Andover flying sites
Note: The map shows the position of RAF ANDOVER (WEYHILL)
ANDOVER see also APSLEY ESTATE
ANDOVER see also RED LION COUNTRY INN
ANDOVER: Military aerodrome (Also known as WEYHILL)
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth ©
The outline of the airfield can be clearly seen today.
Military users: WW1: RFC/RAF Training Squadron Station & School
105 & 106 Sqdns (R.E.8s)
Inter-war years: No.1 Bomber Group
12 Sqdn (Fairey Fawns then Fairey Foxs, later Hawker Harts and Hinds, ultimately Fairey Battles)
13 Sqdn (Armstrong Whitworth Altas’)
63 Sqdn (Fairey Battles)
82(B) Sqdn (Hawker Hinds)
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
A 1928 MILITARY EXERCISE
These pictures and maps were kindly provided by Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide'. It appears that in August 1928 a major Air Manouevres Exercise was held. 12 Squadron under Sqn Ldr T E Salt AFC, and 100 Squadron under Wg Cdr L T N Gould. These being part of Eastland Forces commanded by AVM Sir John Steel. 'Hostilities' commenced on the 13th August and terminated on the 14th.
What of course is hard to understand today, is why in 1928, there was any concievable threat imagined coming from the south and south-west in this region? Unless of course it was thought the French might well turn against us?
Note: The photos were published in Flight magazine on the 16th August 1928
WW2: RAF 70 Group
School of Army Co-operation (Avro Ansons, Bristol Blenheims)
12 Sqdn (Fairey Battles)
59 Sqdn (Bristol Blenheims)
81 Sqdn (DH Tiger Moths)
RAF and USAAF Army liaison. (USAAF Fighter Group involved too?)
ATA Ferry Control
43 OTU [Operational Training Unit] (Austers)
HQ Maintenance Command HQ 53 Wing
41 Group (Miscellaneous Aircraft Supply Centre)
Note: One point of interest in the history of ANDOVER is when 43 OCU, (in 1944), had a large number of Sikorsky R-4B Hoverflys based here. (VS316 being one, and possibly the first?)
The Hoverfly was arguably the first practical, (but only just so?), helicopter type employed by militaryusers in the UK. It seems 45 were imported from the USA but were they all based at ANDOVER? It appears the Fleet Air Arm had them supplied too. Included or extra to the original order?
Post WW2: Listed as being open for RAF communications aircraft.
21 Sqdn (DH Doves - were these called Devons in the RAF? - & Percival Pembrokes)
Gliding: Used as a gliding site in the 1970s only?
Location: 2nm WSW of Andover town centre, just S of the ‘old’ A303
Period of operation: 1917 to 1977, (some say 1916 to 1976), for fixed wing aircraft. Then used by Army Air Corps helicopters – until?
Airfield area: WW1: 245 acres 1006x110 grass (Orientated roughly SW/NE?)
Runways: WW2: ENE/WSW 1189 grass NE/SW 914 grass
SE/NW 823 grass N/S 759 grass
NOTES: 63 Squadron were reformed here as a bomber squadron and were, it appears, the first to be equipped with the Fairey Battle, a type which, once WW2 broke out proved to be nigh on suicidal to fly in combat. This said other RAF bombers, such as the Blenheim, Hampden and Whitley weren’t much better. It must of course be pointed out that German bombers were also equally ill-equipped to defend themselves against a fighter attack.
There are accounts of Fairey Battle crews embarking on suicidal missions, flown by volunteer aircrews in the ‘Battle of France’in 1940. Even when the odds were considered far more favourable the Battle aircrews were badly mauled. Take for example the 14th May when thirty-four out of sixty-seven Battles flying that day were shot down.
John Sweetman in his excellent book Bomber Crew makes an interesting comparison. “…the same day German bombers virtually destroyed Rotterdam with a fearsome display of aerial might which prompted The Netherlands to sue for peace the very next day.”
MAY I HAVE A RANT PLEASE?
