Elmdon Airport 1939 Onwards

A Memory of Elmdon.

These early memories were passed down to me by my grandparents (Bridgwater) who lived in Elmdon House Farm from 1936. Two of their sons worked on the building of the airport and I believe some of the workers actually lodged at the farm. The farm was in the small portion of Elmdon Lane which remained in Elmdon after the airport was constructed.

I have an original copy of the programme issued for the opening of the airport in 1939.

My grandfather used to talk of the TIN HOSPITAL somewhere near the airport but I do not know where this was.

There was an air raid shelter on the farm grounds - between the farm and the Coventry Road but my grandparents could not use it - I am not sure who did - they used to go down the cellars of the farm. There was also a gun pit (that was what they called it), this was square with a narrow hole in each side and 4 big concrete 'wings' inside almost dividing it into 4.

I remember in the 1o50s a Don Everall (I think) DC3 skewing off the runway near the gates at the bottom of Elmdon Lane and a lot of people came to see it.

My grandfather worked for a time in the boiler house at the airport in the first part of the 1950s, I remember a party at the airport for children when I was very young and a man (I think a clown) in a bright orange shiny shirt. After the party we went into the boiler house to see my grandfather - it was so hot.

I remember the viewing lounge inside when it opened and my cousin and I treked across the field between the farm and the hangers and went up to see it in our wellies - on the new carpet!

I remember standing on the spiral staircase to see Princess Margaret arrive.

We used to run up the spiral staircase and down the other side and home across the field, often a lovely quite large policman would call after us that he would tell our grandad - he never did.

My uncle also worked at the airport in the late 1950s into the 1960s, I think he was something to do with marshalling the planes into place.

I remember an air display in possibly the late 1950s. There used to be a little wooden kiosk where people got a ticket to go into the airport to watch the planes. I saw Concord arrive and also watched the jumbo with the space shuttle 'piggy back' on it.

I went to the 60th anniversary and took my son for a trip in a Dacota - he was amazed and like me fell in love with it.

Elmdon airport holds a special place in my heart, other children had a railway line at the bottom of their garden - I had Elmdon airport at the bottom of our field. I used to love to go into the airport and watch the people board the planes, there seemed to be an air of excitement and I used to smile if it was a windy day when the immaculately groomed air hostesses walked to the plane holding onto their hats.

I am pleased that I was able to take my own children to watch the planes in the open air viewing enclosure where they could wave to the tanker drivers and other people working on the planes and buy ice cream from the little shop.

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