I finally got to take some photos of the Croydon Aerodrome War Memorial today. I live not far from Croydon; its not a place you go to unless you have to, but the memorial is certainly a handsome marble affair, right on the Purley Way where passers-by can't miss it. The Airport is now almost entirely built up with industrial units, flats and shops. It was the prinicipal London Civil Airport until Heathrow was built after the war. Amy Johnson took off from Croydon on her flight to Australia in 1927. It was the Headquarters of Imperial Airways until 1940; one of the roads through it is called Imperial Way; other roads are named after airliners of the 1930's - Hannibal Way; Horatio Way; Atlanta Road; and there is a Spitfire Way as well. During the Battle of Britain RAF Croydon was a satellite airfield of Biggin Hill. and was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle: No 111 Squadron from 4 June 1940 No 501 Squadron from 21 June 1940 No 401 Squadron RCAF from July 1940 No 85 Squadron from 19 August 1940 No 72 Squadron from 1 September 1940 No 111 Squadron from 3 September 1940 No 605 Squadron from 7 September 1940 It was bombed several times; my mother lived not far away in Wallington and remembers this. Now, the only open space is the area just behind the memorial; the bit of tarmac to the left is part of the perimeter road. Some original buildings remain: the terminal with the Control Tower behind, is now called Airport House and is now used for offices and a gym; there is a small visitors centre but this is only open on first Sundays. The art-deco Aerodrome Hotel is next door and is still a hotel and conference centre. Mounted on a plinth in front of Airport House is a a De Havilland Heron, painted to represent G-AOXL of Morton Air Services, the last aircraft to leave Croydon on a scheduled flight, in February 1957. A nice touch, but the weather has not been kind to it and I'm surprised it hasn't been vandalised. The engines are missing because you can see through the apertures where the exhausts were. I believe the original was last seen languishing on a scrap-heap in Australia.
Great pics Adrian. As you say, Croydon was THE airport for London in the inter-war years, and would have continued to be after the war if Gatwick hadn't been built (ironically Gatwick was supposed to have been built as the third airport, to take some of the pressure off Croydon!) Between the wars, Flight magazine's Commercial Aviation reports were subtitled The Week at Croydon.
Oh Adrian what memories that post brought back. Croydon Airport was one of our rare family "days out". All of us packed into the back of a lorry alongside all sorts of building materials which would have made the health and safety police cry. Seemingly hours to get through London even in those days, never dreaming that one day I would ever set foot inside a plane!!!! Thanks
Nana, would you care to expand upon your post - I have so many questions, firstly why a truck full of building materials. Did you work on the runways?
Even I am not old enough to have been involved in child labour!!!!! My Dad was a plumber. Over the years we had an assortment of lorries (including a Bedford that I have been trying to find photos of for Andy) and vans. Whenever we went out (including weddings and suchlike) we went in his van or lorry. They were always full of copper piping, sinks etc. and we all just perched wherever we could! I don't know why as north Londoners our days out were nearly always to Box Hill or Croydon airport (both south of the river for those who don't know London). Mystery solved??
