Cleethorpes beach flights

Apologies for resurrecting this old thread but I think it’s worth it.

I spoke to my Dad about this thread when it first came up as he used to live there and he recalled these aircraft, and taking some photos of them with his Dad’s old camera. It’s taken this long to dig them out…

Anyway, here they are. Hope you like them.

John

RAF Waltham.

Hi.

I used to cycle to Waltham during the war and watch the Lacasters being bombed up. In 1947 it was still manned because the Grimsby Model Aero Club used to fly there. We’d been flying for about a year and one Sunday a scruffy corporal cycled up and told us to clear of, we might get hurt by the aircraft! We told him in as many words to go and get knotted! What he did’nt know was that our club sec. was manager of Halfords Cycle shop in Grimsby and one day an RAF officer came in and bought a cycle for his lad and mention he was in the process of closing down RAF Waltham, there were no aircraft there and everything was dying. The last words we heard from the corporal as he rode away was “I’ll get somebody to sort you lot out”. I should say he got sorted out.

Ken

The airfield at Cleethorpes would seem to be between the town and the sea in this picture!:D

http://www.content-delivery.co.uk/aviation/airfields/Cleethorpes.html

That was the site I was thinking of – no idea where the original info came from though – all I could find was the following:-

“An air station, RNAS Cleethorpes, was announced in Aug 1913 but never built”

taken from the website http://raf-lincolnshire.info/locations.htm

Dean.

Thanks John. The only reference I could find to G-EAQC was on these two websites:-

http://www.orpheusweb.co.uk/vicsmith/Accidents/Nov21.html
http://www.goldenyears.ukf.net/reg_G-E1.htm

The second website says the reg was cancelled on 06.11.21, tying in with the accident listed on the first site. Interestingly, on the second website, is mention of G-EAOE, an Avro 504K which crashed at Cleethorpes on 12.06.22.

Was there ever an airfield at Cleethorpes, and did it use the beach? It could have been RFC or maybe a Naval Air Station. I seem to recall seeing it listed on a website somewhere… will have another look when I’ve got more time.

Dean.

The Joy riders would simply operate from the beach in between tides and have an overnight base in a farmers field. G-EAQC was owned by B Martin of Nottingham. There is a much better photo in the Jackson book.

John

The airfield at Cleethorpes would seem to be between the town and the sea in this picture!:D

http://www.content-delivery.co.uk/aviation/airfields/Cleethorpes.html

Thanks John. The only reference I could find to G-EAQC was on these two websites:-

http://www.orpheusweb.co.uk/vicsmith/Accidents/Nov21.html
http://www.goldenyears.ukf.net/reg_G-E1.htm

The second website says the reg was cancelled on 06.11.21, tying in with the accident listed on the first site. Interestingly, on the second website, is mention of G-EAOE, an Avro 504K which crashed at Cleethorpes on 12.06.22.

Was there ever an airfield at Cleethorpes, and did it use the beach? It could have been RFC or maybe a Naval Air Station. I seem to recall seeing it listed on a website somewhere… will have another look when I’ve got more time.

Dean.

Thanks for that John, I’m not up on the older ones. I did a spot of Googling, found some DH.6 pics, and I concur.

Where did you find the information on G-EAQC being at Cleethorpes though? – I’m intrigued.

Dean.

A.J.Jacksons British Civil Aircraft Vol two (Putnams) of the three volume edition in the appendix DH.6 regisrations.

Cheers

John

It’s a DH.6 (Clutching Hand) probably G-EAQC which was at Cleethorpes in 1920.

Thanks for that John, I’m not up on the older ones. I did a spot of Googling, found some DH.6 pics, and I concur.

Where did you find the information on G-EAQC being at Cleethorpes though? – I’m intrigued.

Dean.

Not an Auster but this pic appeared in tonight’s Grimsby Telegraph. The caption next to it reads “An aeroplane on the sands, at Cleethorpes seafront, year unknown.”

Can anybody identify the type and give a year?

Dean.

It’s a DH.6 (Clutching Hand) probably G-EAQC which was at Cleethorpes in 1920.

John

Not an Auster but this pic appeared in tonight’s Grimsby Telegraph. The caption next to it reads “An aeroplane on the sands, at Cleethorpes seafront, year unknown.”

Can anybody identify the type and give a year?

