Warfare in News
Posted on Tuesday 15th October
The last intact First World War airfield in the UK, Stow Maries in Essex, is due to be completely restored thanks to a National Heritage Memorial Fund grant of £1.5m secured by a campaign by a group of volunteers.
Stow Maries was built in 1916 as a base for the new 37 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, who were defending London against German bombing raids. It closed in 1919 and was only rediscovered by a group of enthusiasts 90 years later.
Among the 24 original Grade II listed Royal Flying Corps operation buildings remaining are the original officers' mess, other ranks' mess, blacksmith's, ambulance station and morgue.
The site was in danger of being sold for development, but the Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome Trust plan to restore the airfield to its wartime condition and open a museum commemorating the men who flew there.
Stow Maries was built in 1916 as a base for the new 37 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, who were defending London against German bombing raids. It closed in 1919 and was only rediscovered by a group of enthusiasts 90 years later.
Among the 24 original Grade II listed Royal Flying Corps operation buildings remaining are the original officers' mess, other ranks' mess, blacksmith's, ambulance station and morgue.
The site was in danger of being sold for development, but the Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome Trust plan to restore the airfield to its wartime condition and open a museum commemorating the men who flew there.
Further Reading
Royal Flying Corps
(Paperback - 136 pages)This book contains selected images from three different Royal Flying Corps albums, offering a unique insight into their wartime experiences. Photographs include training shots taken in Canada and at Tangmere, as well as shots of aircraft in and around the River Crouch in Essex, an area with a particular and long standing connection with military aviation. There is a large variety of different aircraft featured, as well as images of pilots and esteemed officers. Also… Read more...
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