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| Stow Maries: How warfare took to the air | Stow Maries: How warfare took to the air |
| (8 days later) | |
| By Emma Kasprzak BBC News | By Emma Kasprzak BBC News |
| Britain's role in aerial warfare during World War II is well documented but a dedicated team of volunteers is hoping to educate future generations about the pilots of World War I from a restored airfield in Essex. | Britain's role in aerial warfare during World War II is well documented but a dedicated team of volunteers is hoping to educate future generations about the pilots of World War I from a restored airfield in Essex. |
| Stow Maries Aerodrome is thought to be the most intact WWI airfield in Europe and it has now been recognised in an annual awards ceremony which acknowledges people who have rescued heritage at risk. | Stow Maries Aerodrome is thought to be the most intact WWI airfield in Europe and it has now been recognised in an annual awards ceremony which acknowledges people who have rescued heritage at risk. |
| The team behind the site won the People's Choice award in the English Heritage Angel Awards for restoring the site, whose buildings had at one stage been used for storage or left to become overgrown with brambles. | The team behind the site won the People's Choice award in the English Heritage Angel Awards for restoring the site, whose buildings had at one stage been used for storage or left to become overgrown with brambles. |
| Observation flights | Observation flights |
| Stow Maries was originally a hillside farm but in September 1916 it was requisitioned by the government and the site was transformed with the arrival of 37 (Home Defence) Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. | Stow Maries was originally a hillside farm but in September 1916 it was requisitioned by the government and the site was transformed with the arrival of 37 (Home Defence) Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. |
| Powered flight was only a decade old when WWI began and the RAF was still four years away but both Germany and Britain were keen to put their new flying machines to work and both sides began observation flights to spy on troop movements from the air. | Powered flight was only a decade old when WWI began and the RAF was still four years away but both Germany and Britain were keen to put their new flying machines to work and both sides began observation flights to spy on troop movements from the air. |
| "The British met the Germans coming the other way [on observation flights] and one guy pulled out a pistol and had a shot, that escalated to a carbine and then a small machine gun," says Russell Savory, from the Friends of Stow Maries Aerodrome. | "The British met the Germans coming the other way [on observation flights] and one guy pulled out a pistol and had a shot, that escalated to a carbine and then a small machine gun," says Russell Savory, from the Friends of Stow Maries Aerodrome. |
| At the same time aerial bombardment was being carried out on the capital by German Zeppelin airships and Gotha fixed-wing bombers. | At the same time aerial bombardment was being carried out on the capital by German Zeppelin airships and Gotha fixed-wing bombers. |
| "The Germans were using both the Thames and the Crouch or Blackwater as navigation aids, they would fly to the end of the river and keep going to bomb London - we had no defence," adds Mr Savory. | "The Germans were using both the Thames and the Crouch or Blackwater as navigation aids, they would fly to the end of the river and keep going to bomb London - we had no defence," adds Mr Savory. |
| The British government decided to use aircraft to protect the city and began selecting high, flat sites in rural areas that would be suitable for airfields. | The British government decided to use aircraft to protect the city and began selecting high, flat sites in rural areas that would be suitable for airfields. |
| The Royal Flying Corps 37 Squadron had three "flights" which were dispatched to different locations around the south of England including Stow Maries. | The Royal Flying Corps 37 Squadron had three "flights" which were dispatched to different locations around the south of England including Stow Maries. |
| Dangerous job | Dangerous job |
| The first commanding officer of Stow Maries Aerodrome was Lieutenant Claude Ridley, who Mr Savory says was an exceptional pilot who specialised in dropping agents behind enemy lines. | The first commanding officer of Stow Maries Aerodrome was Lieutenant Claude Ridley, who Mr Savory says was an exceptional pilot who specialised in dropping agents behind enemy lines. |
| "On one flight he landed in a field which had been safe but a German airfield had been created in the next field. His aircraft wouldn't start, the Germans heard them, arrested them and sent them off for interrogation. | "On one flight he landed in a field which had been safe but a German airfield had been created in the next field. His aircraft wouldn't start, the Germans heard them, arrested them and sent them off for interrogation. |
| "They fought with the guards and escaped and made their way to the neutral border with Holland where they were given temporary travel documents. | "They fought with the guards and escaped and made their way to the neutral border with Holland where they were given temporary travel documents. |
