Planes, lanes and automobiles!

Transcription

1 Planes, lanes and automobiles! Suffolk Artlink s Culture Club A reminiscence project with Mildenhall Museum and local people to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Mildenhall to Melbourne Air Race

2 During August and September 2009 a group of local people met at Mildenhall Museum to recall their childhood memories of the 1934 MacRobertson Trophy Air Race that flew from Mildenhall to Melbourne. Museum volunteers and reminiscence worker Julie Heathcote invited people to look at the Museum s commemorative exhibition and discuss their memories of the event. Extracts of their stories are recorded in this 75th anniversary booklet. Reminiscence worker Julie Heathcote talks with local people about the Air Race Mr Skipper, Mr Webb, Mrs Debenham and Mr Clements look at part of the Museum s display

3 The MacRobertson Trophy Air Race At dawn on 20th October 1934 twenty planes set off at forty five second intervals in the early morning from RAF Mildenhall bound for Melbourne Australia, competitors in The Great Air Race. The race was devised by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne as part of the city s centenary celebrations and a prize fund of $75,000 was put up by Sir Macpherson Robertson. There were five compulsory stops, otherwise competitors chose their own routes. Several did not complete the race. The race was won by a scarlet de Havilland DH.88 Comet racer Grosvenor House flown by Flight Lt. Charles Scott and Captain Tom Campbell Black who travelled the 11,323 miles in seventy one hours. The day before the race King George V and Queen Mary visited the airfield to see the planes and pilots. It has been estimated that almost 60,000 people, many by car, converged on Mildenhall to watch the start of the race. Pictures Top: A poster for the race Bottom: The trophy

4 Memories of the days before the race Mr Skipper I lived in Cake Street, Beck Row. Lots of planes arrived six weeks or so before the air race. It was very noisy. The Irish plane The Irish Swoop made lots of noise. You couldn t hear the teacher speak in school when that came over. I saw the winning plane. If you were standing on the road you could see them really close. Mrs Bentley nee Carter I lived in Field Row, the Carters were farmers. Pupils from Mildenhall School went to the aerodrome to see the Irish plane with a shamrock on the side of it. Some of the boys were allowed to get in it. Mildenhall was buzzing a week before. People took lodgers in. We all queued up outside the Town Hall to get everyone s signatures. Mr Clements I lived in Wilde Street. Mr Oldman, the schoolmaster at Beck Row School, used to take us out of school to look at the planes. I saw Amy Johnson in a little MG sports car pulling up to get petrol in the little garage in Beck Row. Her husband Jim Mollison was landing the plane. Mr Haylock I was living in Holywell Row. You only saw about one car a week then. My Father got 2s 6d for giving parking for a couple of vehicles. I remember as a boy running along and touching the wing tip.

5 Mrs Debenham nee Strawson I lived in Beck Row, our farm backed onto the airfield. I was seven and a half. I was lucky that where I was living I saw people like Amy Johnson. She walked past me and stroked Janet, my black cat. She said she hoped it would bring her good luck. Miss Oldman The Mollisons stayed at the Clark s in Market Place (now the Nationwide Building Society). It cost half a crown a week for board and lodging for three weeks. She (Amy Johnson) took off in her plane and never paid her bill 7s 6d! Mr Clements Roscoe Turner the American pilot came over the airfield in Babe Ruth and flew through the hanger. I was standing on the road and I saw it. Mr Skipper People feel because it started there it should be the Beck Row to Melbourne Air Race. There were great arguments about whose the airfield actually was. There were even fights in the pub about it! Mr Webb I left school at fourteen, the Easter before the Air Race. When the Comets came you could hear the sound. They were much faster than the Heyfords, that s what sticks in my mind. I don t think people realised how big it would be. It was busy the Saturday before, people wanted to see the planes. They did not know where they were, they were asking the way to London. We were children and we would send them back to Mildenhall!

