Hi there from Hursley Park

[DaveKey]

Hi,

My name is Dave Key. I've always loved military planes but I'm pretty new to the whole topic of Aviation Heritage, despite living the last 20 odd years in the shadow of Eastleigh airport and having a general love of all forms of history since childhood.

However, my interest has increased substantially since I agreed to help a friend who had been the unofficial site historian for Hursley Park, where I work. I'm, in a very unofficial way, trying to take over some responsibility for the research into, and updating of the site. Inevitably this has lead me to the years when Vickers-Supermarine had their design team located here but also to brief glimpses of the Royal Flying Corps' Artillery and Infantry Co-Operation school who were also stationed here, if briefly.

So I'm trying to discover as much as i can about these periods, and your forum was recommended by someone on 'The Aviation Forum'. so here I am, and the more I discover the more I am becoming fascinated by the topic.

So hopefully you'll be able to help me, and in return I'll be able to share what I discover about Hursley Park and both the RFC AICS and Supermarine.

Cheers
Dave

[PETERTHEEATER]

Welcome DaveKey, Eastleigh has featured in AiX; there is a thread here:

http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?462-Eastleigh&highlight=eastleigh

[PNK]

Welcome to the forum.

[hydealfred]

Hello DK - I live in the same neck of the woods as you. Just up the road is the former Worthy Down airfield where I believe Spitfires were dispersed and flight tested following construction. WD is worth going to have a look at if you are ever up that way.

[DaveKey]

I've had a few chats with several of the guys up at Worthy Down about the early aerodrome as the Royal Flying Corps School of Artillery and Infantry Cooperation moved to Hursley from Brooklands (as the Wireless and Observers' School) whilst Worthy Down was made ready. So for a brief period between October 1917 and May 1918 Hursley was a RFC School (the American Base Hospital commander who took over the site described it as an "Aviation Rest Camp").

What is tantalisingly difficult to identify is whether it was ever used as an aerodrome. Lectures, definitely. Flying, case not proven. No physical evidence that I'm aware of, although there are some inferences, just not enough or good enough. What I need are photographs and personal records e.g. Flying Log Books etc. ... so working on that

[hydealfred]

That does sound intriguing so please keep us posted. I have just obtained layout maps of Worthy Down from 1927 which make interesting viewing.

[mawganmad]

your forum was recommended by someone on 'The Aviation Forum'. so here I am...
Dave

Ah that would be me, welcome Dave and good to see you here!

[Granite]

Always nice to have a Cics developer on here!

[DaveKey]

I felt like crying the other day. I managed to find a copy of a book of photos of Hursley which included a detail of an aerial photograph of Hursley dated 1918. Why did I want to cry? Because the detail shows the village beautifully but not the Park where the Army Camp was etc. I suspect the full photograph shows it (although it may not) but it wasn't relevant to his book.

So now I need to find the owner of the photograph ... if it still exists ... as it could answer a lot if it really is 1918 as it may well be an Observer's training aerial reconnaissance photo! It was taken at 4,000 ft, does that sound plausible for that sort of photo?

I've also got a few extra snippets on Worthy Down in the process of this, so hopefully I'll be able to pass those on too.

Cheers
Dave

[DaveKey]

Always nice to have a Cics developer on here!

CICS indeed. The old lady of software but still going strong

[Daveg4otu]

I thing that, given the very minimal requirement of aircraft of circa 1918, there has to be the possibility that Hursley may have seen some informal use as a landing ground .

However , nothing I have seen in the past 25 years of running down details of Hampshire Airfields and related sites has ever had any mention of this.

I agree, it would be very nice to see something that would either prove or disprove this.

[DaveKey]

I thing that, given the very minimal requirement of aircraft of circa 1918, there has to be the possibility that Hursley may have seen some informal use as a landing ground .

However , nothing I have seen in the past 25 years of running down details of Hampshire Airfields and related sites has ever had any mention of this.

I agree, it would be very nice to see something that would either prove or disprove this.

Well we'll have to see what transpires!

I'm inclinded to think you're right and that Worthy Down handled the flying almost from the start. My reasoning? I've just got hold of the Flight log book of a pilot who had been at the Brooklands school, and that shows him flying to Worthy Down direct from Brooklands at the start of October 1917.

I've also just received a collection of photographs from the Commanding Officer of American Base Hospital #204 which took over the buildings that had been used by the RFC and RAMC. Several of the pictures are of Hursley Camp but interestingly one is of a crashed plane, although I don't believe it is at Hursley further investigateion will be required.

So things progress.

Cheers
Dave

[DaveKey]

Hi

I thought an update might be in order.

I managed to find a reference to the RFC at Hursley which states on 8th October 1917 that "We are six miles from the 'drome which is the other side of the town [Winchester] and we are four miles from the town (our quarters)"

A fairly clear statement that the flying was to the north of Winchester (Worthy Down) and the quarters to the South (Hursley).

Couple this with a flight log for a pilot flying to Worthy Down direct from Brooklands on 3rd October 1917 and I think it's pretty crertain there was no flying at Hursley by the AICS from the start and that Worthy Down flying started on 3rd Oct.

Cheers
Dave

[hydealfred]

Interesting Dave - Worthy Down was acquired in August 1917 for use by the Wireless & Observers School. They had moved out from Brooklands due to expanasion there by aircraft manufacturers. The WOS had moved out to Hursley Park sometime in 1918 from Worthy Down and were renamed the Artillery & Infantry Co-operation School. The reason for the move may have been that accommodation was not available at WD due to construction works overrunning.