Melton Mowbray flying sites
Note: This map shows only the location of the WW2 airfield.
MELTON MOWBRAY: There is a record of a Blériot monoplane giving a display of flying in 1913. Does anybody now know who was flying it?
MELTON MOWBRAY see also BRENTINGBY
MELTON MOWBRAY see also CHESTNUT FARM
MELTON MOWBRAY see also SANDY LANE
MELTON MOWBRAY see also THE OLD AERODROME
MELTON MOWBRAY: WW1 airfield see SCALFORD
MELTON MOWBRAY: Civil Landing Ground
Operated by: Mr F H Brewitt, “Douellens”, Burton Road, Melton Mowbray
Location: “2m E of town, imm S of rwy at Brentingby S of river Eye”
Period of operation: 1930s only?
Runways: SW/NE 480 yards (439 metres) NW/SE 500 yards (457 metres)
E/W 600 yards (549 metres)
All grass of course but in a rather unusual layout spread across a heavily truncated ‘L’ E/W spread
NOTES: Listed in the 1930s ‘A.A. Register of Landing Grounds’ and indeed one of seventy-four AA (Automobile Association) approved Landing Grounds in mainland Britain. Fuel and transport (typically a taxi service) were available from Sharman & Ledbury Ltd, presumably in Melton Mowbray. The two hundred year old hotel, the Harborough Hotel on the A606, (now known as the Harboro Hotel) was recommended in 1933. A telephone was available at the “owners house” and it seems, in 1933 at least, that a hangar didn’t exist.
This is yet another example of several ‘AA approved’ Landing Grounds of that era which makes me wonder - why was it there? Without any facilities it is hard to envisage any commercial benefit to the operator, apart from landing and parking fees, and surely these would have been a meagre source of income? Indeed, does anybody now know who used this site in those days and how regular such visits were? Without a hangar it would seem, as with other AA Landing Grounds, that the operator wasn’t using the site primarily for personal use?
MELTON MOWBRAY: Military aerodrome
Note: First picture by the author. The second picture (2018) was obtained from Google Earth ©
The Google Earth picture shows that quite a lot of the WW2 airfield is still visible some seventy years later. It would seem the B6047 Dalby Road has been built along some of the remains of the 03/21 runway. East of this there is no sign remaining of the WW2 airfield.
Military users: WW2: RAF Transport Command 44 Group
1 FCP 301, 304, 306, 307 & 311 FTU
12 FU 4 OAPU (later 4 APU)
Post WW2: RAF 1341 (Special Duties)
Flight 1588 and 1589 (Heavy Freighter) Flights
Location: 2nm S of Melton Mowbray
Period of operation: 1943 to 1945 (Limited military use to 1964: see Notes). Occassional civil use after
Runways: WW2: 15/33 1829x46 hard 11/29 1280x46 hard
03/21 1189x46 hard
NOTES: During WW2 operations this aerodrome was not regarded as being ‘user friendly’ to pilots but as so often happens in aviation history by some sheer fluke more different types flew from here during WW2 than any other aerodrome in Leicestershire and Rutland. One clue to this is because part of the operational effort here was directed towards training ferry pilots especially for long range duties.
In late February 1944, a very bad winter, three USAAF B.17s landed here after being unable to land at their own bases due to heavy snowfalls. Records show that Melton Mowbray personnel made a special effort to clear the airfield from six to twelve inches of snow. Today of course such a natural ‘catastrophe’ would probably be attributed to global warming or a similar half baked concept.
A MISSILE BASE
Although not strictly speaking still being an active military aerodrome or airfield in 1959 Melton Mowbray became home to the 254 (Strategic Missile) Squadron with three Douglas SM75 Thor IRBMs. They stayed until 1963.
THE SHETLAND LINE
During the late 1970s it seems the ‘main’ 15/33 runway was used by an aircraft belonging to the Shetland Line a company with shipping interests apparently with a base in Melton Mowbray. It also seems some micro-light flying has taken place in more recent years. I visited the site in 2003 and, (as the picture shows?), little work was needed to make the main runway (15/33) useable once more for GA use. The reason for why 15/33 was selected to be the main runway remains a mystery?
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