Dean.

Beach Flights at Cleethorpes

Hello,
Sorry to be a bit late entering this thread, but I, too, am one of those whose “First Flight Ever” was in an Auster from the Southern end of Cleethorpes Beach.
The Sheffield side of our family always holidayed in a Bungalow (“Sunglow”) at Humberston Fitties just south of Clee, and living in Lincoln, we always joined them. Grandad took me and my little brother for a walk into Clee, and passed the site of the Auster flights. Thinking that we’d be too scared to say “yes”, he offered us a flight – and he was wrong, we DID say “yes”!
I can remember being given a “First Flight Certificate” (now unfortunately long gone) signed by the pilot, and Grandad got a RIGHT flea in the ear from Mum when we returned to “Sunglow”!
Reading this very interesting thread, my only doubt concerns the date. “Sunglow” was swept away in the early 50’s East Coast floods, and we never holidayed there again. So, that would put my first flight in the (very) early 50’s I think.
We still go to Humberston Fitties occasionally on “dog-walking” trips……………happy memories!!
Regards
Paul

Blimey, you’d a’ thought they’d have removed the Schräge Musik from that Fox Moth before using it for joy riding! 😮

…………………………….and there was me thinking that it was some sort of German musical instrument – perhaps some sort of teutonic lyre, judging from what I could see in the photograph! Just goes to show that this forum educates in unexpected ways!

Shrage Musik

Yes I believe it allowed the fighters to creep up unseen below the bombers and hence fire upwards, consisting of an upward looking gunsight and guns.
The ‘same’ on the Fox Moth was their state of the art means (ie. an old ladder) of reaching the fuel filler cap on top of the centre section (the aircraft was no more than a slightly redesigned Tiger Moth). Close inspection of the original photo shows 2 jerrycans under the right wing.
Cheers
Dave Molyned

I didn’t (look it up) – laziness/lack of time overcame curiousity, and the expectation that someone would, eventually explain :p

Roger Smith.

Roger

He’s probably got one in that shed 😀 but a Google search reveals it to be a gunsight used on various Luftwaffe night fighters.

The nice thing about this forum is that you live and learn all the time – bit like flying itself actually.

Wicked Willip :diablo:

Nearly lost me there (had to go and look it up) and I suspect several others as well…..

BTW excellent photos, thanks molyned.

Wicked Willip :diablo:

I didn’t (look it up) – laziness/lack of time overcame curiousity, and the expectation that someone would, eventually explain :p

Roger Smith.

Blimey, you’d a’ thought they’d have removed the Schräge Musik from that Fox Moth before using it for joy riding! 😮

Nearly lost me there (had to go and look it up) and I suspect several others as well…..

BTW excellent photos, thanks molyned.

Wicked Willip :diablo:

Blimey, you’d a’ thought they’d have removed the Schräge Musik from that Fox Moth before using it for joy riding! 😮

Not too sure what the current status is, but this website shows pics up until 2005 – http://airfieldarchaeology.fotopic.net/c707113.html

And here is a satellite image on flashearth.com – http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.504387&lon=-0.072007&z=15.2&r=0&src=msa

A few light industries operate from the old site, but I’ve not been on there for a while – I did hear that some of the original buildings have been demolished recently though.

Dean.

Many thanks! Any idea what was the status of Waltham in the late 1950s, i.e. at the time of the beach flights and when willip26 made his visit there (q.v. his earlier post)?

DeanK – Thanks for the web site plug! 😀 I’ve only come across this thread and was about to suggest it myself but you’ve done it for me!

This pleasure flying from beaches is fascinating but I suspect in today’s risk-averse world, it wouldn’t be allowed! Mind you, it didn’t stop the RAF plonking a pair of Squirrels and a Chinook on Southport’s beach last Saturday though! The B & W photos above are brilliant. Makes you wonder how many more gems like this are lurking, forgotten, in family photo albums.

Chris

Is there no-one with an answer?

Not too sure what the current status is, but this website shows pics up until 2005 – http://airfieldarchaeology.fotopic.net/c707113.html

And here is a satellite image on flashearth.com – http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.504387&lon=-0.072007&z=15.2&r=0&src=msa

A few light industries operate from the old site, but I’ve not been on there for a while – I did hear that some of the original buildings have been demolished recently though.

Dean.