Marden Airfield
Encyclopedia
Marden Airfield was an airfield in Marden, Kent
, United Kingdom
. It was operation from 1917 to 1935. Initially a Royal Flying Corps
airfield during World War I
it was used post-war as an Emergency Landing Strip, RAF Marden by the Royal Air Force
. It was also known as Pagehurst Emergency Landing Ground. Later serving as a civil Emergency Landing Ground, the airfield closed in 1935. The site housed a Royal Air Force transmitter station during the Second World War.
grid square TQ7643. (51°10′N 000°31′E), thus north east of Marden Thorn. Although known as Marden Airfield, most of the site lies within the parish of Staplehurst. The site is 90 ft (27.4 m) above sea level and was 900 by.
located in the south east corner of the airfield. It was used as an Emergency Landing Ground. One example of such use was on 16 March 1917 when a Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c of 50 Squadron
Royal Flying Corps
landed at Marden following engine trouble. In 1918, pilots of 141 Squadron
, Royal Air Force
, who were taking part in ground-to-air radio telephony exercises were in the habit of making "precautionary" landings at RAF Marden. The pilots did this in order to enjoy the food served at the Station Hotel, Staplehurst. This practice continued until the Commanding Officer of 49 Wing had a genuine problem and landed at Marden. On seeing six Bristol fighters lined up, he made enquiries and discovered the truth. The practice was stopped.
Marden was still in use by the RAF in 1919, when Group Captain
Charles Eaton
landed on 4 July at Marden in Airco DH.4 F5759 following engine trouble. Eaton was returning from Paris
where he had been attending the Versailles Peace Conference
. After repairs had been made, Eaton departed for RAF Kenley
, but his engine failed near Godstone
, Surrey
where the aircraft crash-landed and was written off.
In civil use, the longest available runway was 2100 ft (640 m) long. The western part of the airfield was separated from the main landing ground by a ditch, which was bridged over a 100 ft (30.5 m) length to allow access for aircraft. The Bessonneau hangar had been removed by the RAF. A windsock
was located in the north eastern corner of the airfield. The airfield was identified by a circle of whitewash
ed stones 60 ft (18.3 m) diameter with the word MARDEN spelled out in the centre. It was lit at night. Telegraph wires at a height of 25 ft (7.6 m) were an obstacle at the west end of the airfield. A navigational beacon was installed at Marden. It was powered by clockwork
and had to be wound daily. Lighting at Marden progressed from Chance lights to Gooseneck flares and Money flares over the years. In the latter years of operation, night landing was possible by giving four hours notice to Lympne Airport
not later than 4pm.
Marden remained in use as a civil Emergency Landing Ground. On 27 October 1919, a Handley Page O/400
of Handley Page Transport
landed at Marden due to strong winds preventing it reaching Croydon
. On 13 August 1923, de Havilland DH.34 G-EBBW of Instone Air Line
landed at Marden due to a broken oil pipe. The aircraft was repaired and returned to Croydon. One Wednesday in September 1927, an Air Union
aircraft on a flight from Paris to Croydon landed at Marden due to engine trouble. Another aircraft was sent from Croydon to collect the 11 passengers and take them to their destination. Marden was still in operation in 1934, when it was mentioned in Kelly's Directory
for Kent. In August 1934, a de Havilland Leopard Moth
on a flight from Heston
to St Inglevert
, France made a landing at Marden as a child passenger was suffering from airsickness
. The flight was resumed after the child had recovered. Marden closed on 24 June 1935, and the land then reverted to farmland. A RAF wireless station was based on the site during the Second World War. The last aircraft to land at Marden was on 10 October 1940, during the Battle of Britain
, when a Hawker Hurricane
of 253 Squadron
made a forced landing and overturned, the pilot escaping with a cut thumb.
