Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
#1
The Parish Clerk at Whitfield - aka my darling wife - has just uncovered an interesting fact that she was previously unaware of, namely that Whitfield had an aerodrome in days of yore, and one that turns out to have had historical signficance. It transpires that one Harriet Quimby, the first woman to fly the English Channel, took off from Whitfield Aerodrome on her historic flight in 1912; news of this historic event was overshadowed by the Titanic disaster and so her achievement never received the accolade it merited. I, for one, had never heard of Harriet Quimby until Michelle told me about it - and I'd be quite surprised if many of my fellow forumites had either.
Michelle is looking for any information and/or pictures relating to Whitfield Aerodrome which could be used on the Whitfield Parish Council website; if any forumites have any knowledge of, stories about, or photos of Whitfield Aerodrome, she would be very grateful if they would contact her - full accreditation for info & photos will, of course, be made on the website. Her email address is
whitfieldpc@btconnect.com and I know she'd be very grateful to hear from you.
Derek Leach of The Dover Society has spoken with her about it and has led her to understand that the aerodrome was in the vicinity of what is now The Archer pub, and that's all she really knows about it. Anyone got anything further? There's nothing of value about it on the internet....
For the full story on Harriet Quimby, here's the link to her Wikipedia entry - it makes interesting reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_QuimbyTrue friends stab you in the front.
Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,321
#2
I had heard of this many years ago Andy and had totally forgotten it. It was I believe called "Dover Aerodrome", there is a reference to it here:-
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1914/feb/25/dover-aerodrome
Not much other info I'm afraid.
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
#3
Thanks Terry - it's a start!
True friends stab you in the front.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#4
Think there is very little information as recall searching the National Archive a few years ago, I will have a check of some notes and cuttings and see what I can find.....
Been nice knowing you :)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#5
i would imagine that it must have been built on, otherwise it would have had some use when us and the germans had a falling out.
Guest 694- Registered: 22 Mar 2010
- Posts: 778
#6
I do believe that when the house next door to mum and dad was being redone the builders found a hole of some sort..
infact Paul I do believe you make have shoved your camera under there.. but can imagine its pretty much on the new side (ie Archers Court side) not Bewsbury Cross side.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
#7
First I have heard Andy, well done for digging it out.
If you leave Guston heading towards Dover, over the bridge over the A2 the first slim field on the left. I used to metal detect that one and was told it was an old airfield way back when.
There must be a record of it somwhere mate.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
#8
R.N.A.S Dover / Guston road.
R.F.C Dover St Margarets/ Swingate Downs.
Thats the oldest I can find anywhere near whitfield
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
#9
Two hits from Flight Magazine:
August 12th 1912
Naval Aeroplanes at DOVER.
On the 25th ult. two biplanes arrived at the Whitfield
Aerodrome near Dover, having been flown over from Eastchurch.
They were a new H. Farman biplane with Lieut. Parke in charge
and a Short tractor biplane piloted by Lieut. Grey. The machines
stayed at Dover over night, and during the evening made one or
two trial flights. On the following day Lieut. Grey carried some
despatches to the Lancaster Regiment, in camp at Dymchurch.
April 19th 1913
ACCOMPANIED by Miss Trehawke Davies, Mr. Gustav
Hamel made a splendid trip along the South Coast on Monday
from Shoreham to Dover. The two-seater Bleriot made the trip
of 74 miles in 63 mins. During the trip, Mr. Hamel brought the
machine down almost to the water by spiral vol plants at Brighton,
Eastbourne and Hastings, and at Dover he planed down from a
height of 3,000 ft. and circled over the harbour before landing at
the Whitfield aerodrome.
(The previous Friday Gustav Hamel had set a record flying continuously from Dover - Calais - Dunkirk - Dover. He had travelled with a passenger and the trip had taken 1hr 35m)
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
#10
Were "Whitfield Aerodrome" and "Dover Aerodrome" the same place or were they separate entities?
Harriet Quimby can be seen getting into her aircraft at this link:
http://www.harrietquimby.org/pages/englishchannel1912.html
She is referred to as travelling from Dover Aerodrome, not Whitfield so presumably the two names refer to the same site. However, wasn't there a RNAS station up near the later pylons?
There was a group of local civvies pre-WW1 called "Dover Aero Club" - maybe that'll throw up a clue?
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
#11
OK, Dover Aero Club. The group was set up in late November 1911 and at that point it appears that they were responsible for the creation of the Aerodrome.
From Flight 30th Nov 1911:
Dover Aero Club (11, MARINE PARADE).
SINCE the inception of this club, not so many months
ago great headway has been made in establishing it as one of
the most powerful aeronautical clubs in the country, it including
many men of considerable standing in the affairs of Great
Britain, the membership at the present time totalling to 80.
Amongst those who were instrumental in founding the club were
Capt. W. P. Marley, Commander S. E. Forster, Capt. H. O. H.
Moore, R.E., Capt. W. J. Todd, Capt. H. M. Ingle, and Mr. P.
Harrington Edwards. The president of the club is the Marquis
Camden, whilst the vice-presidents include Lord Kitchener, Vice-
Admiral Sir John R. Jellicoe, and the Right Hon. Sir George
Wyndham, M.P.
Excellent club flying grounds have been established on Whitfield Hill,
about three miles out of Dover, and it is proposed that these
should be enlarged and enclosed, thereby creating a very good
permanent aerodrome. The club proposes becoming associated
with the Royal'Aero Club, and owing to its unique position in
relation to the Continent there is little doubt that the name of the
Dover Aero Club will stand out in the history of the British aviation world.
