MARDEN:  Military aerodrome later civil ELG (Emergency Landing Ground) and possibly a civil aerodrome?



Note:  This picture was obtained from Google Earth ©

I also have the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust web-site to thank for helping to pin-point this location.






Military users:   RFC/RAF  (Royal Flying Corps - later Royal Air Force)
  
50 & 143 (Home Defence) Sqdns      1916 to 1919  

Note: 50 Squadron started with Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2s and BE.12s. Later Armstrong-Whitworth F.K.8s were flown and they ended up flying Sopwith Camels.
143 Squadron wasn't formed until 1918, and they flew Sopwith Camels and Snipes.
                                 
Aircraft Dispatch Section 1917 to 1918


Location:  Just SE of Marden village , about 1nm W of Staplehurst and about 10nm ENE to NE of Royal Tunbridge Wells

Period of operation:   Military: 1916 to 1919

Civil:  Late 1919 until, it seems, 1939


Site area:    65 acres    878 x 402


NOTES:   MARDEN was listed as a civil Landing Ground in 1939. It assume this is the same airfield site as used in WW1? 

It seems odd that MARDEN appears not to have been used during WW2. Does anybody know of the reason?

MARDEN was also one of four ELGs (Emergency Landing Grounds) for use by the first airliners flying from London to the Continent. The other three were PENSHURST, LYMPNE and LITTLESTONE. When such a scheme was first mooted, it was for ELGs spaced along the route at ten mile intervals.

However, after WW1 the reliability of aircraft engines steadily improved, so engine failure was nowhere near the threat once perceived, but poor weather remained a common problem. It needs to be remembered that for many years airliners did not have instruments for 'blind flying' let alone radios and later radio navigation equipment. 

PENSHURST was certainly used many times, mostly it seems because of fog/smog in the London area. I wonder if anybody now knows how often MARDEN was used as an ELG?