Westwood Aircraft Park
WESTWOOD AIRCRAFT PARK: Private airfield or civil aerodrome, later gliding site
(Aka RAF PETERBOROUGH and WESTWOOD AIRFIELD)
(See also PETERBOROUGH in NORTHAMPTONSHIRE for WW2 military use)
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth ©
I have the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust to thank for providing this location. The aerial photo was kindly provided by Laurence Garey, c/o Baker Perkins website.
Note: These four items were kindly provided by Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide'.
A LAURENCE GAREY GALLERY
Note: The first picture is of the Auster J/1 Autocrat, G-AHAV, registered to Mr John Stockton Bancroft from 13.02.46 to 17.11.60. He owned the Embassy Theatre in Peterborough. The second picture is of the Slingsby T21B Sedburgh BGA765. Laurence flew this glider from the Perkins Glider Club when then based at POLEBROOK in 1958. The third picture is of the Auster J/1 Autocrat G-AIGL which had two owners in 1952. It had been registered to East Anglian Flying Services from 13.08.47 to 05.03.52. Then to Mr George Clifton of Spalding from 25.03.52 to 08.10.52. It then being sold in Australia as VH-AIK.
The fourth picture is of a Slingsby Skylark (c/o Baker Perkins website). The fifth picture is of G-AKKC, a Miles M.38 Messenger 2A. Here again having two registered owners in 1952, but seen here most probably, registered to Mr Arthur F Johnson of Spalding who owned it from 20.03.52 to 20.07.55.
Laurence also tells us that he lived in the local area and went to 115 Squadron ATC from 1954 to 1959. Through a scheme being run by ATC at that time, he gained his PPL, aged seventeen, in just ten days, at Marshalls, now CAMBRIDGE airport.
He also tells us that he saw the Baker Perkins Piper Aztec, based here from 1960. As well as another Aztec and a DH.104 Dove belonging to Mitchell Engineering. And, he recalls, the DH82A Tiger Moth G-AHUE was used as a glider tug here around 1960. This was registered to The Cambridge University Gliding Trust from 18.03.60 to December 1964. So presumably, clearly shared towing duties between here and CAMBRIDGE airport?
Gliding: 1959 to 1963: Perkins Engines Gliding Club (Using a 600 yard grass runway)
Note: It is well worth looking up the history of the Welland Gliding Club on the inter-web for more info.
Location: Castor Hill, 2nm NW of Peterborough city centre
Period of operation: 1932 (?) to 1963/64
Note: This newspaper excerpt, for the Cobham No.2 Tour visit on the 22nd September 1933, was published in the Peterborough Standard on the 15th September.
NOTES: Venue, (19th July 1932) for Alan Cobham’s National Aviation Day UK Display Tour, the next year Alan Cobham’s No.2 Tour visited on the 22nd September 1933.
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
