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Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport
Encyclopedia
Bristol Airport, also known as Whitchurch Airport, was a municipal airport in Bristol
, England, three miles (5 km) south of the city centre, from 1930 to 1957. It was the main airport for Bristol and area. During World War II
, it was one of the few civil airports that remained operational, enabling air connections to Lisbon and Shannon and from there to the United States.
The airport closed in 1957, with services transferred to the former RAF Lulsgate Bottom. The former airfield is now occupied by a sports centre, trading estates and retail parks. Part of the site is earmarked for development of the South Bristol Community Hospital
.
, for a new municipal airport. On 31 May 1930, the airport was officially opened by HRH Prince George, Duke of Kent
. In its first year of operation, the airport handled 915 passengers, and by 1939 it handled 4,000 passengers. The Wessex Aeroplane Club relocated from Filton Airfield, and together with Bristol Corporation, managed the facilities. The first buildings were a hangar, a club house for the flying club, and an aircraft showroom.
Early services offered by "air ferry" were to Cardiff
, Torquay
and Teignmouth
. By 1932, two air taxi firms were based at the airport. By 1934, Bristol Air Taxis had become Western Airways, and it was soon joined by Railway Air Services
, a subsidiary of Imperial Airways
, offering connections to Plymouth
, Birmingham
, London
, Southampton
and Liverpool
. On October 18, 1938, the Straight Corporation, headed by Whitney Straight
purchased control of Norman Edgar (Western Airways), Ltd. and renamed it Western Airways, Ltd.
In July 1935, a new terminal building was opened, and regular international services started with flights on the Cardiff-Whitchurch-Le Touquet-Paris - Le Bourget Airport route. In 1937, Irish Sea Airways (precursor of Aer Lingus
), and Great Western and Southern Airlines commenced operations from Whitchurch.
In July 1938, the British Government formed a Civil Air Guard
to train pilots for what was widely seen as the forthcoming war. The Bristol and Wessex Aeroplane Club was one of the training organisations enlisted in this effort, and in addition No. 33 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School was established at Whitchurch to prepare RAFVR pilots. In August 1938, Frank Barnwell
, the chief designer of the Bristol Aeroplane Company
, died when an ultra light monoplane he had designed and built himself, the Barnwell B.S.W., struck a bump when taking off and stalled, crashing onto a nearby road.
, and was declared a Restricted Area. Starting on 1 September 1939, 59 aircraft belonging to Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd were evacuated from Croydon Airport
and Heston Aerodrome
to Whitchurch. The two airlines, that were in the process of merging to form British Overseas Airways Corporation
(BOAC), became the nucleus of National Air Communications
(NAC), formed to undertake wartime air transport work. Airport security was increased, with barbed wire fencing and Air Ministry police posts. During the next two years, an east-west tarmac runway and taxiways were constructed. In 1940, civilian flights resumed, and the fledgling BOAC fleet was boosted by the addition of aircraft leased from the Dutch
airline KLM in May 1940, after the fall of the Netherlands to the invading German army. These aircraft operated flights to Lisbon
in neutral Portugal
.
The Air Transport Auxiliary
established a depot at Whitchurch, and was mainly concerned with ferrying Blenheims
, Beaufighters
and Beauforts
built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company
at Filton
; Hurricanes
built by the Gloster Aircraft Company
at Brockworth, Gloucestershire
and Whirlwinds and Spitfires
produced by Westland Aircraft
at Yeovil
in Somerset
.
During 1942-1943, civil services were developed to Shannon Airport
and an extension of the Lisbon route to Gibraltar
, with Lisbon and Shannon providing connections to the United States. Famous passengers who used these services included Bob Hope
, Bing Crosby
, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
and Eleanor Roosevelt
. In 1943, BOAC Flight 777
was shot down en route to Whitchurch from Lisbon - among those lost was the actor Leslie Howard
.
In November 1944, BOAC moved out to Hurn Airport, Bournemouth
, because the runways there were capable of accommodating larger aircraft, and the success of the Invasion of Normandy had lessened the danger from the Luftwaffe
.
operated flights to the Channel Islands
, the Isle of Wight
and the Isle of Man
, whilst Cambrian Airways
operated both domestic and international flights to France.
The airport had become too small for airline operations, with surrounding housing estates limiting runway extension, so a new site at the former RAF Lulsgate Bottom was opened in May 1957 as Bristol Airport
. In 1957, Flying ceased at Whitchurch, and in 1959 the airfield was re-opened as Whitchurch Circuit
, a car racing circuit holding Formula Two
and Formula Three
races. Over the years, the area has been developed as housing and trading estates known as Hengrove Park, although part of the main runway still exists;
in 1993 an aircraft made an emergency landing.
