EAST RIDING AIRFIELDS 1915-1920
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East Riding Airfields 1915-1920 by Geoffrey Simmons
CONTENT:
Even before the outbreak of the First World War,
aviation had made its presence felt in the East Riding
of Yorkshire, with visits and demonstrations by many
of the leading aviation pioneers. These included
Gustav Hamel, Harry Hawker, B.C. Hucks and Robert
Blackburn, founder of the Blackburn aircraft company.
It was, however, the outbreak of the war in 1914 and
the threat of the German Zeppelins which led to the
establishment of the first official air bases in the
area. In fact the first ever enemy attacks upon
Yorkshire came from the German navy when they
bombarded Scarborough and Whitby on 16 December 1914.
On 6 June 1915, however, threat became reality when a
Zeppelin bombed Hull, killing 24 people and injuring
40. The extent of the damage caused to Hull is shown
in numerous photos published for the first time. For
the next four years the landing grounds and marine
stations in the East Riding served as bases for
British aircraft and airships who were defending the
East Riding towns and coastal shipping from air and
sea attack. By 1919, after the 'war to end all wars'
had run its course, most of these simple landing
grounds were rapidly abandoned and soon forgotten.
Geoffrey Simmons tells something of the bravery and
expertise of the men who flew the primitive machines
of the time, often in appalling weather at night, from
these little-known bases and what can still be seen of
them today.
AUTHOR NOTES:
Geoffrey Simmons has spent a lifetime in the aviation
industry. He is a member of the Airfield Research
Group and Cross and Cockade International. He is
co-author of Strong Foundations: Driffield's Aerodrome
1917-2000. He lives in Beverley.
