Pontefract Park
PONTEFRACT PARK: Military aerodrome in WW1, temporary aerodrome in the 1930s, much later aeromodelling flying site
Military user: Royal Flying Corps
Period of operation: 1916 to 1918, possibly early 1919, when it would have been Royal Air Force
We have Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for the following information. It appears that 33 Squadron (Home Defence) used this location in 1916 flying the Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c and BE2s types. In 1917, 76 Squadron took over flying Royal Aircraft Factory BE2 and BE12 types. These being replaced by the Bristol F2b Fighter type in 1918. It seems that horse racing started up again on the 30th April 1919.
CIVIL OPERATION
Operated by: British Hospitals Air Pageant
Period of operation: 25th & 26th of May 1933
Location: Just S of the M62, inside the racecourse, just W of the A639, and NW of Pontefract town centre
NOTES:
We have Mike Holder, another great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for finding this venue operated by the British Hospitals Air Pageant. That tour started on the 1st April 1933 at LUTON and ended on the 8th October at WOOLWICH in south-east London. It is reported that this tour visited 150 venues, Pontefract being the 42nd venue. At least one expert claims that the 25th May was a rest day during the tour, but the newspaper article below illustrates that at least some flying activity took place. But, we might well wonder, was the BHAP tour the only 'Flying Circus' operation to visit this location?
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The newspaper article was published in the Leeds Mercury on the 26th May 1933.
Note: The local area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
MODEL FLYING
Having had a look at this site, I found that Pontefract & District Aeromodellers (PANDAS), have been very active here since at least 2009?
Note: All these pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
SOMETHING TO BE EXPLAINED
I was very interested to read, in the newspaper article above, that Colonel J C Fiztmaurice was described as being the first Atlantic flyer from west to east. It has of course been a long held tradition in the British press, especially the best selling newspapers, to distort circumstances to suit the story.
This story of Colonel Fitzmaurice, sometimes described as a "Irish aviation pioneer", which he wasn't, is very interesting. He had learnt to fly in the RFC/RAF and in February 1922 joined the Irish National Army's Air Service. For fairly obvious reasons a great many people in the newly formed Irish Free State, had a great affinity with Germany, struggling to survive after WW1 and the draconian limitations imposed by the Treaty of Versailles.
The first east to west attempt to cross the Altantic, by an all German crew, the year before ended in failure due to weather conditions. However, in April 1928, he was invited to be the navigator in the Bremen, a Junkers W33, registered D-1167, which did succeed departing from Baldonnel near Dublin, albiet to crash landing on ice at Greenly Island in Canada. It appears this aircraft was retrieved and restored, and is now on view in the Bremen Airport Museum.
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