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LONDON MANSTON AIRPORT

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

MANSTON AERODROME, RAF MANSTON

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A former military airfield used in both World Wars and the Post-War period. It was first opened in 1916. During World War Two the airfield was used in the Battle of Britain as a fighter airfield by 11 Group Number 604 and 600 Squadrons. By 1944 the airfield had a single very broad 3000 yard long runway with dispersals and hardstandings to the north side. There were reused World War One hangers and Blister type aircraft hangars, the fate of these is unknown. A World War Two decontamination centre is still extant. At least part of the accommodation for personnel was semi permanent in nature. From 1969 to 1999 part of the airfield was run by civilian airlines. The site now houses two adjacent museums, the Manston History Museum and the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Building, run by the MoD. The former museum was established in what was the airfield's Motor Transport Section's garage, in 1997. The Memorial building was purpose built. The RAF station closed in 1999 but the airfield continued to be used for further flying as a civilian airport.

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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Manston Airfield: the NGR given in the Holliss and Willis gazatteer is incorrect (TR 332 599 sic). By 1944 the airfield had a single 3000 yard long runway with dispersals and hardstandings to the north side. There were World War One portable Callander hangers and Blister type aicraft hangars. At least part of the accomodation for personnel was semi permanent in nature. (1)

The correct NGR for the approximate centre of Manston Aerodrome is TR 330 660 (NAT). (2)

During the Battle of Britain Manston Aerodrome was used by RAF 11 Group Squadrons Numbers 604 and 600. (3)

The airfield was first opened in 1916 as a Naval Air Station. In the interwar years the airfield was used to train airmen. The long World War Two runway was also particularly broad so as to facilitate the landing of damaged aircraft returning from operations over the continent. In 1944 the airfield was used by the first jet fighters to combat flying bombs. From 1950 to 1958 there was an American military presence at the airfield. From 1969 to 1999 part of the airfield was run by civilian airlines. The site now houses two adjacent museums, the Manston History Museum and the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Building, run by the MoD. The former museum was established in what was the airfield's Motor Transport Section's garage, in 1997. The Memorial building was purpose built. The RAF station closed in 1999 but the airfield continued to be used for further flying as a civilian airport. (4)

The RAF station's decontamination centre is extant and in good condition. The website "Underground Kent" contains external and internal photographs of the building. (5)

For details of Manston's WWII role as an emergency runway for RAF Bomber Command see Mike Osborn's article in Airfield Review No 82. The site was chosen for this role in preference to a potential (unidentified) location near Canterbury. (6)

Summary in Gazetteer. (7)

For a detailed description of the site including plans, photographs and details on the squadrons which used the military airfield please refer to the source. (8)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) Steve Willis and Barry Holliss 1987 Military airfields in the British Isles 1939-1945

Page(s)134

(2) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

1:10000, 1975

(3) World Wide Web page

MoD, Deltaweb. 2000. "Battle of Britain"; http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/html; accessed 08-SEP-2004.

(4) World Wide Web page

MoD. Undated. "RAF Marston History Museum" http://www.rafmanston.co.uk/history.html; accessed-08-SEP-2004.

(5) World Wide Web page

Barry Sewart. 2002. "Underground Kent"; http://undergroundkent.co.uk/raf_manston_desontamination_area.htm; upated 25-AUG-2004. Accessed 08-SEP-2004

(6) Airfield review

82, 1999 Page(s)24-35

(7) Kent's Defence Heritage

Gazetteer Part 2: KD209

(8) KEN DELVE 2005 THE MILITARY AIRFIELDS OF BRITAIN; SOUTHERN ENGLAND, KENT, HAMPSHIRE, SURREY AND SUSSEX

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