In 2009, it was announced that part of the former airfield was to be developed as South Bristol Community Hospital
, a Skills Academy and Leisure Centre.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England, three miles (5 km) south of the city centre, from 1930 to 1957. It was the main airport for Bristol and area. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was one of the few civil airports that remained operational, enabling air connections to Lisbon and Shannon and from there to the United States.
The airport closed in 1957, with services transferred to the former RAF Lulsgate Bottom. The former airfield is now occupied by a sports centre, trading estates and retail parks. Part of the site is earmarked for development of the South Bristol Community Hospital
South Bristol Community Hospital
South Bristol Community Hospital is a NHS hospital that is under construction NHS Bristol primary care trust in the Hengrove area of Bristol, England, on the site of the former Whitchurch Airport. Planning permission for the hospital was granted in March 2008....
.
Early history
In 1929 the Corporation of the City of Bristol bought 298 acres (1.2 km²) of farmland to the south of the city, near WhitchurchWhitchurch, Bristol
Whitchurch is a village in north Somerset, England and an adjoining suburb of south eastern Bristol, bounded by Hartcliffe to the west and Hengrove and Knowle to the north. The suburb was initially developed during the 1930s....
, for a new municipal airport. On 31 May 1930, the airport was officially opened by HRH Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
. In its first year of operation, the airport handled 915 passengers, and by 1939 it handled 4,000 passengers. The Wessex Aeroplane Club relocated from Filton Airfield, and together with Bristol Corporation, managed the facilities. The first buildings were a hangar, a club house for the flying club, and an aircraft showroom.
Early services offered by "air ferry" were to Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
and Teignmouth
Teignmouth
Teignmouth is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge in the English county of Devon, situated on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign about 14 miles south of Exeter. It has a population of 14,413. In 1690, it was the last place in England to be invaded by a foreign power...
. By 1932, two air taxi firms were based at the airport. By 1934, Bristol Air Taxis had become Western Airways, and it was soon joined by Railway Air Services
Railway Air Services
Railway Air Services was a British airline formed in March 1934 by four railway companies and Imperial Airways. The airline was a domestic airline operating routes within the United Kingdom linking up with Imperial's services....
, a subsidiary of Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
, offering connections to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. On October 18, 1938, the Straight Corporation, headed by Whitney Straight
Whitney Straight
Air Commodore Whitney Willard Straight CBE, MC, DFC was a Grand Prix motor racing driver, aviator, businessman, and a member of the prominent Whitney family of the United States....
purchased control of Norman Edgar (Western Airways), Ltd. and renamed it Western Airways, Ltd.
In July 1935, a new terminal building was opened, and regular international services started with flights on the Cardiff-Whitchurch-Le Touquet-Paris - Le Bourget Airport route. In 1937, Irish Sea Airways (precursor of Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
), and Great Western and Southern Airlines commenced operations from Whitchurch.
In July 1938, the British Government formed a Civil Air Guard
Civil Air Guard
The Civil Air Guard was a 1938 scheme in which the UK government subsidized training fees for members of flying clubs, in return for future military call-up commitments.-History:...
to train pilots for what was widely seen as the forthcoming war. The Bristol and Wessex Aeroplane Club was one of the training organisations enlisted in this effort, and in addition No. 33 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School was established at Whitchurch to prepare RAFVR pilots. In August 1938, Frank Barnwell
Frank Barnwell
Captain Frank Sowter Barnwell OBE AFC FRAeS BSc was an aeronautical engineer, who performed the first powered flight in Scotland and later went on to a career as an aircraft designer.-History:...
, the chief designer of the Bristol Aeroplane Company
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
, died when an ultra light monoplane he had designed and built himself, the Barnwell B.S.W., struck a bump when taking off and stalled, crashing onto a nearby road.
World War II
In late August 1939, the airport was requisitioned by the Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
, and was declared a Restricted Area. Starting on 1 September 1939, 59 aircraft belonging to Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd were evacuated from Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
and Heston Aerodrome
Heston Aerodrome
Heston Aerodrome was a 1930s airfield located to the west of London, UK, operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow, Middlesex...
to Whitchurch. The two airlines, that were in the process of merging to form British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
(BOAC), became the nucleus of National Air Communications
National Air Communications
National Air Communications was a British government organisation that directed civilian flying operations from the outbreak of World War II until April 1940.-Pre-war preparations:...