The original twenty-five
founders of the body will probably have reason to look back upon
their work in the future with considerable satisfaction.' These
founder members comprise Brig.-Gen. F. S. Inglefiei'd, C.B.,
D.S.O., Commanding at Dover; Sir W. H. Crundall, Mayor and
Chairman of the Harbour Commissioners; Commander S. E.
Forster, R.N., the King's Harbour-Master at Dover; Sir M.
Bradley ; Mr. E. P. Barlow, of Kearsmey Court; Lieut. -Col. A.
Dowell; Major H. Davies; Mr. A. C. Leney and Mr. Eric
Crundall, County Councillors for Dover; Mr. Walter Emden,
ex-Mayor ; Mr. F. W. Duckham, of Messrs. Weetman Pearson
and Co. ; Capt. F. Fitzgerald; Mr. T. B. Harby, Clerk to the
Justices; Mr. W. C. Hawke, Borough Engineer ; Dr. Ian Howden,
J. P. ; Capt. H. M. Ingle ; Rev. F. de W. Lushington, Headmaster
of Dover College ; Rev. G. H. Andrews, Chaplain to the Duke ot
York's Royal Military School ; Mr. Eric Snepp, Mr. P. H. Edwards,
Mr. W. Saul, Mr. V. Elkington, Capt. W. h . Marley, Capt. H. O.
Moore, and Capt. W. J. Todd. The address of Capt. Marley, who
is the honorary secretary and treasurer, is 11, Marine Parade, Dover,
to whom communications should be addressed in connection with
the affairs of the club.
The inaugural meeting of the flying grounds was on Wednesday
and Thursday of last week, but the elements proved anything but
kind for such an event, the first day being very boisterous, and on
the second the promised gymkhana exhibition flights having to be
dispensed with owing to the absence of Mr. Barber, who was to
have given some demonstrations on one of his Valkyrie machines.
Mr. Valentine fortunately was secured for the occasion, but his
racing Deperdussin monoplane was hardly suitable for anything
beyond demonstrations of high-class speed flying and landing.
Mr. Valentine made an excellent flight from the aerodrome on the
Thursday, in spite of a very treacherous wind.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#12
the plot thickens on this one.
excellent info from phil.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
#13
Interpreting the two Hansard hits and the above information, it appears that Dover Aero Club lost the main purpose of its brand new Aerodrome under the Aerial Navigation Acts of 1911 and 1913. These Acts restricted the flights to the continent and attempted to regulate flights with the UK. Hansard also records that the area around the Dover Aerodrome is to be 'scheduled' in August 1913, that the site had been rendered useless and the owners suffered financial loss.
Having just set up a brand new aerodrome at Whitfield this must have come as blow hence the calls in Hansard to compensate the club. They were regarded as a 'special case' but there is no record as to whether the owners received any.
Is it possible then that Dover Aerodrome at Whitfield only briefly existed in function from 1911-1913?
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
#14
Excellent stuff, Phil! Michelle says thank you very much and I'll make sure you're mentioned in Whitfield despatches.
True friends stab you in the front.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#15
Also some stuff on the Digital Times website - can you log on with your KCC card number
http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/kcclBeen nice knowing you :)
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#16
the 1918 survey of Stations of the Royal Air force states:
- Dover (Guston Road) aerodrome as the area between Duke of Yorks and Fort Burgoyne
- Dover (St Margarets) aerodrome - where Swingate Masts now are
- Dover (Marine Parade) seaplane station - adjacent to Moats Bulwark on Marine Parade
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
#17
Very interesting topic this Andy, I`ve never heard of an aerodrome up here before. As I mentioned some months ago on here, the people who are dying off today, are the last contemporary link with the past. Too late for this one I suspect.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
#18
This makes good reading. It is the Royal Aero Club's reaction to the imposition of the February 1913 Aerial Navigation Bill - it is regarded as 'evil':
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1913/1913%20-%200727.html
It seems the main thrust of the Act was to restrict flight paths over populated areas for safety reasons, but also to prevent foreign pilots from flying wherever they wished for the purposes of espionage. It set up prohibited areas over which pilots could not fly or they could be shot at, the aim being to protect the public. Presumably the military areas of Dover Castle, Archcliffe Fort and the harbour overnight became no-fly areas. This would have caused a headache for amateur flying clubs engaged in cross-channel flying as British airspace effectively became closed with landing prohibited without specific permission.
An amendment to Act was made on the 18th July 1914 in response to the Daily Mail "Circuit of Great Britain" race:
"Aerial Navigation Acts, 1911 and 1913.
The Secretary of State hereby grants the following Exemption
from the Orders under the Aerial Navigation Acts, 1911 and 1913,
made by him March ist, 1913, and May 25th, 1914:—
Seaplanes taking part in the Daily Mail Circuit of Great Britain
Race, 1914, may, during the course of the race, pass within the
following prohibited areas, subject to the conditions specified below:—
2) Dover Castle and Archcliffe Fort: on condition that no competitor shall pass nearer the shore than a distance of 800 yards seaward from the end of the 'Admiralty Pier, nor at a height exceeding 300 ft."
Terry Nunn- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,321
#19
Seems you have started something here Andy!
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
#20
I`m sure this thread will take off.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
