Montrose Air Station
Posted in History, Museums at 20:00 on 31 August 2019
Montrose airfield was the home to the first British air squadron (at that time of the Royal Flying Corps, RFC) to fly fixed-wing aircraft.
That squadron was No 2 Squadron, RFC.
Why not No 1 Squadron?
No 1 Squadron flew balloons (from which they converted in 1914.)
No 2 Squadron moved to Montrose from Farnborough in 1913. Montrose therefore became the first operational military aerodrome in the UK.
The first RFC pilot to land in France in 1914 after war was declared was Lieutenant H D Harvey-Kelly of No 2 Squadron. (He is also credited with being the first RFC pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft.)
Another of the Squadron’s pilots became the first airman to be awarded the Victoria Cross, posthumously, on 26/4/1915.
The airfield is now home to a museum called Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre.
We visited the Air Station in May last year.
Photographs will be forthcoming.
Tags: Lieutenant H D Harvey-Kelly, Montrose Air Station, Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre, RFC, Royal Flying Corps