Marden, Kent
Marden is a village about 13 km south of Maidstone and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the flood plain of the River Beult near Maidstone. It is on the B2079 road linking the A229 Maidstone with the A21 at Flimwell. It has its own railway...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was operation from 1917 to 1935. Initially a Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
airfield during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
it was used post-war as an Emergency Landing Strip, RAF Marden by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. It was also known as Pagehurst Emergency Landing Ground. Later serving as a civil Emergency Landing Ground, the airfield closed in 1935. The site housed a Royal Air Force transmitter station during the Second World War.
Location
Marden Airfield was located east of Marden and west of Staplehurst, and south of the Ashford - Tonbridge railway line, in Ordnance SurveyOrdnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
grid square TQ7643. (51°10′N 000°31′E), thus north east of Marden Thorn. Although known as Marden Airfield, most of the site lies within the parish of Staplehurst. The site is 90 ft (27.4 m) above sea level and was 900 by.
History
Marden Airfield was established in January 1917. It was a Second Class Landing Ground. Facilities were limited to a Bessonneau hangarBessonneau hangar
The Bessonneau hangar was a portable timber and canvas aircraft hangar used by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I.-History:In about 1908, the Bessonneau hangar was designed and manufactured by the French rope and canvas manufacturer Etablissements Bessonneau, headed by Julien Bessonneau and...
located in the south east corner of the airfield. It was used as an Emergency Landing Ground. One example of such use was on 16 March 1917 when a Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c of 50 Squadron
No. 50 Squadron RAF
No. 50 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed during the First World War as a home defence fighter squadron, and operated as a bomber squadron during the Second World War and the Cold War. It disbanded for the last time in 1984....
Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
landed at Marden following engine trouble. In 1918, pilots of 141 Squadron
No. 141 Squadron RAF
No. 141 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 January 1918 at Rochford, for home defence in the London Area. The Squadron moved to RAF Biggin Hill in February and giving up its mixed collection of types in favour of Bristol F.2 Fighters during March...
, Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, who were taking part in ground-to-air radio telephony exercises were in the habit of making "precautionary" landings at RAF Marden. The pilots did this in order to enjoy the food served at the Station Hotel, Staplehurst. This practice continued until the Commanding Officer of 49 Wing had a genuine problem and landed at Marden. On seeing six Bristol fighters lined up, he made enquiries and discovered the truth. The practice was stopped.
Marden was still in use by the RAF in 1919, when Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Charles Eaton
Charles Eaton (RAAF officer)
Charles Eaton OBE, AFC was a senior officer and aviator in the Royal Australian Air Force , who later served as a diplomat. Born in London, he joined the British Army upon the outbreak of World War I and saw action on the Western Front before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917...
landed on 4 July at Marden in Airco DH.4 F5759 following engine trouble. Eaton was returning from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he had been attending the Versailles Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
. After repairs had been made, Eaton departed for RAF Kenley
RAF Kenley
The former Royal Air Force Station Kenley, more commonly known as RAF Kenley was a station of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I and the RAF in World War II. It is located near Kenley, London, England.-History:...
, but his engine failed near Godstone
Godstone
Godstone is a village in the county of Surrey, England. It is located approximately six miles east of Reigate at the junction of the A22 and A25 major roads, and near the M25 motorway.-History:...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
where the aircraft crash-landed and was written off.
In civil use, the longest available runway was 2100 ft (640 m) long. The western part of the airfield was separated from the main landing ground by a ditch, which was bridged over a 100 ft (30.5 m) length to allow access for aircraft. The Bessonneau hangar had been removed by the RAF. A windsock
Windsock
A windsock is a conical textile tube designed to indicate wind direction and relative wind speed. Windsocks typically are used at airports and at chemical plants where there is risk of gaseous leakage...
was located in the north eastern corner of the airfield. The airfield was identified by a circle of whitewash
Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
ed stones 60 ft (18.3 m) diameter with the word MARDEN spelled out in the centre. It was lit at night. Telegraph wires at a height of 25 ft (7.6 m) were an obstacle at the west end of the airfield. A navigational beacon was installed at Marden. It was powered by clockwork
Clockwork
A clockwork is the inner workings of either a mechanical clock or a device that operates in a similar fashion. Specifically, the term refers to a mechanical device utilizing a complex series of gears....
and had to be wound daily. Lighting at Marden progressed from Chance lights to Gooseneck flares and Money flares over the years. In the latter years of operation, night landing was possible by giving four hours notice to Lympne Airport
Lympne Airport
Lympne Airport , , was a military and later civil airfield at Lympne, Kent, United Kingdom, which operated from 1916 to 1984. RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returning from, France during the First World War...
not later than 4pm.
