Croydon Airport

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Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport.

It originated as two adjacent World War I airfields - Beddington Aerodrome, one of a number of small airfields around London, which had been created for protection against the Zeppelin raids in about May 1915, and Waddon Aerodrome of 1918, a test-flight aerodrome adjoining National Aircraft Factory No 1.

At the end of that war, the two airfields were combined into London's official airport as the gateway for all international flights to and from the capital. Croydon Aerodrome opened on 29 March 1920.

It stimulated a growth in regular scheduled flights carrying passengers, mail and freight, the first destinations being Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. In 1923 Berlin flights were added. It was the operating base for Imperial Airways, remembered in the road name Imperial Way on the site today.

In the mid 1920s the airfield was extended, some adjacent roads such as Plough Lane being closed to allow heavier airliners to land and depart safely. A new complex of buildings was constructed adjoining Purley Way, including the first purpose-designed air terminal in the world, the Aerodrome Hotel and extensive hangars, at a cost of £267,000. Although the first day of operation using the new building and layout was 30 January, the official opening was not until 2 May 1928.

The terminal building, the booking hall within it with its gallery balustraded in the geometrical design typical of the period, and the Aerodrome Hotel were built in the Art Deco style of the 1920s and 1930s. A further item that caught the eye of visitor and traveller alike was the time zone tower in the booking hall with its dials depicting the times in different parts of the world.

The aerodrome was known the world over, its fame being spread by the many aviators and pioneers who touched down at Croydon, such as

• Alan Cobham, who flew from Croydon to Cape Town and back in 1925-6;
• Charles Lindbergh, who flew into Croydon in 1927 shortly after completing the first solo trans-Atlantic flight;
• Bert Hinkler, who made the first flight from Croydon to Darwin, Australia in 1928;
• Charles Kingsford Smith, who beat Hinkler's record;
• Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly from Croydon to Australia, later to return to Croydon to a jubilant welcome.

The major aircraft used by Imperial Airways were the Handley Page HP42 and HP45 four-engined bi-planes Hannibal G-AAGX series and Heracles G-AAXC series. In 1938 the first four-engined monoplanes, Armstrong Whitworth Ensign series (G-ADSR) came into service.

On September 30, 1938, Croydon airport was the site of Neville Chamberlain's famous Peace for our time speech upon his return from Germany after negotiating the Munich Agreement.

In November 1938 the Chamberlain government decided that Imperial Airways, which served Empire routes, should be merged with British Airways Ltd, which served European routes. The new company was known as British Overseas Airways Corporation, BOAC. British Airways Ltd operated from Croydon only from March 1937 to May 1938, when it moved to Heston Airport

When war was declared in September 1939, Croydon Airport was closed to civil aviation. It played a vital role as a fighter station during the Battle of Britain and was attacked in the first major raid over the London area. Factories in its immediate vicinity were almost destroyed with the loss of six airmen and over 60 civilians. In 1944 Croydon became the base of RAF Transport Command, and in due course civil aircraft operations began again. In February 1946, the airport returned to civilian control.

Gradually it became clear that with technical advances, post-war airliners were going to be larger and the use of airports serving capital cities would intensify. Croydon had no room for further expansion and would shortly be too small to meet evident travel demands. Heathrow was therefore designated as London's airport and a decision to close Croydon was made in 1952. Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire and Northolt Aerodrome in Middlesex also served airlines operating European scheduled flights during the 1950s. Croydon's last scheduled flight departed on 30 September 1959.

Much of the site has been built over, but some of the terminal buildings near Purley Way (the A23) are still visible, clearly identifiable as to their former purpose. A De Havilland Heron (a small propeller-driven British airliner of the 1950s), is currently (2006) displayed outside Airport House on struts flanking the entry path. The Heron is painted as G-AOXL of Morton Air Services, which was the aircraft that flew the last passenger flight from Croydon on 30 September 1959. A Tiger Moth in RAF training scheme livery is suspended within the preserved booking hall, which functions as a dining room when required. A memorial to those lost in the Battle of Britain stands slightly to the south.

Although Croydon has long ceased operation, the two ends of Plough Lane have never been reunited, the area having been developed instead into parkland, playing fields and the Roundshaw residential estate with its roads aptly named after aviators and aircraft.

The area is still known as Croydon Airport for transport purposes and was the location for Croydon Water Palace.

[edit] External links

• Imperial Airways home page
• Imperial Airways Croydon Airport page
• Croydon Airport Society
• Croydon council local history page about the airport
• Handley Page HP42
• Armstrong Whitworth AW27 Ensign

[edit] References

• Bob Learmouth, Joanna Nash,Douglas Cluett (ed)(1977). "The First Croydon Airport 1915-1928)", London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services. ISBN 0-9503224-3-1
• Douglas Cluett, Joanna Nash, Bob Learmouth (1980). "Croydon Airport 1928 - 1939", London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services, first published 1980. ISBN 0-9503224-8-2
• Charles C. Dickson.(1983) "Croydon Airport Remembered", London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services. ISBN 0-907335-12-8
• Douglas Cluett, Joanna Bogle (Nash), Bob Learmouth (1984). Croydon Airport and The Battle for Britain, London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services. ISBN 0-907335-11-X