6 Memories of the day of the race, 20th October 1934 Mr Haylock The morning of the Air Race was a typical autumn day. My brother and I were at the top of one of the tallest fir trees, we had the best seat in the house. We were there at six o clock in the morning. Mrs Bentley Clearing the runway before the race The area was jammed solid. People were going across the field walking from miles away. Mr Clements Mother and Father got myself and my brother up early in the morning. My Grandmother stayed at home with my sister, she said to my sister never in your life will you see as many cars as this. I was standing outside the school in Beck Row. The street was completely full of people. I have never seen as many 5 notes as I saw that day, it was a lot of money then. People wanted somewhere to park and someone to watch their car. Some people stayed in their cars and went to sleep and wanted someone to wake them up. Mrs Jennings nee Butcher I came from Barton Mills and was five years old at the time. I remember hearing my Mother talking about me being on the back of her bike and my cousin on the back of my Aunt s bicycle, the traffic was terrible!

7 Mrs Debenham and Mr Skipper talk with Julie Heathcote about their memories of the race Mr Webb People were in evening dress, ladies in high heeled shoes (many people left London in the early hours to drive up to Mildenhall). People had stalls selling cups of tea and buns in the gardens. Mr Skipper A lot of people cycled to see the race. Bob Baker charged 1d to park a bike in his stables. We went through the droveways (like footpaths) across the fields to the airfield. Mr Haylock All the fields were criss crossed with footpaths and droveways because that (walking) was the only way people got to work. Mr Strawson It was a good job it was a clear morning, as misty fog would have delayed them at that time of the year. Some people invaded our neighbour s garden and to get a better view used his pigs stye roof for a vantage point. Dr Peter Scott holds his uncle s (one of the winning pilots, Flight Lt. Charles Scott) flying gloves in front of the Museum s Air Race display

8 Mr Strawson My Father hired a meadow out for NCP (car parking) and my brothers and I cashed in well with bicycle parking fees. The NCP man lodged with us and was kept busy all through the night and early morning as cars and motorbikes came. He used to come in to empty his leather strap bag over the table. He gave John and I tickets, three with the same number, to use for bikes, one for the owner and one to stick on the mud guard and one to keep. We made good use of them at 2 or 3d each. Mrs Debenham holds a post office savings bank similar to the one she had in 1934 Mrs Debenham nee Strawson The car park attendant emptied his bag in our house and gave me my first half crown. My sister took it to the post office and opened an account for me. I had a post office savings bank, but mine was red. Mr Skipper looks at part of the Museum display My Father used to go to Bury St Edmunds to go the cattle market and had tea at Mrs Garwood s. He asked Mrs Garwood if she would like to come. She served tea and sandwiches on our lawn. It was such a crush. There were gas lighters on each side of the tea stall, people were arriving in the dark (there was no electricity in Beck Row at this time).

9 Memories after the race Mr Skipper a model of the DH.88 Comet Grosvenor House The Comet was a marvellous design. It was shaped so air was flowing over the top. It was a very modern design. Mr Haylock a map of the race route The Daily Mail produced a map of where people were stopping and you could send off for one. It was like a fairytale. People then did not realise what an achievement it was. Mr Skipper with a Scott the Winner badge I had a Scott The Winner badge I think they were given out at school. Mr Strawson Our head schoolmaster Mr Oldman of Beck Row School brought his wireless in the main room for us to hear the winning result.

10 The legacy Mr Webb The cinema was named after the Comet. Before that they showed films in the Town Hall. Mr Haylock This was a very poor area. The airfield was a godsend to local people. A boost to the economy, the building of it provided jobs. Mrs Debenham The aerodrome still carried on being built. A 1950 s poster from the Comet Cinema Mr Skipper It officially opened in The three Kings came, George V and his two sons, for the Jubilee Air Review. RAF Mildenhall was officially opened in 1935 and continues to be closely linked to aviation today. Many other air bases were copies of the Mildenhall design. In recent years roads in Mildenhall have been given names associated with the Air Race. The second and third places in the race were taken by passenger transport planes and the race played an important part in the development of long distance air travel. RAF Squadron 99 badge

11 Beck Row School children in the 1930 s

12 Front cover images (l r) The de Havilland DH.88 Comet racer Grosvenor House, Flight Lt. Charles Scott and Captain Tom Campbell Black Amy Johnson A map of the Beck Row area Suffolk Artlink would like to thank Julie Heathcote, the staff and volunteers at Mildenhall Museum and everyone who attended reminiscence sessions for their involvement in the project. Suffolk Artlink works in partnership with arts, care and community organisations to enable people of all abilities to access, enjoy and participate in the arts. Suffolk Artlink, 1 Miles Ward Court, Halesworth, IP19 8AY Photographs by Keith Mindham and archive