| "When he got back to Britain he was granted an audience with the King but because of his great value the government couldn't risk him flying again into enemy territory and getting captured so he was given command of Stow Marie at the age of 19 years and 11 months." | "When he got back to Britain he was granted an audience with the King but because of his great value the government couldn't risk him flying again into enemy territory and getting captured so he was given command of Stow Marie at the age of 19 years and 11 months." |
| At its peak 400 people were based at Stow Maries, including 30 women who worked in the offices or as cooks and cleaners. | At its peak 400 people were based at Stow Maries, including 30 women who worked in the offices or as cooks and cleaners. |
| The squadron was successful in a number of missions including downing a Zeppelin and hitting Gotha bombers heading for London. | The squadron was successful in a number of missions including downing a Zeppelin and hitting Gotha bombers heading for London. |
| Being a pilot was a dangerous job and in many cases it was not enemy fire that brought aircraft down. | Being a pilot was a dangerous job and in many cases it was not enemy fire that brought aircraft down. |
| "It was the beginning of flight and the aircraft were doing their best to kill them in the first place - they were so dangerous," Mr Savory says. | "It was the beginning of flight and the aircraft were doing their best to kill them in the first place - they were so dangerous," Mr Savory says. |
| The airfield continued to expand as the war went on, with completion of the aerodrome scheduled for December 1918. | The airfield continued to expand as the war went on, with completion of the aerodrome scheduled for December 1918. |
| But the war ended in November of that year and some of the buildings were never finished. | But the war ended in November of that year and some of the buildings were never finished. |
| After the war the various buildings were either left empty or used for agricultural storage until the site faced being sold off in lots for development. | After the war the various buildings were either left empty or used for agricultural storage until the site faced being sold off in lots for development. |
| 'Sacrifice and losses' | 'Sacrifice and losses' |
| To save it Maldon District Council put an emergency preservation order on the airfield and began to look for someone to take the restoration project on. | To save it Maldon District Council put an emergency preservation order on the airfield and began to look for someone to take the restoration project on. |
| Two businessmen, Mr Savory and Steve Wilson, put a bid in for Stow Maries and began restoring the buildings in 2009 with the help of 50 volunteers. | Two businessmen, Mr Savory and Steve Wilson, put a bid in for Stow Maries and began restoring the buildings in 2009 with the help of 50 volunteers. |
| One of those volunteers is Mike Hall, a retired businessman who worked in the security industry. | One of those volunteers is Mike Hall, a retired businessman who worked in the security industry. |
| He lives two miles from the airfield and decided to volunteer after visiting the site for a tour of the buildings three years ago. | He lives two miles from the airfield and decided to volunteer after visiting the site for a tour of the buildings three years ago. |
| "Walking around the site and looking at the buildings - the atmosphere just grabbed me," he says. | "Walking around the site and looking at the buildings - the atmosphere just grabbed me," he says. |
| He has helped with a range of restoration projects including demolishing walls that were added after WWI and installing electrics. | He has helped with a range of restoration projects including demolishing walls that were added after WWI and installing electrics. |
| The volunteers are "a really friendly group who roll their sleeves up and get involved." | |
| "There are ex-plumbers and electricians and people with a range of skills they can use on the site," he adds. | "There are ex-plumbers and electricians and people with a range of skills they can use on the site," he adds. |
| In total Mr Savory and Mr Wilson spent £2.3m of their own money on the restoration and on creating a museum with the aim of educating people about the role of aircraft in WWI. | In total Mr Savory and Mr Wilson spent £2.3m of their own money on the restoration and on creating a museum with the aim of educating people about the role of aircraft in WWI. |
| Nine of the original buildings have now been restored and working WWI aircraft have even returned to the field but the restoration is years from being complete with work currently taking place to turn the project into a charitable trust. | Nine of the original buildings have now been restored and working WWI aircraft have even returned to the field but the restoration is years from being complete with work currently taking place to turn the project into a charitable trust. |
| Mr Savory believes the site has an important role to play in the history of Britain. | Mr Savory believes the site has an important role to play in the history of Britain. |
| "We hope to fill a gap in the architectural history of the nation. | "We hope to fill a gap in the architectural history of the nation. |
| "It's an important part of social history too - so we want to engage with the younger generation and help them understand the sacrifice and losses these pilots made," he said. | "It's an important part of social history too - so we want to engage with the younger generation and help them understand the sacrifice and losses these pilots made," he said. |