MAINS FARM:   Temporary Landing Ground

Location:  Just W of the B1347, just S of the old North Berwick town centre and just SE of the more modern town centre where the railway station is situated

Period of operation:  16th & 17th October 1913




A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', for both discovering this location and providing most of the following items.




The article was published in The Scotsman (early morning edition) on the 17th October 1913.






























NOTES: I have yet to understand why, after the Royal Flying Corps, a division of the British Army, was established at FARNBOROUGH in southern England, then still much concerned with the development of airships, the decision to commission the first military aerodrome was to place it at Montrose on the east coast of Scotland. But, having said this, the primary role of the RFC before, and indeed during the early part of WW1, was for spotting duties, gunnery ranging etc.

With the Royal Navy having a major 'haven' at Scapa Flow, much further north of course, plus of course substantial naval docks at Rosyth, on the Firth of Forth north of Edinburgh, presumably keeping an eye out for German naval activity in the North Sea was considered to be one of their main duties? 

I expect we shall never know the exact reason for Captain Todd flying solo up to MONTROSE? Clearly he must have had a fair amount of cash with him, to pay for fuel and oil when he decided to make a precautionary landing here. Or, perhaps, were these pilots issued with promissory notes?