RFC Andover

Building started in early 1917 and opened in the August of that year as a Training Station. It was mostly built by German Prisoners of War as this happened on many of the aerodromes in the south.

Fairlie Harmar Harberton - 'WRFC’s drilling at Andover aerodrome'.  Fairlie Harmar, Viscountess Harberton (1876–1945) was an English painter, hailed from Weymouth and studied at the highly regarded Slade School of Art under Henry Tonks and Fred Brown. She exhibited widely in Britain and throughout Europe including at the Royal Academy and in Paris. Her work is held in several public collections, such as the Ashmolean Museum, Birmingham Museum, Manchester City Galleries, and the Imperial War Museum. There were over 300 women stationed here.

Andover opening in August 1917, the picture is of that period. A set of nine Bessoneau tent hangars on the far side were used before the main hangars were completed and the men would have had to sleep in Bell tents that can be seen in the picture. Possibly built by a local building firm very like Chivers of Devizes. Chivers W. E. & Sons, builders, government contractors, sanitary engineers, timber & builders' merchants, joinery manufacturers, steam haulage contractors & undertakers, 29 Sheep Street. Telephone 74X. (They also built Netheravon, Upavon and Larkhill infantry camps). The first squadrons to arrive were 104 & 106 Sqn followed by 105 a little later. They came with a variety of machines of which there is a list below. By mid May it had been decided to turn Andover into a bomber station, with 207 & 215 Sqn. These two squadrons had the huge Handley Page 0/400 bombers and the stations name also changed to 'No.2 School of (Aerial) Navigation and Bomb Dropping'. Aerial navigation as apposed to Sea navigation.

The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) started WW1 with three full and two smaller war squadrons. By 1915 there had been a dramatic increase in squadrons, aeroplanes and pilots, plus on most planes had to have a second crew member, an observer. The training of pilots/observers was not particularly good. In fact it was still very rudimentary. The pupil would be taken up for a first flight, the plane was put through some frightening manoeuvres to see if the student could 'Take it'. If he could he then went on to be taught how to fly. Usually by a war worn pilot, who would as soon as possible, send the student up to fly on his own so the Instructor would not have to be in the air too long. The training planes, not very dissimilar to the early types, Long Horns and Short Horns, Maurice Farmen types, that could only fly in good weather. This was done in the morning and evening, in still air. Replacement pilots arriving in France and then had to be re trained by their squadrons to a war standard. A Squadron commander in France, Captain Robert Smith-Barry complained bitterly about the training to Col. Trenchard. So much so, that Trenchard sent him to England to an aerodrome at Gosport, to take command of No.1 (Reserve) Squadron. He devised the 'Gosport system' of flying training. It allowed the student to be taught from the start by the same instructor, being helped to learn. This system was so good that all new pilots throughout the world today, use this system. The next move was the need for aerodromes to be built to a standard to train these new recruits. So many Training Depot Stations (TDS) were beginning to be built all over the country. These were self contained units built on a landing ground that was well drained and usually on the slope of a small hill. Three sets of Belfast Truss hangars were built in a line and one slightly smaller single was the repair shed. An Offices Mess, Officer accommodation, A Sergeants Mess, Men’s Institute & Barracks and a women’s hostel. Also workshops, instructional rooms, power house and many other structures.

TDS layout can be seen here in Andover. A member of the RFC, could arrive at the main gate on any Depot Station and know where everything was. They were 'All the same' (but as usual some were slightly different).

Looking in a westerly direction with barrack huts and ablutions this end and the hangars at the far end.

This image could have been photographed here. The picture was sent home to the Charlton Cat pub, Charlton, Pewsey, Wilts to the Whitchell family with nothing on the back to say where.

Plan of Andover probably the end of WW1.

Andover School of Navigation and Bomb-dropping.