Doncaster's Lost Airport

[Alonzo Drake]

An whole generation of Rovers fans like myself will fondly recall standing atop the Rosso End and watching planes, many with gliders attached, taking off from Donny Airport, and also watching Doncaster United in action on the Airport ground. Accordingly, I really enjoyed reading the following from the Doncaster Star about a memorial recently erected on the site.

The Rovers used the old Donny airport on more than one occasion to fly to away games, and I believe that Peter Doherty flew the Rovers to Blackpool for the Fourth Round FA Cup tie played at Bloomfield Road in January 1950. In those days Blackpool were a D1 powerhouse, and Stan Matthews was their star player. My dad went to this particular game, and told me how Doherty's boys (then D3N) gave Blackpool and Matthews a real tonking, but were unlucky to lose 2-1 in front of a 31,000 crowd.

The airport has even more Rovers history -- ex-Rovers manager Maurice Setters was a lounge lizard at the old Airport nightclub in the early 70s, and did much, ahem, socializing there.

But back to the actual airport Here's the piece.

Doncaster's Lost Airport

A ‘LONG overdue’ memorial to the men and women who served at Doncaster’s original airport has been unveiled.

The monument to honour all the aviators who flew from Doncaster Municipal Airport in peacetime and RAF Doncaster in the war, has been placed on the island at Lakeside, near the site of the original control tower.

It was created and donated by Bawtry memorial mason Stephen Davis and commissioned by South Yorkshire Air Museum, which is housed in one of the old hangars.

Stephen and his team erected the wedge-shaped memorial, depicting the outline of the old airfield engraved on a grey granite plinth.

It was officially unveiled by Doncaster Mayor Peter Davies and retired Air Vice Marshal Alan Johnson after Ian Kingsnorth from the museum welcomed the gathering.

Words of remembrance were read by 98-year-old Eric Clarke, from Carcroft, who was a Flight Lieutenant in the Second World War.

Among the distinguished guests who aid wreaths was Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire David Moody and Lord Scarbrough.

The memorial salutes all those civilian and military airmen and women and ground crews based at what was Doncaster’s original airport and RAF Doncaster from 1934 until after the war.

It reverted to a civilian aerodrome until it closed in 1992.

During the war the airport, which had a grass runway, housed a Ministry of Aircraft Production factory where Westland Lysander reconnaissance planes were built. Vickers Wellington bombers were repaired there.

Carl Spedding, spokesman for the museum, said: “This memorial is long overdue.

“It is being erected as tangible evidence of Doncaster’s long association in British aviation history.

“The Aircraft Museum has preserved the history of Doncaster’s aviation in the form of the last buildings of the old wartime airfield, full of exciting aircraft.”

The 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadron was formed in Doncaster in 1938 but left in 1939 to fight in the Battle of Britain with the Spitfire.

From the beginning of World War Two the airfield became RAF Doncaster housing 271 Squadron, later affectionately christened ‘Doncaster’s Own’ by the local townsfolk.

In the 1970s the pilots’ clubhouse under the control tower became a popular night spot.

[Alickismyhero]

AD,
I have fond memories of the glider watching at half time and sneak views of United. I seem to remember a name of a United player.  Tony Lannie? From Stainy although I am not sure of that.

[danum]

Nostalgia ?

[Bristol Red Rover]

Great photo danum, thanks

[danum]

I remember my late Uncle Pete spending more time watching the planes than the Football

Also The Airport Club - occasionally frequented there on a weekend and always rememeber a bloke that used to be in there with Yellow Boots (not wellies either) not quite sure if he was a Glam Rocker or a tool ?

[silent majority]

Did my first (and only) parachute jump there!

Mate of mine used to own a plane, Cessna 172, which was stationed there. It was a great pick up line in the nightclubs of Doncaster when asking some good looking girls if they fancied a private flight. Never failed!!

[goalkick]

fond memories of watching doncaster united,remember the name of a guy called kevin bullers playing for them.they had a good team.  notice in the photo a roundabout that was a later addition, you are correct about the blackpool flight,remember watching peter doherty play rovers had agood side in that era with several internationals on the books,loved standing on the kop at the rosso end the vie was superb,

[Muttley]

Did my first (and only) parachute jump there!

Mate of mine used to own a plane, Cessna 172, which was stationed there. It was a great pick up line in the nightclubs of Doncaster when asking some good looking girls if they fancied a private flight. Never failed!!

Did you let them get their hands on the joystick?

[silent majority]

Did my first (and only) parachute jump there!

Mate of mine used to own a plane, Cessna 172, which was stationed there. It was a great pick up line in the nightclubs of Doncaster when asking some good looking girls if they fancied a private flight. Never failed!!

Did you let them get their hands on the joystick?

Oh yes, and my ailerons!

[Muttley]

Does anyone have any pictures of the \"wall\" that was situated on the Ellers side of the airfield?

I think it was from WW2, maybe some sort of shooting range.

There were also a couple of air raid shelters down the lane towards the farm & Bessacarr.

[Bentley Bullet]

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[Surrey Rover]

\"Aviation in Doncaster 1909-1992\"

First Published in 1995 some interesting facts and photographs in it.

ISBN 0-9524838-0-7

Appears to be available here but note I paid £8.95 for it when I bought it new!

http://ukbookworld.com/cgi-bin/order_enq.pl?add=Bankfield%23001342

[Alonzo Drake]

Thanks Bentley! Fantastic pictures. Any chance of uploading or e-mailing larger files so we can see more details?

[Bentley Bullet]

Thanks Bentley! Fantastic pictures. Any chance of uploading or e-mailing larger files so we can see more details?

Not sure how to do that mate. I got the photo's from here http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=79977

Hope someone can carry out your request.

[LE6Rover]

Muttley

Asking about the rifle range wall; sounds like you did cross-country out of Ellers like me!?

I also remember watching the gliders out of the window during Geography ...

[Dimples-D]

My old headmaster was ex RAF and had a flight club at my middle school. Loads of the lads used to go to escape normal lessons and make bolsa wood planes etc. The other teachers hated it.
Anyway he arranged for us to go to Donny old airport and fly in one of those 4 seat planes. It was brilliant when you are 10 or 11 years old flying over your home town.. I remember it cost 50p each to go..

[Standanista]

I remember a microlight coming very close to one of the floodlight pylons one Saturday afternoon in the early 'eighties.  That was around the same time that we had some parachutists land in the centre circle pre-match, and one broke his leg.  (Alan Little was still in the dressing room at the time.)