Lasham
LASHAM: Military aerodrome. Then civil aerodrome and civil maintenance base.
Also long serving major civil gliding centre
Note: All of these four pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
ICAO code: EGHL IATA code: QLA
Notes: Pictures taken by the author in April 2011.
Military users: WW2: RAF Fighter Command 11 Group
Forward Airfield
412 (RCAF) Sqdn (Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
602 ‘City of Glasgow’ Sqdn (Spitfires)
181, 182 & 183 Sqdns (Hawker Typhoons)
Bomber Command 2 Group
107 Sqdn (Douglas A-20 Bostons, later DH98 Mosquitos)
320 (Netherlands) Sqdn (Douglas A-20 Bostons, later North American B-25 Mitchells)
Late in 1944: 84 Group Support Unit (Spitfires/ Typhoons/ Mustangs…and Austers!)
138 Wing: 107 & 409 Sqdns (DH Mosquitos)
613 ‘City of Manchester’ Sqdn (DH Mosquitos)
Bomber Command 2 Group
305 (Polish) Sqdn* (Mitchells later Mosquitos)
POST 1945
Gliding: Lasham Gliding Centre
Note: In the 1957 The Aeroplane directory, the Army Gliding Club were listed as being based here. As was the Imperial College Gliding Club. Their entry states they operated: One Slingsby T.21B and one Slingsby Skylark 2, and use of the Lasham Gliding Centre T.21Bs, Skylarks, T42 and Olympias. The Crown Agents Gliding Club were also listed as being involved. The Lasham Gliding Centre had 350 flying members and 100 Associate members.
The 1957 Joint Fleet was given as: One T.42 two-seater, three T.21 two-seaters, one Weihe, four Olympias and three Skylarks. The DFS Wiehe first flew in 1938 near Darmstadt in Germany, and after WW2 was being produced by Focke-Wulf in Germany, and in Spain it appears.
Flying club/school: 1959 ‘snapshot’. Daedalus Flying Group, Fox Easy Flying Group, Herriard Flying Group, Sky Group PFA
In 1981 also used by the Polish Air Force Association and Surrey & Hants Gliding Club
This picture, from a postcard, was kindly sent by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection. See - www.aviationpostcard.co.uk
Can anybody be kind enough to put a date on this picture?
Operated by: 1975: Lasham Gliding Centre
1980s/2000s: Lasham Gliding Society
Maintenance: Post 1945: Air Charter Enterprises, ATC (Aeroplane Tool Co), Dan-Air, Southdown Aero Services
Location: E of A339, 3nm N of Alton, 5nm SE of Basingstoke
Period of operation: Military 1942 to 1948. Later civil (1950s) to -
Notes: The first map was sent to me, via a friend, by somebody involved at Lasham. Unfortunately there was no date on it. Any ideas?
The second map is reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runways: WW2: 09/27 1737x46 hard 17/35 1097x46 hard
06/24 1280x46 hard
1990/2000: 09/27 1797x40 hard Plus extensive grass areas for glider operation
NOTES: *I now wonder if 305 Sqdn was actually assigned to Bomber Command? There is an account of Bob Braham borrowing a Mosquito from 305 Sqdn with which he shot down a Heinkel 177. Although ‘Cats Eyes’ Cunningham is usually attributed as being the WW2 night-fighter ace it was actually Bob Braham who achieved the highest score with twenty-nine confirmed kills.
THE RAID ON THE HAGUE
It was from here that the raid on the Gestapo headquarters in the Hague (in The Netherlands) took place on the 11th April 1944, decribed in an Air Ministry bulletin as “probably the most brilliant feat of low-level precision bombing of the war”. Arguably it might have been, considering its importance, but Mosquito crews also ‘skipped’ delayed-fuse bombs into railway tunnels flying at 50ft or below! Even so I think this is worth quoting from Robert Jackson’s book Britain’s Greatest Aircraft: “The task of destroying the building was assigned to No.613 Squadron, commanded by Wing Commander Bob Bateson. A scale model of the Gestapo HQ was built, perfect in every detail, right down to the thickness and composition of the walls. Alongside the planners, scientists worked hard to develop a new bomb, a mixture of incendiary and high explosive, that would have a maximum destructive effect on the Gestapo’s stored files and records.”
This amply illustrates the combined importance of all the factors involved and effort of the people required (behind the scenes) to enhance the capability of an aeroplane and its crew to effect a successful attack, especially on such a specific target. “Bateson picked his crews carefully, and put them to the test during several weeks of intensive training.”….. “As they approached The Hague the Mosqitoes split up into pairs. Flight Lieutenant Peter Cobley, following in line astern behind Bateson, saw his leader’s pair of bombs drop away and literally skip through the front door of the HQ.” The other four aircraft were equally successful and the building was destroyed with “very little collateral damage”. It is said that much of the intelligence for this operation came from members of the Dutch resistence, some of whom worked in the building. And, despite the fact that they knew of the impending raid, stayed at their posts so as not to give the Gestapo any cause for suspicion.
It is very unfortunate that, over time, the considerable skill and prowess of the crews in this theatre of WW2 have tended to be largely forgotten. The so-called ‘Battle of Britain’ for example being much preferred by those, often ignorant of the basic facts it has to be said, but even so determined to establish a myth. Can we get something straight here – the combined abilities of a really good two-crew Mosquito makes, by comparison, the ‘average’ pilot of a single-seat fighter look like an amateur. Which sadly, of course, was all too often the case,.Especially in the early years when inadequate training and out-moded tactics meant that many stood little chance of survival.
