as was ) yesterday, albeit for the first time in a van and thus high enough to see over the perimeter from the A52--so I was curious as to the history of the place given that for a WW11 airfield, there seemed to be a lot of concrete and quite a large / wide runway. Given the local weather however, I would imagine it was a "fun" place to try to get into at times. No personal reason for asking, other than I am always intrigued by old airfields and their history. Every time I drive through Burtonwood for example I wonder what it used to be like---although many years ago as a space cadet, some misguided instructor sent me solo there and I duly repaid his confidence by er, landing very skillfully coughs on my second solo amongst a large collection of 45 gal drums some fool had elected to store on an old dispersal--could have happened to anyone of course ! 
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Mike Many thanks for the link and info. 
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It was a bomber OTU (81) base and had a satellite base at Darley Moor, a little further south. It had 3 runways and opened in 1942, part of 92 Gp, the first CO was Sqn Ldr Boston. Whitley bombers replaced the Wellingtons originally planned. Blenheims, Ansons and Oxfords were later flown from there but it was never a front-line airfield. However, it did play an intense and valuable role in training, with around 1200 aircrew having passed through by the end of WWII. There were at least two fatal crashes involving Blenheims and another involving an Albemarle. The airfield saw many changes of organisational command, aircraft type etc during its short lifespan due to the forever changing requirements of the War Ministry.
It closed for military training in early 1945.
There is at least one aircraft still operating from there today but most of it is now industrial estate and the runway has deteriorated very badly. Part of the airfield is used by JCB for testing their excavators.
Bingoboy, I take it you weren't THE "lucky" pilot of the paradrop C172 that made an unconventional vertical landing - upside down under the canopy of an errant "jumper's" reserve chute, along with the parachutist and the jump master? They all survived!
I was there that day (the parachute club's last day, almost thirty years ago) but didn't actually see it occur. I arrived shortly afterwards but I do know some details such as who the errant "jumper" was!
It closed for military training in early 1945.
There is at least one aircraft still operating from there today but most of it is now industrial estate and the runway has deteriorated very badly. Part of the airfield is used by JCB for testing their excavators.
Bingoboy, I take it you weren't THE "lucky" pilot of the paradrop C172 that made an unconventional vertical landing - upside down under the canopy of an errant "jumper's" reserve chute, along with the parachutist and the jump master? They all survived!
I was there that day (the parachute club's last day, almost thirty years ago) but didn't actually see it occur. I arrived shortly afterwards but I do know some details such as who the errant "jumper" was!
Darley Moor is now a Hang-gliding/Microlight Airpark operated by
AIRWAYS AIRSPORTS
I think they still race motorbikes their too.
AIRWAYS AIRSPORTS
I think they still race motorbikes their too.
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Hi ShyTorque, No it was not me and I think it was a 182 but whichever you shook me with the 30 odd years remark so just had a look in logbook (old) and found me last lift from there was in 1973. How the years slip past - still got many memories of the place and the people.
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Shy Torque----Thanks for the short history I still think it would have been an "interesting" place to operate from at times with the local wx and terrain--even more so in those days of ME types and in a training role.
I still think it would have been an "interesting" place to operate from at times with the local wx and terrain--even more so in those days of ME types and in a training role.
