Croydon Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Greater London Urban Area | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Croydon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 29 March 1920 (1920-03-29) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 30 September 1959 (1959-09-30) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hub for | British European Airways | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°21′23″N000°07′02″W / 51.35639°N 0.11722°W /51.35639; -0.11722 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
  EGCR Location in Greater London | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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Croydon Airport (ICAO:EGCR)[a] was theUK's onlyinternational airport during theinterwar period.[1][2] It opened in 1920, located nearCroydon, then part ofSurrey. Built in aNeoclassical style,[3] it was developed as Britain's main airport, handling more cargo, mail, and passengers than any other UK airport at the time.[2] Innovations at the site included the world's firstair traffic control, the firstairport terminal and the world's first airport hotel (the Gate Lodge, now the Aerodrome Hotel).[2] It was home to Britain's first national airline,Imperial Airways, founded through a government sponsored four-airline merger in 1924.[2] DuringWorld War II the airport was namedRAF Croydon as its role changed to that of afighter airfield during theBattle of Britain; and in 1943RAF Transport Command was founded at the site, which used the airport to transport thousands of troops into and out of Europe.[2]
After theSecond World War, its role returned to civil aviation, but the lack of available land for expansion meant that the role of London's primary international airport later passed toLondon Heathrow Airport. Croydon Airport closed in 1959. It had been known under eight different names while it was active.[2]
In 1978, the terminal building and Gate Lodge were granted protection as Grade IIlisted buildings.[4] In May 2017,Historic England raised the status of the terminal building toGrade II*.[2] Owing to disrepair, the Gate Lodge is now classified asHeritage at Risk by Historic England.[5]
In December 1915,Beddington Aerodrome was established – one of a number of small airfields around London that were created for protection againstZeppelin airship raids during theFirst World War. In January 1916, the first two aircraft,B.E.2Cs, arrived at the aerodrome as part of Home Defence.Waddon Aerodrome opened in 1918 as part of the adjoiningNational Aircraft Factory No. 1, to serve aircraft test flights. The two airfields were on each side of Plough Lane, Beddington to the west and Waddon to the east.
Beddington Aerodrome became a large Reserve Aircraft and Training aerodrome for theRoyal Flying Corps. After the end of theFirst World War the aerodrome became an important training airfield for the newly formedRoyal Air Force. During 1919, Prince Albert (laterGeorge VI) gained his "wings" here with No. 29 Training Squadron, the first member of the royal family to learn to fly. His elder brother, the Prince of Wales (laterEdward VIII), also received flying training with No. 29 Training Squadron at Beddington during 1919.[6]
The following units were also here at some point:[7]
Beddington and Waddon aerodromes were combined to become Croydon Aerodrome, the gateway for all international flights to and from London. The new, single aerodrome opened on 29 March 1920, replacing the temporary civil aerodrome at a Cavalry ground on Hounslow Heath.[8] Plough Lane remained a public road crossing the site. Road traffic was halted when necessary, first by a man with a red flag and later by a gate.[9] The aerodrome stimulated a growth in regular scheduled flights carrying passengers, mail and freight, the first destinations beingParis,[8]Amsterdam andRotterdam. Two flights daily from Paris were scheduled for ease of communication with London during theParis Peace Conference. In 1923, flights toBerlin Tempelhof Airport began.
Penshurst Airfield was an alternative destination for airliners when Croydon was closed on account of fog. One such diversion was on 24 September 1921, when ade Havilland DH.18 aircraft was diverted to Penshurst.[10] This situation lasted until Penshurst closed on 28 July 1936.[11]
Croydon was the first airport in the world to introduceair traffic control, acontrol tower,[12][13] and radio position-fixing procedures.[14] The "aerodrome control tower", 15 ft (4.6 m) high with windows on all four sides, was commissioned on 25 February 1920 and provided basic traffic, weather and location information to pilots.[15] There,Jimmy Jeffs was its first air traffic control officer.[16]
On the formation of Britain's first national airline,Imperial Airways, on 31 March 1924, Croydon became the new airline's operating base. Imperial Airways was the British Government's chosen instrument to develop connections with the U.K.'s extensive overseas interests. It was therefore from Croydon that Britain first developed its European and longhaul routes to India, Africa, the Middle and Far East, Asia, Africa and Australia (in conjunction withQantas).
Following theImperial Airways de Havilland DH.34 crash of December 1924, Britain's first major civil aviation accident, conditions at Croydon came under criticism from thepublic inquiry that investigated the causes.[17] The inquiry was Britain's first into an aviation accident which led to anAct of Parliament, the Croydon Aerodrome Extension Act 1925. The Croydon Aerodrome Extension Act led to large scale expansion, redevelopment and construction of an improved new airport with airport buildings constructed adjacent to the Purley Way, Croydon.[18]
Under the provisions of the Croydon Aerodrome Extension Act 1925, the airport was greatly enlarged between 1926 and 1928, with a new complex of buildings being constructed alongsidePurley Way, including the first purpose-designed airport terminal and air trafficcontrol tower, the world's first airport hotel, and extensive hangars. The development cost £267,000 (£20.3 million in today's prices)[19]. Plough Lane was closed permanently to let heavier airliners land and depart safely. The airport's terminal building and control tower were completed in 1928, and the old wooden air traffic control and customs building demolished.[20] The new buildings and layout began operations on 20 January 1928, and were officially opened on 2 May 1928 byLady Maud Hoare.
