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| ‘..a lovely garden party atmosphere and the compactness of the site means that all the aircraft action is right in front of you’ |
| Set in gently rolling Essex farmland, Stow
Maries Great War Aerodrome is a unique time capsule of World War
One history now preserved and managed for the nation since its
purchase for the Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome Ltd (SMGWA)
charity in 2012. The aerodrome was first opened in 1916 with B
Flight of 37 (Home Defence) Squadron Royal Flying Corps based
there to combat raids by Zeppelin and Gotha bombers. In April
1918, 37 Squadron transferred to the newly formed Royal Air Force
and continued to fly from Stow Maries until moving to Biggin Hill
in early 1919. Stow Maries then closed in May of that year and
reverted back to farmland with the existing buildings being used
for residential and agricultural purposes while the aerodrome
itself was turned over to pasture. |
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| The old airfield lay quietly
holding onto its secrets for the next ninety years until
rediscovery by a private concern in 2009. This led to the site
being designated a conservation area and in 2012 the 24 surviving
buildings were given Grade II* listed status by Historic England,
the whole area being placed on the At-Risk Register. In late 2012,
the site came up for sale and a campaign led by Essex County
Council and Maldon District Council led to the acquisition of the
site by the SMGWA |
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| Over a decade, and lots of hard work later, the Aerodrome has
become a real gem and an absolute must visit attraction which
boasts an excellent museum, shop and cafe. It is an active
airfield as well, with the World War One Aviation Heritage Trust
being based there. Events are held throughout the year ranging
from Escape Room experiences and family fun sessions to
traditional blacksmith experiences and large model air shows. |
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| Star attractions are of course the flying events themselves and
Propwash was first of its type totally dedicated to aviation,
building on the success of the Wings and Wheels event which is
traditionally held in May. |
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Visitors to Propwash were treated to two
guest speakers, the first being aviation author and historian Ian
Castle who presented ‘Stow Maries bombing double act,’ describing
the history represented by two of the museum’s most recent
acquisitions. These are Sopwith Tabloid reproduction ‘168’/G-BFDE,
acquired earlier this year from the RAF Museum, and Avro 504K
G-ABAA which is on loan from the RAF Museum. The airframe had been
on display at the Science and Industry Museum’s Air and Space Hall
in Manchester but moved to Stow Maries after the former sites
closure in 2021. Examples of both types were employed in long
range strikes against Zeppelin targets in 1914. |
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The second speaker was Propwash’s guest of
honour, namely 102 year old veteran Jim Dearlove who flew
Mosquitos on bombing raids to Berlin up to April 1945. Jim
undertook two full-house Q&A sessions covering topics from his
training in Canada to describing the vice-less flying properties
of the Mosquito.
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| With the talks and guided flight line
tours concluded, it was time for the flying display itself. Stow
Maries has a lovely garden party atmosphere and the compactness of
the site means that all the aircraft action is right in front of
you. It is quite possible to see and talk to the pilots as they
walk to and from the flight line and the farmland provides a
scenic backdrop to proceedings. |
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| Unfortunately, poor weather on the
previous day and a strong, blustery crosswind did impact the
planned flying. This included preventing the World War One
Aviation Heritage Trust’s Albatros Dva from opening the
display although pilot Jonathan Marten-Hale was able to coax
the aircraft’s faithfully reproduced 180hp Mercedes Benz
engine into life, much to the appreciation of the assembled
crowd! John Gilbert’s 1988 built SE-5A replica G-BMDB was
similarly grounded and also performed an engine run later in
the display. |
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| It was left to Bob Grimstead to open the flying proper in his 55
year old RedHawk RF-4 motor glider G-AWGN complete with wingtip
mounted smoke generators. Bob showcased the aerobatic qualities of
the aircraft, although while inverted, suffered an engine cut out.
Normally if this happens, the engine restarts during the
subsequent dive due to the airflow turning the prop but with the
motor reluctant to start, Bob had to cut short his routine and
perform a short circuit to land into wind. Unfortunately, once
stopped, one of the smoke generators then caught fire, dealt with
by the onsite fire crew, luckily with no damage to the aircraft or
Bob! |
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| Next to display was the Tiger Club’s
irrepressible Turbulent Team of Alex Reynier, Dave Hall, Richard
Vary and David Brothers performing their entertaining routine of
formation flypasts, limbo action, flour bombing and balloon
busting ably supported by their fearless ground crew. |
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| Heavier metal was next to display with David Bramwell showcasing
his Old Warden based Miles Magister G-AKPF in a tight routine that
ably demonstrated the classic lines of the open cockpit monoplane
trainer. As David finished his routine, the Tiger 9 Team were
readying their collection of de Havilland biplane classics, the
team’s start up and taxi routine an integral part of the display’s
attraction. Led by Jeff Milsom, eight aircraft performed including
DH-82B Queen Bee LF858/G-BLUZ and DH-60G III Moth Major G-ACGZ.
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| Final act in the flying program was Robert Brinkley in his
stunning all-red DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 G-BCGC/WP903. Fresh from his
display debut at the Shuttleworth King & Country Season Premiere
Air Show in May, Bob flew a great routine showing the agility of
the Chipmunk and providing the chance to compare the design with
the earlier Miles Magister, nine years separating the first flight
of their respective prototypes. G-BCGC is also known as the ‘Royal
Chipmunk’ and is the very machine in which King Charles III soloed
in January 1969. |
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| As the Chipmunk’s de Havilland Gipsy Major 8 shut down and the
sound of applause died away, it was time to reflect on what was a
very entertaining, relaxed and informative event held in a
timeless location. |
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Review by Andrew Critchell
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