It makes me so angry to hear younger people, (especially in Germany), who obviously have not read, let alone understood the history, complain about the Allied bombing campaign. The fact is that after the Luftwaffe Blitz campaign, every single bomb dropped on Germany was completely justified. The fact that the Nazi regime did not capitulate after 1943 when the “writing was on the wall” is entirely the responsibility of the Nazi regime.
What I totally fail to understand is why the British government decided to declare war against Germany in 1939. Our army was hopeless compared to such superior odds, our air force pretty much equally so for fighting in France, and our then vastly superior Navy couldn’t really do much against a mostly land-locked enemy nation. Was it mostly gesturing relying on the Empire, especially the Dominians, to support the UK? As a nation alone we didn’t stand a chance.
81 SQUADRON
I found the history of 81 Squadron very interesting as they operated Tiger Moths here in a communications role during the early part of WW2, and indeed had done so from Amiens and Montjois in the short lived ‘Battle of France’. What I find quite extraordinary is that the Squadron history also claims they flew the Avro Rota II whilst in France, a license-built Cierva C.30A autogyro design from the mid 1930s! A part of history worth looking into?
Later they became a fighter squadron flying Spitfires from TURNHOUSE (LOTHIAN), then LECONFIELD (YORKSHIRE), OUSTON (NORTHUMBERLAND), HORNCHURCH and FAIRLOP (ESSEX) and finally WELLINGORE (LINCOLNSHIRE). After that they were posted abroad.
AN INTERESTING STORY
Because ATA Ferry Control was based here I thought it well worth telling a particular story having read an account given by Geoff Cooke, an ATC cadet based at RATCLIFFE in Leicestershire. I certainly did not know young Air Cadets often formed part of ATA crews for ferrying operations in WW2 - but they did. Sea Cadets were often flown too.
Geoff amassed 536 flying hours in 39 different types with ATA ferry flights during WW2. These flights included for example being a crew member on Short Sunderlands being delivered from ROCHESTER to WIG BAY in Scotland and Consolidated Catalinas from BEAUMARIS on Angelsey to OBAN also in Scotland. He also flew in Armstrong Whitworth Albermarles and Whitleys, Avro Ansons, Lockheed Hudsons and Venturas, and Short Stirlings. Amazing!
The work carried out by the ATA (Air Transport Auxilliary) ferry pilots was absolutely essential to the success of the war effort in WW2 and it is probably fair to say that it is only in fairly recent years that their true contribution is slowly being recognised. It seems to me at least two very significant aspects of ATA operations in WW2 need to be considered.
ADDRESSING THE BALANCE?
Today, it does seem that far too much emphasis is put on the role of female pilots in the ATA (Air Transport Auxilliary) service. Without any doubt the ATA used quite a large number of female pilots, (and very good indeed they were too), but, they were in the minority.
Another aspect of ATA operations appears to be that they also seemed to have achieved a safety record way above that of RAF training facilities. Their abilities when it came to basic flying and navigation often being superior to operational squadrons. Who I suspect generally looked down upon them?
I don’t know what the Latin motto would be for the ATA but I strongly suspect it really should probably be translated as, “We’ll deliver them safely so you can crash ‘em”. It does require another state of mind to take an aircraft into combat of course. Between February 1940 and June 1945 the ATA delivered 300,056 aircraft.
A PERSONAL NOTE
I used to drive past ANDOVER on the A303 regularly in the 1970s, and the place appeared deserted. However, I do remember once, (just possibly twice), seeing a RAF Percival Pembroke operating. But wasn’t this so typical of most, (not all of course), RAF airfields since the 1970s? When successive British governments succeeded in nigh on closing the RAF down?
A SPOTTERS NOTE
In 1977 it appears, the Cessna 180 G-AXZO of the R.S.A. Parachute Club was based here.
ANDOVER: Temporary aerodrome
Operated by: Alan Cobham’s 1935 Tour of the UK
Location: Whitchurch Road E of Andover town centre
Period of operation: 15th April 1935
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