1943 London airport proposal

Hi, does anyone have any information regarding this airport proposal in the thames? In 1943 the aircraft designer FG Miles and the architect Guy Morgan suggested the construction of a new airport including a flying boat base between Cliffe and Allhallows on the Hoo peninsula and was Intended to serve 8 million passengers per year, the cost of the scheme was estimated at £20 million. The area had been assessed as a successor to Croydon as a London airport after WWII but lost out to Heathrow. The area was also short-listed as the site for a new flying boat airport by the ‘Pakenham Committee’ in 1946/47. Many thanks

Slmvbs wrote:

Hi, does anyone have any information regarding this airport proposal in the thames? In 1943 the aircraft designer FG Miles and the architect Guy Morgan suggested the construction of a new airport including a flying boat base between Cliffe and Allhallows on the Hoo peninsula and was Intended to serve 8 million passengers per year, the cost of the scheme was estimated at £20 million. The area had been assessed as a successor to Croydon as a London airport after WWII but lost out to Heathrow. The area was also short-listed as the site for a new flying boat airport by the ‘Pakenham Committee’ in 1946/47. Many thanks

One of the reasons for choosing Heathrow was to enable the reservoirs to the west to be used for flying boats.

The Public Relations Officer for London Airport ( Maurice Housego ) wrote the Story of London Airport in the mid 1950's which was then known as L.A.P.

The plans for L.A.P. were known or released at the beginning of 1947 ~ The Advisory Panel set up in 1945 recommended the adoption of Triple Parallel Runway System.

The TPRS was to be achieved by the superimposition of a second triangle of runways on the existing RAF triangle.

The third runway was to have been north of the Bath Road.

The Copyright document had been published by Thames Valley Art Productions of 1 Shoe Lane Oxford and Printed at Holywell Press of Alfred Street Oxford.

The title being Gateway to the World.

My recollection is that the name of Heathrow did not appear until the mid 1960's ?

Even earlier !

(from the Northolt and 308 Sqn ORBs)

The Order of Battle Northolt Sector 30 September 1940 was:
21-06-41, Northolt 308 Squadron – The whole squadron at readiness. Signal announcing move of squadron to Heathrow – 11 Group. Squadron can’t quite make out what is behind this – but if it means chances of scrap all the better.

22-06-41 308 Squadron – F/Os Zbyszynski and Whitehead go to Heathrow to fix up move; they learn that 306 are to go to Heathrow and 308 to Northolt. Heathrow is a satellite of Northolt. Signal appointing F/Lt. Pisarek as OC of 308 Squadron and S/Ldr Orzechowski and F/Lt Kosinski posted to Middle Wallop pending disposal. Squadron delighted to hear that they are being sent to the front line.

Peter wrote:

It was mainly referred to as Heath Row in the war years.

Peter ~ the explanation given to me during the late 1960's was that Heath Row or Heathrow referred to during the WW2 conflict was the the old Fairey Aviation Field that they constructed during the early 1930's ~ the aviation field site identified on an old OS sheet 114 4th Edition map had been located to the south east of the old Heathrow Hamlet ~ north of the Duke of Nothumberlands River ~ west of the old Heathrow Ho ~ it also appeared listed on some sheets as Heathrow Aerodrome.

I cross checked this explanation with Jock Parke who owned the Stanwell Hall Hotel who had been credited as opening the first Heathrow Airport Hotel and his locals introduced yet more names of Great West Aerodrome & Harmondsworth Aerodrome.

The legal dispute with Fairey Aviation had been finally settled in 1964, a new British Airports Authority had been established in 1965 and the name Heathrow Airport appeared in 1966.