Manston, Kent UK 1940

[Gordywill]

Hi all, don't know if these are any use to the more experienced scenery modders, they're of Manston Kent 1940. Manston is minutes from where I live and I already have quite a few hi-res pics from the Spitfire Memorial Museum there, and the Manston History Museum. These images I found on Google Earth using the time slider back to 1940. In the Museum there is a Spit in one hanger and a Hurricane in the other, a whole but crashed Merlin Engine and a host of memorabilia in cabinets etc. If anyone can use the pics just let me know and I'll upload them. When lockdown is over shortly, I would like to have a chat with the curator and see if I could get some close ups from behind the ropes. Regards Gordywill.

[Pat Pattle]

Hi Gordywill,

I wouldn't mind a copy of those please and anything else you can get!

The CFS3 model I made 12 years ago and the only reference material I had back then was from the BoB Then and Now book.

When I was in the ATC we had our '79 summer camp at RAF Manston, the Spitfire then was tucked away in a hangar on the far side of the airfield. Us little oiks were allowed to look but not touch! It was also rumoured that they had a few Merlin engines in crates stashed away too.

I presume that you've been to Hawkinge too?

Cheers,

Clive

ps. The image titled Manston Runway 1940 is actually either much later in the war or post-war as it shows the huge 'crash' runway that was built for damaged returning bombers.
Manston was grass in 1940.

[flashgordon]

The attached aerial photos show the changes from a Luftwaffe pic of 1939 Manston then during the war firstly due to bomb damage during BoB and then with the addition of the huge runway in its role for emergency landings by combat damaged aircraft. The Technical site plan is possibly from 1922 which is the only one available from Air Ministry records.

[Pat Pattle]

The attached aerial photos show the changes from a Luftwaffe pic of 1939 Manston then during the war firstly due to bomb damage during BoB and then with the addition of the huge runway in its role for emergency landings by combat damaged aircraft. The Technical site plan is possibly from 1922 which is the only one available from Air Ministry records.

Hi Gordon, glad to see you're still around here. Thanks for sharing those photos, I'll be able to check and see how wrong I was!