Croydon was where regular international passenger services began, initially using converted wartime bombers, and the Croydon–Le Bourget route soon became the busiest in the world.Air traffic control was first developed here, as was the "Mayday" distress call.[12]Amy Johnson took off from Croydon on 5 May 1930 for her record-breaking flight to Australia. In 1927,Charles Lindbergh arrived inSpirit of St. Louis, to be greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of over 100,000 people.[12]Winston Churchill also took flying lessons.
On the morning of 11 July 1936, MajorHugh Pollard, andCecil Bebb left Croydon Airport for theCanary Islands in ade Havilland Dragon Rapide aircraft, where they picked upGeneral Francisco Franco, taking him toSpanish Morocco and thereby helping to trigger the outbreak of theSpanish Civil War.[21]
Imperial Airways used theHandley PageHP42/HP45 four-engined biplanes from Croydon, and theArmstrong Whitworth Atalanta, which was the first monoplane airliner used by the airline, intended for use on the African routes. In March 1937British Airways Ltd operated from Croydon, moving toHeston Aerodrome in May 1938. Imperial Airways, serving routes in the British Empire, and British Airways Ltd, serving European routes, were merged by theChamberlain government in November 1938 to becomeBritish Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). Larger four-engined monoplanes,Armstrong Whitworth Ensign series (G-ADSR) came into service that year.[citation needed]
The airport also hosted a much-publicised visit byGertrud Scholtz-Klink, leader of the National Socialist Women's League (NS-Frauenschaft) and rumoured to be a spy; historians have speculated that she landed in Britain to cultivate German spies living here, in the run-up to WWII.[22]
When theSecond World War started in September 1939, Croydon Airport was closed to civil aviation but played a vital role as a fighter station during theBattle of Britain.No. 92 Squadron flewSupermarine Spitfires from RAF Croydon during the early part of the Second World War and the Battle of Britain.[23]
The following units were here at some point:[7]
On 15 August 1940, Croydon Airport was attacked in the first major air raid on the London area. At around 6.20 pm 22Messerschmitt Bf 110 andMesserschmitt Bf 109 fighter-bombers ofErpr.Gr.210 mounted a final raid of the day, intended forRAF Kenley nearby, but attacked Croydon (four miles further north) in error. The armoury was destroyed, the civilian airport terminal building was badly damaged, and a hangar was damaged by cannon fire and blast. Another hangar and about forty training aircraft in it went up in flames. Six airfield personnel died (four airmen fromNo. 111 Squadron, an officer ofNo. 1 Squadron RCAF, and a female telephonist from Station HQ). Factories next to Croydon Airport took the worst of the bombing. The British NSF factory (making electrical components) was almost entirely destroyed, and theBourjois perfume factory gutted. TheRollason Aircraft factory also received bomb hits and accounted for many of the 62 civilians (including five women) killed and 192 injured. Eight of the attacking aircraft were shot down by the Hurricanes of32 and 111 Squadrons.[27][better source needed]
Following the end of the war, it was realised that post-war airliners and cargo aircraft would be larger and that air traffic would intensify. The urban spread of south London and the growth of surrounding villages had enclosed Croydon Airport and left it little room for expansion.Heathrow was therefore designated as London's airport.[citation needed]
Croydon returned to civil control in February 1946; a diagram in the issue ofFlight magazine dated 11 April shows 1,250 yards (1,140 m) ground run in the 170–350 direction, 1,150 yards (1,050 m) 060-240 and 1,100 yards (1,000 m) 120–300 (the numbers are degrees clockwise from north). Northolt opened to the airlines soon after that, cutting Croydon's traffic, but the September 1946 ABC Guide shows 218 departures a week to Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow (Renfrew), Jersey, Guernsey, and several continental airports. A year later there were 56 departures a week, mostlyBEAde Havilland Dragon Rapides that weeks later left Croydon for good.[citation needed]
It was decided in 1952 that the airport would eventually be closed, asBlackbushe Airport inHampshire andNortholt Aerodrome inMiddlesex could accommodate European flights during the 1950s. The last scheduled flight from Croydon departed at 18:15 on 30 September 1959,[8] followed by the last aircraft (a private flight), at 19:45;[8] the airfield officially closed at 22:20.[28]
On 27 September 2009, to mark the 50th anniversary of the closing of the airport, elevenlight aircraft, including eight biplanes, staged a flypast.[8][28] A gold laurel leaf tribute was laid in thecontrol tower to mark the anniversary.[28]
Much of the site has been built over, but some of the terminal buildings nearPurley Way (theA23 road) are still visible, clearly identifiable as to their former purpose. The former terminal building is called Airport House,[28] and the formercontrol tower houses a visitors' centre.[28]
Ade Havilland Heron (a small propeller-driven British airliner of the 1950s) is displayed on the forecourt outside Airport House, mounted on struts. The Heron is painted to represent an exampleregisteredG-AOXL ofMorton Air Services, the aircraft that flew the last passenger flight from Croydon on 30 September 1959. A memorial to those lost in theBattle of Britain stands slightly to the south.
