Ratcliffe
Note: Some time ago I made this comment: "I believe this is where the aerodrome was, but would welcome confirmation." I wasn't far out but in February 2018 Neill Bruce very kindly contacted me with the correct location. The map has now been amended.
RATCLIFFE-ON-THE-WREAKE: Civil aerodrome later semi-military.
WW2 ATA aerodrome named RATCLIFFE later civil aerodrome and gliding site
Note: These two maps and the Google Earth © picture were kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder
Operated by: Pre 1940: Sir William Lindsay Everard
Users: WW2: (MAP) ATA No.6 Ferry Pool
Flying clubs: Pre 1940: County Flying Club, Leicestershire Aero Club
THE NEILL BRUCE GALLERY
In February 2018 Neill very kindly sent me these four lovely period aerial pictures taken of the 1935 Rally. They are reproduced here c/o: The Vivian Wigg Collection / neillb@brucephoto.co.uk
Vivian Wigg was Neill's great uncle and had served in the Royal Flying Corps during WW1.
Location: On the west of the A46 just north of Ratcliffe College, 7nm NNE of Leicester
Period of operation: Civil 1930 to 1939
WW2: ATA 1940 to 1945.
Civil 1947 to 1950
Runways: 1930: 60 acre grass airfield max landing distances:
N/S 567 grass NE/SW 466 grass
1936: Expanded giving: N/S 960 grass NE/SW 731 grass
NOTES: Venue, (25th to 26th April 1931) for C.D. Barnards Air Tours ‘Tour of the UK’.
THE OPENING CEREMONY
Attending the opening ceremony on the 7th September 1930 were over one hundred aircraft including Avro 504Ns and Westland Wallaces from 504 (County of Nottinghamshire) squadron and a flight of three Armstrong Whitworth Siskins from 43 Squadron Tangmere. Amy Johnson also made an appearance, possibly flying in?
MORE INFORMATION
The following comes from a web site: www.airfieldinformationexchange.org
“The General Council of Associated Light Aeroplane Clubs had requested in the early part of 1932, for all flying clubs to approach their municipal authorities to co-operate in a scheme of printing the names of towns on gasholders.” It appears that the Leicestershire Aero Club were very successful in this regard, apparently much more so than any other Club, with gas-holders in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Belgrave, Bramstone, Coalville, Hinkley, Kibworth, Leicester, Loughborough, Lutterworth, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray, Mountsorrel, Oakham, Sileby and Syston being marked.
I have found, in more recent times, other examples in Europe on aerodrome hangar roofs. It is such a good idea I cannot understand why it still hasn’t been promoted. Despite the modern nav-aids and the likes of GPS, there is surely nothing more reassuring than looking down and identifying your position from an unmistakable and unique feature on the ground below?
HIGHLY REGARDED
Large and well organised air shows including night flying displays were a major feature at Ratcliffe throughout the 1930s and were highly regarded by pilots and the public. In their day the Ratcliffe shows were a sort of cross between our present day PFA Rallys and Biggin Hill Air Fairs but on a somewhat smaller scale of course. In 1937 for example visiting aircraft ranged from the smallest to the Imperial Airways Handley Page HP.42 airliner ‘Heracles’!
SIR LINDSAY EVERARD
A mention must be made of Sir Lindsay Everard who was highly influential in aviation circles in the 1930s. He introduced many safety features regarding airfield and aircraft operation, and operated several aircraft to the highest standards. One for example, his DH Dragon G-ACKU won the ‘Circuit of the Oases’ race in Egypt 1933 in which he travelled! That’s the point you see, he never became a pilot - preferring instead to employ highly qualified pilots instead including Ms Winifred Spooner.
A VERY SAD LOSS
In August 2020, Mike Holder who is a great friend of this 'Guide' unearthed this information published in The Grantham Journal on Saturday 21st January 1933, from which I have selected some excerpts:
AIR PILOT TO MR. LINDSAY EVERARD M.P.
"Miss Winifred Spooner, the famous British airwoman, died at Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake aerodrome on Friday from influenza. She had been ill only two days. Her ability and indomitable courage had placed her in the front rank of Empire fliers." It now appears that thick fog prevented a doctor from a local hospital, and carrying an oxygen supply, reaching her in time.
" She was the only woman in the world who had charge of an aerodrome. She was personal pilot to Mr Lindsay Everard M.P., president of the Leicester Aero Club who has a private aerodrome at Ratcliffe. She managed her own air-taxi service at Stag Lane before going to Leicester."
My note: STAG LANE was the aerodrome owned and operated by Geoffrey de Havilland, where he initially based his factory before moving to HATFIELD. (See my listing), which was then on the outskirts of London, just west of Burnt Oak.
