I was hoping to look into some WWII info on Rochester Airfield in Kent.
I have visted the National Archives before, but can not find anything for this airfield. It was a factory field used by Shorts and Pobjoys.
It seems to have been under Navy Control, and even as an RAF Flying School at a very early stage in the war.
Anyone know where I can find more about this airfield in the Archives please ?
I tried the obvious places in AIR and ADM but this place has eluded me.
By: NiallC - 18th July 2012 at 16:21
I very much doubt that there was/is an ORB for Rochester because it doesn’t appear ever to have been a RAF station. As I understand it the council bought the land in the early ‘30s for a municipal airport and then leased or sold it to Shorts with the proviso that Shorts facilitated commercial or private flying from the site. There appears to be some material at The National Archives regarding this in pieces AVIA 2/689, 1289 and 1651.
23 ERFTS, which flew from the site for about 18 months before being removed to safety on the outbreak of war was also a civilian-run school (managed by Shorts) rather than an RAF-run one. It does however have an ORB – at AIR 29/621.
Niall
By: Arabella-Cox - 18th July 2012 at 13:50
Have you tried Lewis Deal or Robin Brooks at MAPS, Rochester?
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July 18, 2012 at 12:26 pm