Hamsey Green flying sites
HAMSEY GREEN: Civil aerodrome also limited military use (Aka GARDNER'S AIRFIELD, WARLINGHAM and KENNEL FARM )
IMPORTANT NOTE: It now appears that there were at least two seperate airfields in close proximity. Mr Phil Swallow has produced a lovely video (2021) which is highly recommended. See:- https://youtu.be/V3a10xgCClk
Location: Just W to NW of Chelsham, just NE of Warlingham, about 2.5nm ENE of RAF KENLEY and 3.5nm ESE to SE of Purley town centre
Note: These two maps and the picture were kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder.
Military user: RAF Gliding School
WW2: 143 & 162 ATC Gliding School
Note: It appears that gliding continued here until 1957?
Period of operation: Location being used from 1933 to 1957
NOTES: Venue, (29th & 30th April 1933), for Alan Cobham’s No.1 Tour of the UK.
The Cobham tours of the UK reveal many fascinating statistics. For example one of his sub-contracted pilots, Captain Percival Philips DFC of the Cornwall Aviation Company, carried more than 91,000 passengers, mostly two at a time, when mainly flying the Avro 504K G-EBIZ over a period of fifteen years.
In 1936 Mr Richard Taylor built a high-wing cantilever monoplane of his own design near here, registered G-AEPX. On what is thought to have probably been its first flight at this site, on the 7th January 1937, the wing folded up or broke apart, resulting in a fatal crash for Mr Taylor. Apparently it was a deserved result as the wing structural design was, “irrevocably flawed from the outset.” This was way before the ULAA/PFA/LAA had been formed of course but I am rather surprised that the Air Ministry didn’t have even a rudimentary design approval scheme operating at this stage?
A BIT MORE INFO
In June 2023 Mr Graham Frost discovered that the B.A. L25C Swallow 2, G-ADDB, was registered to the Southern Motor and Aircraft Company, based at HAMSEY GREEN AERODROME, from 08.08.38 until 14.01.39.
HAMSEY GREEN: Private airstrip
Operated by: Mr Charles E Gardner
Period of operation: 1950s only? More probably from the 1930s.
NOTES: In May 2016 I had an e-mail from Paul Ferguson who lived in Warlingham. On a walk with his father to Hamsey Green they came across a hangar with a biplane.
His father explained that this airstrip was being operated by Charles Gardner, who later went on to become an aviation correspondent for the BBC.
Can anybody add more to this? As it happens, in May 2017, somebody could - see 'Comments' below.
EVEN MORE INFO
In June 2023, Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', found in the British Aircraft Register that Charles Eaton Gardner had registered the de Havilland DH89 "Rapide", G-ADFY, from 14.12.35 until August 1936. When it seems it was then sold abroad. It was also registered as being a five seater, so presumably configured to have a quite luxurious seating arrangement? The DH89 Dragon Rapide made its first flight on the 17th April 1934, so at that time in 1935 was pretty much a 'state-of-the-art' type.
It appears the type often became known simply as a 'Rapide'. As so often in producing this 'Guide' the amount of what we now call 'typos' plague the research. In this case for example, the owners address is given as Warlingham, but the base for G-ADFY is given as Barlingham. Which, as far as I can make out, is a place that doesn't exist - although it really does sound like an English village.
A bit later in June 2023 Graham found that the BA Eagle 2, G-ADID, was registered to MR C E Gardner, and based here from 25.05.38 until 08.06.38. Barely a couple of weeks. Did he not like it? Or perhaps, he was dabbling in aircraft sales? It appears he had it new from the factory and it seems it probably went back to BA at HANWORTH? It was then registered to W S Shackleton Ltd, the well known aircraft sales company, at HESTON, from 17.03.39 to 14.04.39. It changed hands twice with private owners before being impressed as HM500 on the 16th October 1941. I imagine it went to the RAF, probably to serve as a Station 'hack' for running around with?
HAMSEY GREEN IN RECENT YEARS
It is all rather confusing and not much is known. The 1999, 2003 and 2006 pictures below certainly show clear evidence of runways, but who was using the site, also known as KENNEL FARM. Then nothing shows up until 2021, again four runways can be seen, laid out for a year or so. Apparently these were being used by the Socata TBM700 N302JG. The site was also used for winch-launched hang-gliders and para-sailing by Green Dragons.
Runways: (All grass) 1999: 04/22 550 07/25 700 10/28 600 18/36 580
Note: The 2003 picture shows a new 13/31 runway, 530 metres long
2021: 04/22 580 08/26 680 13/31 530 17/35 580
NOTES: The first five pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©. The local area and area views are from my Google Earth © derived database. The recent site view picture was provided by Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', who drew my attention to the Google Earth © 2021 picture, and asking if a Socata TBM 700 could use this 'airfield'. The answer was yes, but not at MTOW, (Maximum Take Off Weight).
If anybody can kindly provide more advice and information regarding these sites, this will be much appreciated. Pictures are of course always welcome.
S.P.T.
This comment was written on: 2017-05-17 11:02:25Wrong Charles Gardner...! Charles E. Gardner - who owned the strip, was a pre-war air-racer who won the Kings Cup in 1936 & '37. He and his brother James 'Jimmy' Gardner kept aircraft there before the war. Post-war, C.E.G. became involved with racing yachts and powerboats, such as the famous 'Surfury'. Charles Gardner the aviation journalist and correspondent was a totally different chap....! Cheers, SPT.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi SPT, Many thanks for this advice, which I shall keep posted. Best regards, Dick
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