Wartime ELG?
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Small factoid.
There's two types of ELG depending on what time of the second world war your looking at.
Around 1940 the RAF bought a lot of land that would be useful as "scatter fields" that aircraft could bolt to in case of German invasion and their aerodromes were overrun. These were often tiny patches of grass just big enough for fighters with no facilities at all.
Easiest way to imagine it is the tented temporary aerodrome at the start of the Battle of Britain film.
These were marked on certain Air Ministry maps as "ELG" and some grass aerodromes are specifically named as Emergency Landing Grounds as a secondary use.
Couple of examples of ELGs as per the above I know about were at Temple Guiting and Turkdene in Gloucestershire and just to the west of the Burford Grammar school in Oxfordshire. RAF Northleach was designated as a ELG prior to them sorting the plumbing out so that Flying Training Command could use it proper.
Most of these scatter fields/ELGs were removed from maps by 1944 as the threat of invasion had passed.
There's two types of ELG depending on what time of the second world war your looking at.
Around 1940 the RAF bought a lot of land that would be useful as "scatter fields" that aircraft could bolt to in case of German invasion and their aerodromes were overrun. These were often tiny patches of grass just big enough for fighters with no facilities at all.
Easiest way to imagine it is the tented temporary aerodrome at the start of the Battle of Britain film.
These were marked on certain Air Ministry maps as "ELG" and some grass aerodromes are specifically named as Emergency Landing Grounds as a secondary use.
Couple of examples of ELGs as per the above I know about were at Temple Guiting and Turkdene in Gloucestershire and just to the west of the Burford Grammar school in Oxfordshire. RAF Northleach was designated as a ELG prior to them sorting the plumbing out so that Flying Training Command could use it proper.
Most of these scatter fields/ELGs were removed from maps by 1944 as the threat of invasion had passed.
I worked with Elvington as Relief Landing Ground during a tour at Linton.
Elvers was always referred to in the same category as Manston and Carnaby - 9000ft and double width...
..and in the middle of 'bomber country'
wet
Elvers was always referred to in the same category as Manston and Carnaby - 9000ft and double width...
..and in the middle of 'bomber country'
wet
I think you'l find Elvington's 'big' runway was a post-war SAC development ie 10,000ft x 150 ft. Don't think SAC (like Bruntingthorpe) ever used it though.
I recall being diverted into Manston AGAIN in a T 17 in late 60s. Rest of UK out in fog and just about every type of military and civil aircraft parked around the place and ISTR at the edge of the extremely wide runway, although I also seem to recall that the actual runway edges were marked and lit a more normal width apart. The fuel bowser came round and you had a limited amount od fuel, and refuel yourselves.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Elvington during the war had 3 runways, all 50 yds wide, 20 at 1400, 26 at 2000 and 14 at 1400.
Bruntingthorpe was similar with 1x2000, and 2x1400.
Post-war SAC use was probably not as an operating base but a recovery base.
Remember that SAC had 1600 B47, several hundred B52 and several hundred KC97/135s. They all needed somewhere to land
Spilsby was one such airfield. OS mapping, once such restrictions were lifted, showed huge expanses of concrete aprons. The intention was simply to land on, taxi to the furthest available space and stop.
East Kirkby, was also available as an emergency landing ground until 1970. In 1964 its runway was resurfaced, painted, and line with fuelled oil-fired glims. Halfpenny Green was another 1960s ELG.
Bruntingthorpe was similar with 1x2000, and 2x1400.
Post-war SAC use was probably not as an operating base but a recovery base.
Remember that SAC had 1600 B47, several hundred B52 and several hundred KC97/135s. They all needed somewhere to land
Spilsby was one such airfield. OS mapping, once such restrictions were lifted, showed huge expanses of concrete aprons. The intention was simply to land on, taxi to the furthest available space and stop.
East Kirkby, was also available as an emergency landing ground until 1970. In 1964 its runway was resurfaced, painted, and line with fuelled oil-fired glims. Halfpenny Green was another 1960s ELG.
Wartime ELG?
How long would the runway have to have been in order to be classified as an ELG during WWII?
How long would the runway have to have been in order to be classified as an ELG during WWII?
As an earlier poster said - depends on which sort of ELG you mean !!
The ELG's/ RLG's for flying training etc were usually a field or two with a couple of hedges removed.
I suspect the OP is referring to Dungavel House airfield !
Looking at the area on google street view - it would be tight for a 110 for a night landing especially for an amateur pilot,there would be no approach lights and the only rwy lighting available would be gooseneck flares.
And then you would have had to hide the a/c for a day or two !
Some day maybe some of the info will be released but I doubt I will still be around then !
rgds LR
Last edited by longer ron; 30th Oct 2013 at 23:21.
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There are some good Google Earth overlays avaiable on line that list all of the ELGs, etc
Go here and make your selection.
https://www.google.co.nz/#q=RAF+Bases+kmz
Then wipe the tear from your eye......
Go here and make your selection.
https://www.google.co.nz/#q=RAF+Bases+kmz
Then wipe the tear from your eye......
Just looked at Spilsby on satellite photos; doesn't look to be a 10,000 footer but no way of measuring! Definitely extended post-war though and it crossed a public road at the western end.
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Searching Goolgle for "scatter field" RAF turns up a lot of references to the early ELGs. Some of them were upgraded and became full blown aerodromes which is why it's often hard to find reference to them in their former use.
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IIRC Elvington was nominated as an emergency div for Concorde trials....
Thank you Chev and PN for Elvers background - never believe what you're told. ...I thought I was part of WW2 history climbing those bloody steps to be duty pilot, and now I discover it's a hip replacement scheme run by the Yanks.
wets
wets
Yes it had (has?) the USAF 'standard' latticework control tower. I've only seen one other in the UK and that was Chelveston (Northants) which as far as I'm aware, also had a 10,000ft runway, although some sources (Airfields of the Eighth) say it was longer.
