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Castle Bromwich Aerodrome

oldMohawk

oldMohawk

gone but not forgotten
Does anyone remember air displays at Castle Bromwich.
I saw one on the 6th September 1952.
A Lancaster bomber took off with rocket assistance, and an American F86 Sabre Jet broke the sound barrier, with loud sonic bangs, in a dive at the airfield, passing over the Chester Rd, 200ft up probably doing about 650mph.
I think the date is correct because on the way back into Bham we bought the Mail, and read that John Derry and other people were sadly killed at Farnborough when his DH110 jet broke up.
 
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When I was a very young lad I can just remember being lifted up to a man in uniform on the wing of a plane? I'm sure it was at Castle Brom this must have been after 1956 or so, was there still the displays going on at that time?
 
Thats brilliant Alf that confirms what I remember MIGHT? have been at Castle Brom but I'll never know for sure.
 
Yes, it was Castle Bromwich I also went to that flying display!
I remember most, my first ever flight in a Tiger moth.
Any one remember going to Elmdon to see a flying display? The first fly past of the Canbara jet bomber & a para dive that broke the Guys arm when he landed in a near by field instead of Elmdon Airport.
My Dad paid 10/- for a 10 min tirp for us to fly over Birmingham in a DEHAVERLAND RAPIED? (Forgive the Selling?).
 
Hi Aston,
I went to an air display at Elmdon probably before 1950.
There was the Kings Cup air race for little planes, but the highlight was a race between a swept wing tailess DH108, a Hawker P1051, and a Vampire. It was a handicap race with the Vampire starting first and the much faster DH108 starting last. The P1051 was about to win it when the DH108 caught it and dived under it to pip it at the post. We'll never see anything like that again !
My first flight was in a Dehavilland Rapide at Prestwick in Scotland.
We had a speed skating match at Ayr Ice rink and we visited the airport one afternoon. This flight also cost 10/-
Phil
 
Nice to here from you again Phil, did you ever go to Farnborough? We went the year before the 110 crash & stood on the very hill on which the engine ended up.
The year we were there was the last but one in which aircraft were to fly over the public enclosure due to that crash,I remember the sound when 36 Gloucester Javlins as they came across in waves of 9 and switchng on the reheat, the ground moved that day, it was also the year the P1 English Electric Lighting was there but still under wraps to the general puplic.

It was the first time I had seen a jet fighter fly though the sound barrier in level flight (had to be an AMERICAN PILOT OF COURSE).

ASTON (Keith)
 
Hi Hope some one can help with this question please.I belive the Aerodrome closed in 1958.As a child I visited an air show there with my father. Photographs were taken by the Birmingham mail my father and I were in one or two of them I am looking to trace these photo`s.What I would like to know doe`s anyone know of the dates of any of the events taken place at the Aerodrome from the 1950s onwards One of the photo`s was with a Lancaster bomber. Best regards Millzy from Castle Brom :).
 
Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

Hi Millsey you could try the newspaper archives at Birmingham Library but they are on Microfilm the other option would be the newspaper archive near London. Maybe you could be lucky and someone may have one here good luck.
 
Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

Hi Wendy I have contacted the Birmingham Mail but I need to be more specific about the dates and these I am not sure of.The lady there was most helpful she said if I could give her some dates she would do all she could to help. Thankyou for your fast reply...Millzy:).
 
Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

Millzy maybe this will help. Len.
Following the War, Castle Bromwich reverted to being a training station for No.44 Reserve Centre formed on November 1 1947 and 5 RFS used Tiger Moths and Anson 21's. Also here was HQ 3605 Fighter Control Unit, No. 4 Gliding School, ATC and Birmingham University Air Squadron. No.605 Squadron's aircraft needed hard runways so it was stationed at Honiley.No. 5 RFS disbanded on June 20 1954 after re-equipping with Chipmunks.

When Castle Bromwich closed April 1 1958, there remained one last link with the great Wartime days, Spitfire IX, 6457M standing on its own not far from where it had been born as ML427. That item has passed on and on the hallowed ground now known as Castle Vale, has raised a housing estate.
 
Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

Thanks for the info Lencops.I have lived in Castle Bromwich for most of my life and as a lad was a part of the ATC at Castle Bromwich Aerodrome site and do remember the Spitfire you remarked about also remember the railway station were we used to go trainspotting and putting pennies on the lines and the BIF with all its flag poles outside.You seem well up in this situation do you know any event dates at Castle Bromwich Aerodrome or were I may find them Thanks....Millzy
 
Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

Millzy,

Enter: Castle Bromwich Airfield in the Search section above
 
Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

Millzy said:
Hi Hope some one can help with this question please.I belive the Aerodrome closed in 1958.As a child I visited an air show there with my father. Photographs were taken by the Birmingham mail my father and I were in one or two of them I am looking to trace these photo`s.What I would like to know doe`s anyone know of the dates of any of the events taken place at the Aerodrome from the 1950s onwards One of the photo`s was with a Lancaster bomber. Best regards Millzy from Castle Brom :).
Click to expand...

Most if not all of the display's after the war where Battle of Britain which where held at the same time each year so that sould help.
 
Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

Hi,
I started a thread 'Air Displays at Castle Bromwich Airfield' some time ago about a displays at the airfield and I mentioned a date I remember because John Derry was unfortunately killed in a crash at Farnborough.
oldMohawk said:
Does anyone remember air displays at Castle Bromwich.
I saw one on the 6th September 1952.
A Lancaster bomber took off with rocket assistance, and an American F86 Sabre Jet broke the sound barrier, with loud sonic bangs, in a dive at the airfield, passing over the Chester Rd, 200ft up probably doing about 650mph.
I think the date is correct because on the way back into Bham we bought the Mail, and read that John Derry and other people were sadly killed at Farnborough when his DH110 jet broke up.
Click to expand...
Cheers
oldmohawk
 
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Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

Thanks for all your posts on this subject I am most greatful. I now have a date of the 6 sept 1952 thanks, that would make me five at that time and doe`s not sound to far out.I will look at this date. Any further info would be fantastic thank you.....Millzy.
 
Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

I went to Cherrywood Secondary Modern School in Bordesley Green. We used the aerodrome as playing fields and huts became our changing rooms. This would have been around 1964.
 
Hi. I was one of the lucky youngsters to be taken to both the Castle Bromwich air show and the one at Elmdon. My dad also stumped up the ten bob each for our first flight in a Dragon Rapide. The attached photo was taken by my mom with a 1936 Kodac Brownie camera, hence the poor quality.
 
Rocketron thanks for taking the time to post and share that photo as it is most likely to be the same DH Dragon Rapide that I took my first flight in costing me all my weeks of saved-up pocket money in those days, 10/-!

Graham.
 
Hi,Rocketron,
It seems many of us took our first flights in DH Rapides for 10/-. I had a chance to fly in one about 4yrs ago, 10mins for £25, but such tiny propellers and only one pilot, so decided not to! With regard to those old air shows, I suppose they were unsafe and there were accidents, but they were exciting to us. During a lunch hour from Handsworth Tech in 1949, I saw a DH Mosquito 'fooling around' at very low level over Handsworth Park, maybe showing off to his girlfriend - they did such daft things way back then!
My first RAF flight was in a Miles Marathon, it did have 4 engines, so not that ancient. Looking on the site below I see the RAF had 12 but 11 were eventually wrecked. I actually saw one of the accidents.
Regards
oldmohawk
https://aviation-safety.net/index.php
 
Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

Hi ,
I have enclosed a picture , of what my father told me was the last Lancaster out of the Castle Bromwich factory , over the road from the airfield . My brother is sitting in the front row , he was an electrician.
 
Re: Castle Bromwich Areodrome

Wow moggy! What a wonderful photo and a real piece of Brum history. Thanks for posting.

Graham.
 
Hi All
Anyone remember the name of the RNAY (Royal Naval Aircraft Yard) at the Minworth end of Castle Bromwich Airfield. The last part of the airfield to be demolished in the late 70's or early 80's?
 
Do any detailed maps or arial view photos of the airfield at Castle Bromwich exist? Did it have one runway or two? Did the runway run north-south or east-west? Surley some record still exists. Top secret during the war -ok, but what about the 50's? I've spent some time searching but no joy.
 
Postie. These images are exactly what i've been looking for. Perfect. Thankyou very much.
Thanks Lencops for the link to a great thread.

best wishes, gary.
 
In the second pic, I used to work to the right of the Hangar, over the other side of the railway, the Hangar lasted for many a year, used for all sorts of storage, pity no pics of that time :(
 
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