Although Croydon has long ceased operation, the two cut ends of Plough Lane have never been reunited, but the area between has been developed instead into parkland, playing fields, and theRoundshaw residential estate with its roads aptly named afteraviators and aircraft. All that remains of the runways is a small area of tarmac about 400 feet (120 m) long each way in Roundshaw Park just west of Purley Way, which is a remnant of the WNW-ESE runway due south of the control buildings; it can be seen at51°21′04″N0°07′03″W / 51.351067°N 0.117449°W /51.351067; -0.117449; the "arm" may be a remnant of a taxiway to Hangar B.[29] The area is used primarily by walkers, model aircraft enthusiasts, locals playing football and theCroydon Pirates baseball team.
The church on the Roundshaw estate has a cross on its outside wall that was made from the cut down propeller of a Spitfire based at Croydon during the Second World War.
The area is still known as Croydon Airport for transport purposes and was the location forCroydon Water Palace.
When two local schools, Waddon Infants School and Duppas Junior School, merged in September 2010, they were renamed The Aerodrome School, in recognition of the airport's historical significance.[30][31]
The Aerodrome Hotel and the terminal building including its grand booking hall were built in the neo-classical geometrical design typical of the early 20th century. A further item that would have caught the eye of visitor and traveller alike was thetime zone tower (now lost) in the booking hall with its dials depicting the times in different parts of the world. Croydon Airport's Aerodrome Hotel is part ofCroydon Vision 2020 regeneration plan.
The Airport Hotel survives as the independent Hallmark Hotel.[32]
| Date/year | Aviator | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1919 | Winston Churchill | Took extensive flying lessons at Croydon and was nearly killed during a crash at take-off[33] |
| 1925 | Alan Cobham | Flew from Croydon toCape Town and back in 1925-6[34] |
| 1927 | Charles Lindbergh | Flew into Croydon shortly after completing the first solo trans-Atlantic flight[35] |
| 1928 | Mary Bailey | Flew solo from Croydon to Cape Town[36] |
| 1928 | Mary, Lady Heath | The first pilot to fly a small open-cockpit aircraft fromCape Town to London, 18 May[37] |
| 1928 | Bert Hinkler | Made the first flight from Croydon toDarwin, Australia[38] |
| 1928 | Charles Kingsford Smith | Beat Hinkler's record[39] |
| 1929 | Armstrong Whitworth Argosy flew from Croydon to Paris,Douglas Fairbanks andMary Pickford metEdwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma[40] | |
| 1930 | Aspy Engineer andR. N. Chawla | First Indians to fly from Karachi to Croydon and shortly after, Engineer flew from Croydon to Karachi solo and within the specified one month time frame to win the Aga Khan competition[41] |
| 1930 | Man Mohan Singh | The first Indian to fly Croydon to Karachi as a contestant in the Aga Khan competition[42] |
| 1930 | Amy Johnson | The first woman to fly from Croydon to Australia, leaving 5 May with a few people to see her off; welcomed back by a jubilant crowd of thousands[43][44] |
| 1934 | Tom Campbell Black | WithC. W. A. Scott won the MacRobertson London to Melbourne Air Race[45] |
| 1936 | Juan de la Cierva | The Spanish inventor of theautogyro died in an aviation accident, 9 December[46] |
The Chief Immigration Officer of the shipping port ofPort of Dover, P. L. Hartley, took over in 1936.[54]
A medical officer, Dr John Robert Draper, M.B., B.Ch., was employed by Croydon Council to take over medical duties at the airport from 1 January 1931. He was answerable to Croydon'sMedical Officer of Health. Following thePublic Health (Aircraft) Regulations 1938, his role changed significantly.[55]
Croydon Airport features heavily in two detective novels,Freeman Wills Crofts'The 12.30 from Croydon (1934) andAgatha Christie'sDeath in the Clouds (1935).[56] It is also mentioned inEvelyn Waugh'sLabels: A Mediterranean Journey (1930),Elizabeth Bowen'sTo the North (1932) andWinston Churchill'sThoughts and Adventures (1932).
W. H. Auden, in hisLetter to Lord Byron (1937), lists "Croydon Aerodrome" as one of the locations visited by a modern-dayDon Juan.[57]
