From “Wimpys To Mustangs “,A Pictorial History Of Steeple Morden Airfield 1940-1945 by Ken Wells,1999 Page 66 from a Military policeman’s diary:

With 4 others they were sent in a jeep from the 355FG,Steeple Morden to Barton-In-The-Clay to guard a crashed Mustang. On arriving at the airfield it was uninhabited except for four mechanics. The pilot was on instruments because of fog and low on fuel. With a break in the clouds the pilot spotted open ground and decides to land. On landing he overshot,clipping a telegraph pole with his wing,which toppled over hitting the cockpit bracings,but fortunately leaving the hood intact. The landing gear was sheared off and he finally bellied into a farmer’s field where he escaped without injury.

Thanks JDK,its taken years just to get snippets of information on this very neglected aerodrome. The other problem is that people get it confused with Barton ,Manchester which adds to the confusion.
I applaud Jenna’s efforts at recording the history and will do whatever I can to assist and there probably will be mistakes on dates.events,etc but at least we are trying to collate information which makes it such fun.

Many thanks for the photographs ! the airfield hangars and slope look like Kirton-In-Lindsey ?

In the meantime, a typical pre-WW2 ‘into wind’ type airfield with no marked runways looks like this! (from a typical pre-WW2 ‘into wind’ type aeroplane!)

Ahh !! Bicester Happy days flying in gliders there and cross country to.

The Bedfordshire School of Flying used Avro Avians G-EBWK and G-AAHK, Aeronca C.3 G-ADYS (still flying)DH Gipsy Moth reg unknown and Short Scion G-AEZF. The Luton Minor as the Luton Aircraft LA.3 G-AEPD made its first flight there in 1936. Designed by C.H.Latimer-Needham. Also the Luton Buzzard G-ADYX was built and flown there in 1936. Marendaz built 2 aircraft the Trainer G-AFZX in 1939 (picture at Barton in “British Civil Aircraft Vol 3” by AJ Jackson) and the Marendaz Mk 3 G-AFGG an advanced design for its day.

Try searching through old Flight magazines online archive at FlightGlobal, under Civil Air Guard flying school reports for 1938/9.

G-AJKL of ARI Propafloor of Luton was laying derelict in the early seventies behind the Luton Flying Club hangar, what happened to it ? also the wings of G-ALAW were suspended in the roof of the Skegness Ingoldmells hangar mid sixties.

Many thanks John ,there was also a book of condolence at SMW Telford. Alan Hall sowed the seed for many model-makers today thanks to Airfix magazine.