Extons Road
EXTON'S ROAD: Temporary airfield (Also known as EXTON'S PLACE?)
Operated by: Lloyd Aviation in 1926. See below for use in 1934
Location: In a field just east of the railway crossing on Exton's Road, just over half a mile from Kings Lynn town centre
Period of operation: April 1926
Note: These three items were very kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide'. The newspaper article was published in the Lynn Advertiser on the 7th May 1926.
NOTES:
Arrangements in Kings Lynn had been made for the Sopwith Gnu G-EAGP operated by Lloyd Aviation to conduct a week of pleasure flights and exhibition flights, including ‘crazy flying’ and ‘wing-walking’ starting on Thursday 29th April from a field in Exton's Road.
This is the bit I simply cannot understand - the report states; The Gnu was flown from BROOKLANDS to PETERBOROUGH, (where did it land?) on the 26th April. It was taken apart and transported by train to Kings Lynn - but why? Why on earth couldn’t it have been flown this relatively short distance?
Because of bad weather the Gnu did not start flying until the Saturday 1st May. A ‘crazy flying’ and ‘wing walking’ display was advertised for the Sunday 2nd May and although a clear day a strong wind was blowing, but flying commenced at 14.30. The Gnu was being piloted by Captain Arthur Orde Bigg-Wither with a crowd of around two thousand. After a dozen or so passengers, (two at a time in the enclosed cabin), had been up for pleasure flights the ‘silly flying’ commenced at 16.20.
Capt Bigg-Wither took off with Mr George M Lloyd, (the stunt performer), and a local man Mr A G Barrett to arrive overhead the field at 2000ft whereupon Mr Lloyd exited the aircraft to ‘walk’ along the starboard lower wing. Having reached his position he laid down on the wing and waved his hands to the crowd, then returned to the cabin. After a series of turns the engine seemed to stop and the aircraft went into a spiral nose- dive, (probably a spin?), from which it didn’t recover, crashing into the old cemetery.
The pilot, Capt. Bigg-Wither was killed and the stunt man Mr Lloyd was seriously injured, but, incredibly, Mr Barrett got out of the wreckage very soon after it hit the ground almost unscathed!
On the 21st June 1933 the Prince of Wales flew his DH Dragon, G-ACGG, to the Landing Ground at EXTONS PLACE, (presumably the same site but see also SAYERS MARSH?), to attend the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Show held at ‘The Walks’.
USED AGAIN IN 1934
Mike Holder has also discovered this information. The EXTON'S ROAD site was used by the British Hospitals Air Pageant on the 2nd August 1934.
Note: The local map and the article excerpt were published in the Lynn Advertiser on the 2nd November 1934. Clearly any plans to develop the site as a municipal airport were fairly quickly abandonded.
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