Landguard Manor
Note: This map only shows my estimation regarding the position of this airfield within the UK. Good enough for this 'Guide' of course but if anybody can kindly either confirm this, or provide a more exact location, this advice will be most welcome.
LANDGUARD MANOR: Civil aerodrome (Aka SHANKLIN)
Operated by: Shanklin Flying Services
Location: Between Landguard Manor and Ninham about 1nm S of LEA aerodrome
Period of operation: 1931 to 1934
NOTES: I’m a bit shaky about this but it does appear that initially Shanklin Flying Services were only operating the Spartan Arrow G-AAWY having leased their Spartan Three-seater G-ABAZ to Inland Flying Services operating out of nearby APSE MANOR.
However, once Shanklin Flying Services regained G-ABAZ it appears they were operating joy-rides very successfully. The business was purchased by Mr and Mrs Ernest Byrne in the spring of 1934 and they decided to develop LEA AIRPORT for the 1935 season.
But the story doesn’t end there. According to Neville Doyle in his excellent book The Triple Alliance: “After Lea became operational at Easter in 1935, Landguard Manor was abandoned to agriculture although still flying a windsock in June 1936 when W P Haggar landed there. Out from Brooklands in an Avro Cadet, he reached the Isle of Wight and decided to land for lunch. He “spotted a field with a windsock and a hut in one corner. On landing, I realised that the grass was brushing the lower leading edges of my wings…and the hut was padlocked…”
That’s all Neville Doyle has to say. As a pilot I desperately want to know what happened next? Did W P Haggar attempt to take off again? If so did he succeed which seems very unlikely? Or did the Avro Cadet have to be taken apart and transported to APSE MANOR or LEA?
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