(NAC), formed to undertake wartime air transport work. Airport security was increased, with barbed wire fencing and Air Ministry police posts. During the next two years, an east-west tarmac runway and taxiways were constructed. In 1940, civilian flights resumed, and the fledgling BOAC fleet was boosted by the addition of aircraft leased from the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
airline KLM in May 1940, after the fall of the Netherlands to the invading German army. These aircraft operated flights to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in neutral Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
The Air Transport Auxiliary
Air Transport Auxiliary
The Air Transport Auxiliary was a British World War II civilian organisation that ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between UK factories, assembly plants, transatlantic delivery points, Maintenance Units , scrap yards, and active service squadrons and airfields—but not to...
established a depot at Whitchurch, and was mainly concerned with ferrying Blenheims
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
, Beaufighters
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
and Beauforts
Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....
built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
at Filton
Filton
Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34. The town centres upon Filton Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is a grade II listed building...
; Hurricanes
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
built by the Gloster Aircraft Company
Gloster Aircraft Company
The Gloster Aircraft Company, Limited, known locally as GAC, was a British aircraft manufacturer. The company produced a famous lineage of fighters for the Royal Air Force : the Grebe, Gladiator, Meteor and Javelin. It also produced the Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Typhoon for the parent company...
at Brockworth, Gloucestershire
Brockworth, Gloucestershire
Brockworth, in Gloucestershire, England is situated on the old Roman road that connects the City of Gloucester with Barnwood, Hucclecote and Cirencester. For the past 150 years Brockworth has been known locally for the annual rolling of Double Gloucester cheese down Cooper's Hill...
and Whirlwinds and Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
produced by Westland Aircraft
Westland Aircraft
Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil in Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Ltd just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915...
at Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
.
During 1942-1943, civil services were developed to Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
and an extension of the Lisbon route to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, with Lisbon and Shannon providing connections to the United States. Famous passengers who used these services included Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
and Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
. In 1943, BOAC Flight 777
BOAC Flight 777
BOAC Flight 777-A, a scheduled British Overseas Airways Corporation civilian airline flight on 1 June 1943 from Portela Airport in Lisbon, Portugal, to Whitchurch Airport near Bristol, United Kingdom, was attacked by eight German Junkers Ju 88s and crashed into the Bay of Biscay, killing 17 "souls...
was shot down en route to Whitchurch from Lisbon - among those lost was the actor Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard (actor)
Leslie Howard was an English stage and film actor, director, and producer. Among his best-known roles was Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and roles in Berkeley Square , Of Human Bondage , The Scarlet Pimpernel , The Petrified Forest , Pygmalion , Intermezzo , Pimpernel Smith...
.
In November 1944, BOAC moved out to Hurn Airport, Bournemouth
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport is an airport located north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England...
, because the runways there were capable of accommodating larger aircraft, and the success of the Invasion of Normandy had lessened the danger from the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
.
Post war
After the war, the airport came under the control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. A number of flying clubs used the airport, but the airport did not attract many scheduled services, although from 1953 Morton Air ServicesMorton Air Services
Morton Air Services was one of the earliest post-World War II private, independentindependent from government-owned corporations British airlines formed in 1945. It mainly operated regional short-haul scheduled services within the British Isles and between the United Kingdom and Continental Europe....
operated flights to the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
, the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, whilst Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways was a Welsh airline based in Cardiff, Wales, which started operations in 1935. It was incorporated into British Airways in 1976.-Company history:...
operated both domestic and international flights to France.
The airport had become too small for airline operations, with surrounding housing estates limiting runway extension, so a new site at the former RAF Lulsgate Bottom was opened in May 1957 as Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport may refer to:* Bristol Airport, serving Bristol, England, United Kingdom ** Bristol Airport , a docu-soap based on events at Bristol Airport...
. In 1957, Flying ceased at Whitchurch, and in 1959 the airfield was re-opened as Whitchurch Circuit
Whitchurch Circuit
Whitchurch Circuit was first used as an airfield by Bristol & Wessex Aeroplane Club. During World War 2 the airfield, Whitchurch Airport was used by the Army Transport Command and was the only airfield in Britain to operate civilian flights for Imperial Airways and KLM. After the war, the airfield...
, a car racing circuit holding Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
and Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
races. Over the years, the area has been developed as housing and trading estates known as Hengrove Park, although part of the main runway still exists;
in 1993 an aircraft made an emergency landing.
In 2009, it was announced that part of the former airfield was to be developed as South Bristol Community Hospital
South Bristol Community Hospital
South Bristol Community Hospital is a NHS hospital that is under construction NHS Bristol primary care trust in the Hengrove area of Bristol, England, on the site of the former Whitchurch Airport. Planning permission for the hospital was granted in March 2008....
, a Skills Academy and Leisure Centre.