Notes: Four more pictures taken by the author in April 2011.
GLIDING AT LASHAM
LASHAM has of course been mostly associated, especially in more recent years, as probably the most used of gliding centres in the UK. In fact, in 2010, they could lay claim to being the busiest gliding site in the world with some 58,000 movements recorded. On a visit in April 2011 I discovered an interesting fact that had never occurred to me before, although it is in some ways patently obvious? When an aero-tow takes place, (tug plus glider), this is counted as one movement, but, as the two aircraft land separately, these landings count as two movements. This strikes me as somewhat unfair as the glider invariably, if not always, becomes airborne before the tug, and therefore should count as two movements? After all, it cannot be argued that the two aircraft are involved, but, although connected - fly in quite a different manner. Not much of an argument perhaps - but at my age nothing is much more welcome than a debate.
It appears that the first gliding activity took place here in 1950, by the Army Gliding Club based at nearby ODIHAM. They were soon followed by the Surrey Gliding Club who moved across from REDHILL. The history of Gliding Clubs is complex to say the least but it does seem that in 1958 the Surrey & Hampshire Gliding Club, the Imperial College Gliding Club and the Army Gliding Club decided to pool their resources to become the Lasham Gliding Society in 1958. In 1999 the Lasham Gliding Society took over ownership of the site.
Adverts in a Popular Flying magazine advert (circa 2003) stated that Southdown Aero Services had been rebuilding and repairing gliders and light aircraft for fifty years with 12,000 job numbers to date. A visit to LASHAM in April 2011 revealed that this company had built a replica of the ‘Colditz’ glider, (which was constructed in the roof of the infamous German POW prison), and it flew!
THE JOE JOHNSON PICTURE GALLERY
Notes: The first picture, captioned "The Prototype Skylark" was perhaps the Slingsby T.50 Skylark 4? Can anybody identify the pictures labelled "Type unknown?"
Regarding the fourth picture, Sir Peter Scott is perhaps best known today for being a founder member of the World Wide Fund for Nature and establishing the Severn Wildfowl Trust based at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. What may not be widely remembered is that Peter Scott was a very keen glider pilot and became the British Champion glider pilot in 1963. Later he became Chairman of the BGA (British Gliding Association). As for the Duke of Edinburgh - what became of him?
The sixth picture of the Polish pilot Adamek is also interesting in that he is 'fully tooled up' to go gliding with a 'proper' flying suit with multiple pockets and a parachute. Wearing a parachute is a common in Europe whereas British pilots are quite happy, for a local flight at least, to wear slacks and a short sleeve shirt. But, also, how interesting to see a Polish pilot at Lasham in 1975. Then again I was driving a truck to Greece through the Eastern Bloc countries in the early 1970s. The Soviet era was very accommodating to 'western' visitors and trading with the 'West'.
The eigth picture is of Comandant Fonteilles, who had been the French gliding Champion.
A BIRTHDAY GIFT
For my 68th birthday I was given, by Sam Johnson, his fathers British Gliding Association log book and his notebook with many B&W photographs. A lovely gift. According to his log book these pictures were taken in August 1975 during the National Championships.
THE BLANIK
The picture of the LET L-13 Blanik is interesting because the Blanik went on to become "the most numerous and widely used glider in the world" with 2,649 being made. Perhaps doubly interesting because this glider was being produced during the height of 'The Cold War' in Czechoslovakia, an Eastern Bloc country, and LET sold a considerable number in the USA.
On a personal note I experienced my first ever winch launch, (two launches in fact), in a Blanik from Bobovice airfield west of Prague in the Czech Republic on the 28th September 2008.
DAN-AIR
Dan-Air had a maintenance base here for many years for their airliners, up until 1992, with about ten movements per week.
THE 19th FAI EUROPEAN GLIDING CHAMPIONSHIPS HELD IN AUGUST 2017 (10th to 26th August)
Note: Pictures supplied, but not taken, by my very good friend James Roland who attended the event as a member of the support crew for a British contender.
LINKS & FACTS
For more information, and much recommended viewing please look at: www.egc2017.co.uk/videos and https://team.gliding.co.uk/
The countries with teams competing were: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, The Netherlands and last, but certainly not least, the United Kingdom.
It appears that the total of the distances flown was equivalent to three and a half times around the world! And yet, despite operating close to some of Europes most complex and busiest controlled airspace, not one infringement was recorded. A very clear indication of just how proficient and 'professional' the best glider pilots in Europe really are.
And of course, please remember, that despite 'Brexit', UK glider pilots were very much included at this event, and performed very well.
Terry Clark
This comment was written on: 2018-01-14 07:16:23The glider type unknown looks to me to be an Eon Olympia 460 or 463. Facilites for airliner maintenance still exist, I believe the company now is Excel; previously it was ATC and before that Dan Air. They are unique in that they operate their own radar facility but not a full Air Traffic Control unit with Aerodrome control.
Graham Evans
This comment was written on: 2018-08-29 21:05:10Hello, my name is Graham and I am contacting you on behalf of the Channel Four Show Hidden Britain by Drone. We are doing a segment on RAF Lasham and I was writing to enquire if you had any images of it from the war time or recommend anywhere that would. Thank you in advance Best Graham
Dick Flute
This comment was written on: 2018-08-29 22:15:27Hi Graham, I think your best initial options will be the Imperial War Museum, the RAF Museum at Hendon and the Airfield Research Group. Best regards, Dick
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