Jaywick
JAYWICK: Temporary aerodrome (Once spelt JAY WICK - two words)
Operated by: British Hospitals Air Pageant
Location: Just W of CLACTON aerodrome, about 1.5nm WSW of Clacton town centre
Period of operation: 24th July 1933
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The photo was published in the Daily Mirror on the 25th July 1933.
Note: The newspaper article was published in the Chelmsford Chronicle on the 28th July 1933.
NOTES: The 1933 British Hospitals Air Pageant tour of the UK, was organised by Mr Harry A C G Barker and Mr JImmy McEwen King. It was planned to visit 150 venues, (some 180 but I've counted them), and CLACTON was the 87th venue. The tour started on the 1st April in Luton and ended on the 8th October in Woolwich, south east London. The furthest west the tour went in England and Wales was, if I'm not mistaken, Haverfordwest? This said, Truro in Cornwall isn't far off. The furthest north was Huntly north-west of Aberdeen.
Having looked into this subject, which really was at the zenith of the 'Flying Circus' era, there does seem to be a somewhat dubious aspect surrounding this tour, perhaps amounting to a scandal? The argument being, as it was lorded as raising money for British Hospitals, just how much was actually raised after the costs of the Tour were deducted?
This picture is from my Google Earth © derived database.
The fleet for that tour appears to have comprised nineteen aircraft, or at least that was the plan. These being the Avro 504K G-EBYW and Avro 504N G-EBVY. Of interest was the BAC Planette, then unregistered but to become the BAC Drone G-ADSB. It appears a Blackburn Lincock took part, but its identity is uncertain - probably G-AALH? The Bristol Lucifer, another pretty rare type on the civil register, was G-EBGA.
The Desoutter G-AANE was involved, along with three de Havilland Moth variants - the DH.60G G-ACCY, the then famous DH.60M VH-UQA of a flight to Australia by C W A Scott, and the DH.60X G-EBWI. Other de Havilland types involved were the DH.82 G-ACDY, and two DH.83 examples, G-ABUP and G-ACCF. Last, but not least the Dh.84 G-ACCR. The Fairey company was represented by the Fairey Fox G-ACAS.
The General Aircraft GAL ST.4, G-ABUZ, was booked for the tour but probably not used much, if at all, being badly damaged at CROYDON on the 15th April that year. Another question is about the Handley Page W.8B airliner, G-EEBI, of Imperial Airways, which it appears was WFU (Withdrawn From Use), in October 1932! More certain to have been involved was the Miles Satyr G-ABVG and the two Spartan Three-Seaters G-ACAF and G-ABKK. Mind you, this said, regarding G-ACAF, it seems possible that G-ABWV and G-ABYN may have been used as well.
Without any doubt, I now think it reasonable to say, that amongst all the 'Flying Circus' operations, Sir Alan Cobham and his organisation had by far the biggest and best Tours arranged.
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