Blackbushe airport History

I have completed my book on Blackbushe and its is now available for purchase from this site, direct from the author.Below is a taster of what is to come in the book. The book contains 110 pages of A4 with over 100 black and white photos and plans of the airport. If you have any information on Blackbushe, particualy in the late 1940's and the 1950's please mail me at rob.belcher@ntlworld.com I am compiling a list of Blackbushe movements from 1942-1960 and it can be downloaded here for free

BLACKBUSHE -THE HISTORY-ORDER HERE,for Ł9.99 +Ł2.50 P&P

or email me at the above address for details of where to send cheques

The airport was opened in 1943 as RAF Hartford Bridge and saw the first squadrons arrive in early 1943 in the shape of photo recon Mosquito's, Mustangs and Spitfires. These were joined in the autumn of 1943 by two squadrons of Bostons and one of Mitchells. These aircraft made repeated bombing raids on France and Belgium and were heavily involved in D-Day. The Bostons made the RAF's first sorties on 6th June 1944 laying smoke on the invasion beaches,also loosing the first aircraft of the day. By the spring of 1945 the Bostons had moved to France to be replaced by several squadrons of Mosquitos operating intruder and bombing missions over Belgium and Holland. By the end of 1945 these were replaced by the aircraft of Transport Command . Three squadrons with Mosquitos, Dakotas, and Warwicks operated passenger and cargo flights to all parts of Europe, but by the end of the summer of 1946 the squadrons were disbanded and the airport was deserted.
The airport was handed over to the Ministry of Civil Aviation as Blackbushe(name was changed in early 1945) in January 1947. The airport became home to many independant airlines such as Airwork,Silver City, Britavia, Eagle, Westminster Airways, Independent, Orion and Dan Air. Eagle operated scheduled services from 1953 to Belgrade,Gothenburg,Luxembourg,Munich and Innsbruck, Airwork to Accra, Khartoum, and Nairobi and charters to here there and everywhere. They used aircraft Such as Vickers Vikings and Viscounts, DH Rapides,Avro Tudors,Douglas DC-3's and even HP Halifax's. The US Navy also had a base on the north side from 1954 which brought in many Neptune's, Mercator's,R5D's(DC-4), and Constellations. They also had a comms flight, FASRON 200, with Douglas R4D's(C-47), Beech 18's and a Convair R4Y. The Martin Mercator's of VQ-2 carried out clandestine electronic survelance missions from Blackbushe to the Baltic The airport was also heavily used for training by all types from BEA and BOAC, and also Vickers for their Viscount testing. Many a time the airport was packed with Heathrow diversions including BOAC Comets,Britannia's and DC-7's, BEA Viscounts and Ambassadors, and many other airlines. Of course Farnborough week was the highlight of each year then when over 200 aircraft a day would arrive to visit the nearby airshow. The most interesting were things like RAF Lancasters,Mosquitos and Neptunes, Dutch Navy Catalina and Martin Mariner, USAF C-124,C-54, C-121,the French with B-26's,Bregatines,Noratlas,Israeli C-47 and Noratlas, Canadian Sabers and T-33 and many,many more. Unfortunately the airport closed on 31st May 1960 due to Airwork and Silver City moving to Gatwick to become part of the new British United and Eagle starting services from Heathrow. All but the terminal building and the US Navy hangar(demolished c 1981)were removed in 1960/61, some 200 buildings. Blackbushe was saved by AVM Don Bennett who purchased the airport in 1961. However the eastern third was built on common land and could not be used, so the runways were of reduced length so only suitable for light aircraft and the smaller bizjets. In 1972 Doug Arnold brought the airport and his warbird collection with him. Once again Blackbushe became an exciting place to visit with Junkers 52,Heinkels, Mitchells,Sea Furys,C-47', Spitfires and even a Comet to be seen. By this time Farnborough week was bring in an increasing number of bizjets and foreign visitors. The airport was sold to its present owners, British Car Auctions in 1986 and continues to operate as a general and business airport. The terminal building is still partially standing and is the only reminder of the airports busy past.