"Her most recent success in international flying was in August last year, when she was the only woman pilot among forty-two competitors in a round-Europe air race." However, this was only one of her many achievements - she was incredibly busy - in fact being awarded the Harmon Trophy in 1929 as being the world's outstanding female aviator. She gained her Pilot's Licence No.8137 from the London Aeroplane Club at STAG LANE, but also recieved her Aviator's Certificate in the USA on the 21st August 1931, signed by Orville Wright.
She was just thirty two years old. Since starting research for this 'Guide' over twenty years ago, (in 2020), I have often been struck by how cruel history can be. For example, taking a poll of say, thirty million adult people in the UK alone, I wonder how many would now have heard of her name?
A NOVEL AND INTERESTING ADDITION
Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', has discovered this information. The Breda Ba.33, G-ABXK, was registered to Winifred Evelyn Spooner, here, from 29.06.32 until September that year, later being sold back to Italy in October.
Winifred Spooner took place in the International Touring Competition in 1932 and was, we might well suppose, being very impressed by the Breda 33 series machines being flown by the Italian team. The Breda 33 Series were designed and built by Societa Italiana Ernosto Breda, and very well regarded.
Some versions were fitted with a de Havilland Gipsy III engine, which no doubt attracted Ms Spooner. She would have been very familiar with that engine. As far as Graham and I am aware, this G-ABXK example was the only evidence of the Breda 33 Series types appearing in the British Civil register?
PRAISE INDEED
RATCLIFFE was usually regarded during the 1930s as “The best equipped private field in Great Britain”
Mike Holder also discovered a complaint published in the The Nottingham Journal published on the 9th January 1934, stating that if the Nottingham Corporation does not pull its socks up, (or words to that effect), regarding developing TOLLERTON; "All the air business will go to Leicester." And; "There is not the slightest doubt that Leicester is more progressive than Nottingham so far as aviation is concerned - up to the moment at any rate."
ANOTHER PART IN HISTORY
In 1939 (G-AFNW) the first British built Taylorcraft Model Plus C made it’s first flight here. On the 3rd of May having been towed, (the fuselage that is), behind a lorry from the Taylorcraft Britannia works in Thurmaston which I reckon to be about 3nm south down the A46. It was an instant success in the air performing a loop with two up, (with A L Wykes, the managing director at the controls and another director of the company as passenger), on the second flight very shortly after the first by G Winn-Eaton on the same day!
CLOSING DOWN
Attending the aerodrome 'closing down' ceremony for the ATA on 6th October 1945 were an impressive assortment of Army, Fleet Air Arm but mostly RAF types of aircraft including an Airspeed Oxford, Armstrong Whitworth Albermarle, an Auster, Avro Anson, De Havilland Dominie and a Mosquito. Also a Douglas Dakota, Fairchild Argus, Fairey Barracuda and Firefly, Grumman Hellcat, Handley Page Halifax, Hawker Hurricane and Tempest. Plus a Lockheed Hudson, North American Mitchell and Mustang, Stinson Reliant, Supermarine Sea Otter and Spitfire, and last but not least a Vickers Warwick and Wellington.
A Gloster Meteor and a Vampire flown by Geoffrey De Havilland displayed overhead. The article, discovered by Mike Holder, was published in the Leicester Evening Mail on the 28th September 1946. So, presumably these closing down celebrations had been going on for over a week?
AND FINALLY
In October 2024 Mr Jerry Heygate kindly sent me this advert which was published in the July 1933 issue of Flight magazine.
Neill
This comment was written on: 2018-02-20 17:05:10I have 4 aerial views of the airfield, taken at the 1935 Ratcliffe Rally. Contact me for use on your website.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Neill, Many thanks. I would indeed love to feature these pictures - credited to you of course. Would it be possible to send me scans by e-mail? Best regards, Dick
Vic Mershon
This comment was written on: 2020-02-07 04:24:27My father, Franklyn Rule "Tiny" Mershon flew for the ATA out of Ferry Pool No. 6 Ratcliffe from Sept 1940 until Sept 1941. Planning a trip to England in August 2020. Hope to visit whats left of Ferry Pool No. 6.
Howard Bairstow
This comment was written on: 2021-01-23 16:50:27Read in The Times on Jan 23rd 2021 of the passing of Eleanor Wadsworth at 103 on December 21st 2020, a former ATA pilot of WWII who flew from this airfield which I was unaware of.
Helen Grant
This comment was written on: 2021-02-01 12:46:59Hi, I am the SC of the CCF RAF section at school and we still use to this day one of the hangers and a small single story building next to it. I am researching the No 6 Ferry Pool and would be grateful if anyone has any further photographs or details of this for me to add to my project. I have heard that underneath our little building may be an air raid shelter?? Many thanks, Helen
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