Manston / Kent International Airport

[PNK]

I was looking at the recent pic of Manston tower posted by REF. It looks as though the double glazing and wall cladding salesmen have called. What is the finish on the outside? It looks like wood!

The pic is here http://airfields.fotopic.net/p47810401.html.

What is the old tower doing now the new one has been built nearer the runway? I really must visit Manston again.

[PNK]

Looking at some old Kent maps and found that there were obviously plans to build a small housing estate at Manston where the modern terminal apron is. I assume these to be pre WW1 as tha maps have dates that cover three decades. Manston might have been quite different if they had gone ahead. The map below shows what I mean.



A similar situation crops up at Leysdown where a large seafront set of streets was planned. They extend to Mussel House (Muswell Manor). Again pre WW1 I suspect.

[PNK]

Visiting Fiat G-91's at Manston a few years ago

[PNK]

A layout sketch from 1942/3 before the crash runway cut across the southern perimeter

[PNK]

Flying Visit - Sunday 19th July 2009

Managed to persuade Mrs PNK to got out for a ride and for once without the kids. We even strolled around a bit.

Just to prove there is activity at Manston this landed as we arrived and also shows the sites of the, now removed, WW1 hangars.


I would say this radar was not functioning. Not only was it pointing the wrong way it was nodding erratically in time with the wind.


A WW2 recycling bin


The old tower with tasteful cladding


The new one, looking very temporary!


The airfield code letters


Battle HQ


Unidentified concrete thingy


What do you make of this!


Unknown building

[PNK]

I actually had a hard time posting this as the message area insisted on scrolling to the top all the time. I kept posting the photos in the wrong place or overwriting previous ones!

Forgot to add that the fire dump is almost invisible from the road these days due to a large embankment. We did see the tail of a Phantom and a HS125 (Dominie)

[REF]

Nice photos PNK, good to see you were allowed out to play!

Good to see the BHQ still there as well.

Unidentified concrete thingy

That looks like a runway light fitting that has been turned upside down.

[TommyUSA]

On August 24, in 1940, RAF Manston was heavily damaged by a huge German bombing raid. No. 11 Group Fighter Command decided that the damage at Manston was so great that the base had to be downgraded to ELG – an emergency landing ground only until repaired.

August 24, 1940 was a day of heavy German activity. See this B.o.B. web page.

Tommy

[PETERTHEEATER]

PNK, re your image showing the red painted box on the fence.

The box is an old ammunition box (B53?). These were quite often used at check points to hold 'contraband' items such as cigarettes, matches, lighters etc if they were not permitted in the area being controlled.

Alternatively, it may have been used to store some ready-use pyros (signal flares) or even birdscarer cartridges.

What is the location? It may give a clue.

[PNK]

The red box is to the north, past the old tower and by a gate leading to the old Battle HQ. This is well away from the active site to the south of the E-W road.