Chickerell
Note: This map gives the exact location of Chickerell, and it is thanks to Gerald Clark who provided the information.
CHICKERELL: Marine Operations Sation in WW1 then briefly a civil airport. Later ‘Temporary aerodrome’ known as WEYMOUTH aerodrome before becoming a RAF Forward Landing Aerodrome and from 1936 used for the Chesil Beach Bombing Range
Note: The first two pictures are by the author. The first picture shows Chesil Beach and The Fleet taken looking east with Portland Bill in the background. The Fleet is the area of water behind the huge gravel 'barricade' and CHICKERELL is located at the far end of The Fleet. The second picture, taken on a gloomy evening, shows Chickerell viewed from the northern end of Portland Bill. But, I now believe that the airfield was just to the right of this picture.
The third picture of the barrage balloon was kindly provided by Gerald Clark.
Military users: WW1: RNAS Air Station (Known as PORTLAND)
No.513 Flight (DH.6s) soon to become 241 Sqdn (RAF)
Airline user: 1919 only? Handley Page Air Transport. Possibly also used by Hillman's Airways in the 1930s on a charter flight, or flights?
Gliding: Dorset Gliding Club in the early 1930s
Location: 2nm NW of Weymouth town centre
Period of operation: Military: 1918 to 1919
Civil: 1919 briefly then occasionally during the 1930s.
Note: Gerald Clark kindly informs me that he saw military activity at CHICKERELL into the 1960s - and has a picture or two to confirm it - when he has time to dig them out. He tells me that HMS Osprey (PORTLAND) were using CHICKERELL for daytime training exercises up till the 1960s.
Note: This Air Ministry map was kindly supplied by Gerald Clark in June 2016.
Site area: WW1: 60 acres 594 x 411
Note: These four maps and pictures were very kindly sent by Mr Michael T Holder in September 2020.
NOTES: It does seem that for a period after WW1 some of the really forward thinking burghers of Weymouth could see the benefits of the town having it’s own airport but one was never established. Instead it appears CHICKERELL was used on a ad-hoc basis. However, there is certainly proof that the town did have another temporary aerodrome in the Lodmoor area, operating before WW1. See the OVERCOMBE CORNER listing.
A MOST AUSPICIOUS VISIT
This newspaper article, kindly provided by Mike Holder, was published in the Western Gazette on the 30th August 1929.
On the 24th August 1929, Sir Alan Cobham arrived here, the 64th venue on his Municipal Aerodrome Campaign tour of mainland Britain. Starting in May and ending in October, 107 venues were originally planned, mostly in England but with two in Wales and eight in Scotland. Due to a couple of crashes and other setbacks, he eventually visited 96 venues - still a magnificent achievement of course.
The aircraft he mostly used was the ten-seater de Havilland DH61 'Giant Moth', G-AAEV, named "Youth of Britain". The punishing schedule Cobham set for himself was astonishing. Most of the venues were one-day events and he only rarely took a rest day. Typically he would aim to arrive around 11.00 and then take local dignitaries for a short flight, or flights, around the local area. Around lunch-time a gala banquet had been arranged, at the town hall or a grand hotel, during which Cobham would extol the benefits of a town having a municipal aerodrome/airport.
An anonymous donor had also arranged to pay for Cobham to take, in total throughout the tour, around 10,000 selected school children for flights. This generally meant at least four flights. We now know that the donor was Lord Wakefield of Castrol Oil fame. Finally Cobham would then take fare paying passengers for flights, generally until dusk. Presumably to help off-set the costs of the campaign.
A RARE REST PERIOD
The records show that after his event here on the 24th August, his next venue was DORCHESTER on the 26th. We know his wife had joined him, she was there at Maiden Castle Farm at Dorchester, so it appears that Cobham took a rare one day holiday here on Sunday the 25th.
FLYING CIRCUS VENUES
Venue: 4th & 5th August 1931 for CD Barnard Air Tours
Venue: 14th August 1932 for Alan Cobham’s National Aviation Day UK Display Tour
Venue: 16th August for Cobham’s 1935 No.1 Tour
There is a record of Hillman’s Airways, based at MAYLANDS (ESSEX) operating a charter flight to Weymouth in 1932. Probably landing here? Was CHICKERELL/ WEYMOUTH aerodrome also listed by the AA as one of their recommended Landing Grounds? It appears it wasn't which seems rather surprising.
In fact, it appears that the so-called 'WEYMOUTH AERODROME' was only used for occassional visits, and not a properly established aerodrome as such in the 1930s.
NEARBY FAME
Chesil Beach was where the prototype “bouncing bomb” invented by Barnes Wallis and of “Dam Busters” fame was first tested. In the Swannery at Abbotsbury which is situated towards the western end of The Fleet they have a small exhibition featuring one of the 'bombs' that was recovered many years later.
Note: This small and rather fuzzy image (the third picture) is a true classic used time and time again of the Vickers Wellington bomber dropping a version of the spherical bouncing bomb onto The Fleet at CHICKERELL. The design was heavily flawed and didn't work, so Barnes Wallis had to come up with another idea which resulted in the cylindrical bomb tested at Reculver Bay near Whitstable in Kent.
Laurie
This comment was written on: 2016-04-12 22:15:48We are trying to find out about an old air field near the fleet or backwater chickerell. Nr Weymouth Dorset we tink it was used by the navy around ww1 for a short time
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Laurie, This is all I have at the present time. You might ask the Airfield Research Group if they have further information. And, Cross & Cockade. Best of luck and my regards, Dick
Tony
This comment was written on: 2018-10-18 06:42:53Chicerell airfild was also used as a summer camp for the army useing aballon and cage for parachuting.also used by the armyfor landing ground for auster air observation posts
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
