Firbeck Country Club
FIRBECK COUNTRY CLUB: Private aerodrome (Aka FIRBECK AERODROME)
NOTE: See entry for FIRBECK (RAF FIRBECK in WW2) for further information.
Note: These two pictures are from my Google Earth © derived database.
Location: Just W of Firbeck Hall, N of the B6463 and S of the A634. About 6nm NNW of Worksop town centre
Period of operation: 1935 to 1939 (Then military from November 1940)
NOTES: This aerodrome was opened in 1935 and it appears was laid out under the direction of Capt. Tom Campbell-Black. He was then of course very famous having won the MacRobertson England (MILDENHALL) to Melbourne (Australia) race, with Flt. Lt. Charles Scott the year before flying the de Havilland DH.88 Comet, G-ACSS named 'Grosvenor House'.
This picture was obtained courtesy of the Firbeck Airfield Memorial website.
Boasting a clubhouse and hangarage, one of the earliest visitors was the Prince of Wales with his de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide G-ADDD. In fact he had two Dragon Rapides, the other being G-ACTT. I suppose it would be unseemly to ask why he needed two? Did he fly it himself, presumably from SMITHS LAWN in Windsor Great Park?
The aerodrome was requisitioned by the Air Ministry on the 7th November 1940, nearly a year after the UK declared war on Germany on the 3rd September 1939.
So, perhaps we should sympathise with Mr Albert Roger Senior, who registered the de Havilland DH.94 Moth Minor G-AFPO on the 19th July 1939 and based it here. Only to find that all private flying was banned when the UK declared war. Presumably it then languished in a hangar before the civil registration was cancelled on 13th November 1942. The same date when it was impressed as HM544. Perhaps used as a local runabout for RAF Station officers?
Surprisingly, seeing as the RAF were mostly engaged in destroying aircraft, with a little help from the Luftwaffe of course, this aircraft survived WW2 and was restored to the civil register on the 26th January 1946. But not for long as it crashed in Prauthoy, eastern France on the 30th January 1948.
A BIT MORE INFO
In March 2024, Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', informs us that the Hawker Tomtit, G-AASI, was registered as being based here from 29.03.39. It was not impressed into military service and was at some pointed scrapped during WW2. The registration was cancelled in 1946.
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