|
London North Western
Railway:
Midland
Railway:
Stratford
Midland Junction Railway
|
|
LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton
Marston Green Station: lnwrmg2820a
|
Close up of image 'lnwrmg2820' showing the level crossing
gate protecting Elmdon Lane which is still in a rural aspect in 1955. Elmdon
Aerodrome was located to the right of this photograph. The airport was created
after Birmingham City Council decided in 1928 that the city required a
municipal airport. In 1933 plans were submitted, identifying Elmdon as the site
for the airport but no further development occured immediately being delayed by
the Great Depression. However on 8th July 1939 the Duchess of Kent, Princess
Marina of Greece and Denmark opened Elmdon Airport. The airport was owned and
operated by Birmingham City Council with initial services to Croydon, Glasgow,
Liverpool, Ryde, Shoreham, Manchester and Southampton. During the Second World
War the airport was requisitioned by the Air Ministry and was used by the RAF
and the Royal Navy as an Elementary Flying School and a base for the Fleet Air
Arm. During this time, the original grass strip was replaced by two hard
runways. Avro Lancaster and Stirling bombers which were manufactured at the
Austin Aero Company's shadow factory at Cofton Hackett could not take off from
the short runways at Longbridge. Instead they were transported by road, minus
the wings that would then be attached at Elmdon. They were test flown from the
aerodrome, and once declared airworthy they were flown to their operational
units. On the 8th July 1946 the aerodrome returned to civilian use, though
still under government control.
back
|