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On the 29th of August
1939, prior to the outbreak of war on the 1st of September 1939,
the British government started to implement the Air Navigation
(Restriction in Time of War) Order 1939. That ordered military
takeover of most civilian airfields in the UK, cessation of all
private flying without individual flight permits, and other emergency
measures. It was administered by a statutory department of the
Air Ministry titled National Air Communications (NAC). On the
31st of August 1939, all flights to mainland Europe were briefly
suspended, later reinstated under the organisation of NAC. By
the 1st of September 1939, most of the aircraft and facilities
of British Airways Ltd (BAL) were transferred from Heston Airport
to Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport, and to Exeter Airport. Similarly,
landplanes of Imperial Airways were transferred from Croydon
Airport to Whitchurch, while others were temporarily dispersed
to Coventry (Baginton) Airport and Exeter Airport. Imperial Airways'
flying boats were transferred from Southampton marine aerodrome
to Poole Harbour, Dorset. All the usable fleets of private air
transport companies were dispersed. The fleet was
dispersed to Barton Aerodrome Manchester
in September 1939 by the Government. |