Marden remained in use as a civil Emergency Landing Ground. On 27 October 1919, a Handley Page O/400
Handley Page Type O
The Handley Page Type O was an early biplane bomber used by Britain during the First World War. At the time, it was the largest aircraft that had been built in the UK and one of the largest in the world...
of Handley Page Transport
Handley Page Transport
Handley Page Transport Ltd was an airline company founded in 1919 by Frederick Handley Page in the new era of civil flying after the First World War....
landed at Marden due to strong winds preventing it reaching Croydon
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...
. On 13 August 1923, de Havilland DH.34 G-EBBW of Instone Air Line
Instone Air Line
Instone Air Line was an early British airline from 1919 to 1924. Along with other private airlines of the time, it was absorbed into Imperial Airways.-History:...
landed at Marden due to a broken oil pipe. The aircraft was repaired and returned to Croydon. One Wednesday in September 1927, an Air Union
Air Union
Air Union was a French airline established 1 January 1923 as the result of a merger between the airlines Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes and Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens...
aircraft on a flight from Paris to Croydon landed at Marden due to engine trouble. Another aircraft was sent from Croydon to collect the 11 passengers and take them to their destination. Marden was still in operation in 1934, when it was mentioned in Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory was a trade directory in the United Kingdom that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses of local gentry, landowners, charities, and other facilities. In effect, it was a Victorian version of today's...
for Kent. In August 1934, a de Havilland Leopard Moth
De Havilland Leopard Moth
-See also:...
on a flight from Heston
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 St Inglevert
Saint-Inglevert
Saint-Inglevert is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Saint-inglevert is situated some north of Boulogne, at the junction of the D244 road with the A16 autoroute.-Population:...
, France made a landing at Marden as a child passenger was suffering from airsickness
Airsickness
Airsickness is a sensation which is induced by air travel. It is a specific form of motion sickness, and is considered a normal response in healthy individuals...
. The flight was resumed after the child had recovered. Marden closed on 24 June 1935, and the land then reverted to farmland. A RAF wireless station was based on the site during the Second World War. The last aircraft to land at Marden was on 10 October 1940, during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, when a Hawker Hurricane
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...
of 253 Squadron
No. 253 Squadron RAF
RAF 253 Squadron was based at RAF Waterbeach in the two years 1955 to 1957. It flew Vampire and Venom fighter aircraft.253 squadron Nighthawks.Squadron commander wing commander FinlaysonOne Vampire T Mk 11...
made a forced landing and overturned, the pilot escaping with a cut thumb.
Civil accidents and incidents
- On 2 February 1930, Farman F.63 Goliath F-FHMY of Air UnionAir UnionAir Union was a French airline established 1 January 1923 as the result of a merger between the airlines Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes and Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens...
crashed whilst attempting an emergency landing at Marden following structural failure of the starboard tailplane. Two of the six people on board were killed.
- On 23 April 1931, Farman F.60 GoliathFarman F.60 GoliathThe Farman F.60 Goliath was an airliner produced by the Farman Aviation Works from 1919. It was instrumental in the creation of early airlines and commercial routes in Europe after World War I.-Design and development:...
F-ADDT Languedoc of Air Union crashed at Widehurst Farm, Marden after taking off from Marden. The aircraft was carrying mail.
- During the 1930s, a French-registered biplane crashed near Widehurst Wood after hitting a hedge whilst attempting to land at Marden. It was carrying a cargo of oysters.