Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre facts for kids

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Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre

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Established	1983 (1983)
Location	Montrose, Angus
Type	Aviation museum

Location of Montrose, Angus, Scotland

Layout of the Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre

The Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre is a cool museum located near Montrose, Angus, Scotland. This special place sits on what used to be the very first military airfield in Great Britain! It's a great spot to learn about the history of flying and the brave people who served there.

The Heritage Centre is run by a group called the Ian McIntosh Memorial Trust. It's a charity that relies on money from visitors and donations. They also get grants from local government and the Heritage Lottery Fund. This means they don't get regular money from the government, so your visit really helps!

A Look Back: History of Montrose Air Station

The airfield first opened way back in 1913. Five planes from No.2 Squadron Royal Flying Corps arrived then. This made Montrose the first military airfield in Great Britain and the first in Scotland.

The air station closed in 1920 but opened again in 1935. It was used during the Second World War. After the war, it helped with plane maintenance until it closed for good on 4 June 1952.

In 1983, some local people wanted to make sure Montrose Air Station's history was remembered. A local man named Ian McIntosh started the Montrose Air Station Heritage Trust. People raised money to create the museum.

In 1992, the trust bought the old Watch Office and land. This became the Montrose Air Station Museum. Over the years, the museum has added more buildings. This allowed them to show more cool things like old planes, uniforms, and models. These additions were possible thanks to donations and grants.

On 19 May 2012, a special stone was put up at the air station. It remembers all the groups and people who worked there.

Exciting Projects at the Centre

Learning to Fly for War

This project helped make the museum even better. It started in 2010 and added new facilities. These included a Link Trainer (an old flight simulator), a computer flight simulator, and a learning area. This area has videos and audio to help you learn. The project was finished in October 2012.

The Spitfire Fund: A New Plane!

Just like during wartime, people raised money to buy a full-size replica Spitfire plane. With extra money from Angus Council, they bought the Spitfire. It now sits proudly at the front of the main building. This plane reminds everyone of the many people who served during the two World Wars.

It looks like the "Red Lichtie" Spitfire from 602 Squadron (City of Glasgow). The original Red Lichtie was bought in 1942. The people of Arbroath raised £5000 for it! On 26 July 2013, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex visited the centre. He officially showed off the Spitfire and a special stone.

First in France 1914

This project is named after Lieutenant H.D. Harvey-Kelly. He was the first pilot to land in France after war was declared in 1914. He was from No.2 Squadron RFC Montrose. A new building was built for this project. It holds items from World War I, including the Robertson Cross.

They also built a full-size replica B.E.2a aircraft. There's a big exhibition about World War I. This project also includes an "online" Book of Remembrance. It lists pilots who died in accidents while flying at Montrose Air Station. The Heritage Lottery Fund helped support this project.

Amazing Exhibits to See

Aircraft on Display

You can see many cool planes at the centre, including:

A replica of the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2a. This plane looks like No.471 flown by Major Harvey Kelly.
A replica of the Sopwith Camel F.1. This one looks like B7320 flown by WWI hero Captain John Todd.
A Miles M.2H Hawk Major (DG590).
An Avro Anson Mk.C19 No.TX266. It's currently being worked on.
A full-size replica of the Supermarine Spitfire MkVb.
A Gloster Meteor T.7 (WF825).
A de Havilland Sea Vampire T.22 (XA 109).
A Hawker Hunter F.1 (WT619).
A Panavia Tornado GR4 (ZD744).
A 7/8th scale replica of the Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a (G-SEVA).

Engines on Display

The museum also has many powerful aircraft engines, such as:

Rolls-Royce Merlin aero engine
Rolls-Royce Derwent jet engine
Rolls-Royce Spey jet engine
Turbo-Union RB199 jet engine
De Havilland Gipsy Queen aero engine
Bristol Hercules radial engine (two of them!)

Other Cool Items

A Link Trainer (an old flight simulator).
A Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/70 Anti Aircraft gun.
A 1941 David Brown Taskmaster World War II Airfield Tractor.
The Robertson Cross.

Buildings to Explore

The MT Hut

The MT (Mechanised Transport) Hut is one of the oldest buildings. It dates back to around 1915. After the air station closed in 1952, the hut became very run down. But in 2009, volunteers started fixing it up! It officially reopened on 5 May 2012. This building is a special Listed Building.

The HQ Building

Built in 1915, this was the main headquarters for the air station. Now, it holds several exhibitions. This building is also a special Listed Building.

Exhibition Room 1

This used to be the Commanding Officer's office. Now, it shows what life was like on the Home Front during World War II.

Exhibition Room 2

This room is used for different temporary displays.

Exhibition Room 3

This is the biggest display room. It tells the whole story of Montrose Air Station. You can learn about its start in 1913, its closure in 1952, and the people who worked there. In 2013, they added a large Diorama showing how the airfield looked in 1940.

Exhibition Room 4

This room shows what a pilot's bedroom looked like in 1940.

Wartime Pillbox and Anderson Shelter

The pillbox is a small concrete fort from 1949. It was an important part of Montrose's defenses. The Anderson shelter was designed in 1938. It was used by many people during World War II to stay safe from air raids.

The Richard Moss Memorial Collection

This building shows Richard Moss's amazing collection of RAF items. It used to be the Kirriemuir Aviation Museum.

Jack Drummond Workshop and Store

This building is named after LAC Jack Drummond. He was stationed at Montrose in 1937. This Nissen hut is used for fixing up old planes and equipment. For safety, it's not open to the public.

John Betty Library and Research Centre

Named after Squadron Leader John Betty, a former Chief Flying Instructor at RAF Montrose. This library has the biggest private collection of aviation books in Scotland! It also holds the Heritage Centre's old records. You can visit by arranging it ahead of time. Soon, you'll be able to use computers to look through the archives for family history.

David Butler Building

This building is a Romney Hut. It was named after David Butler, who helped start the Heritage Centre. It houses the Miles M.2H Hawk Major, the T.22 de Havilland Sea Vampire, and the Link Trainer. There's also a display of aircraft engines. Plus, there's a Pilot Training Display and a Learning Zone for school visits.

Lt John Ross Robertson Building

This is the newest building at the Heritage Centre. It opened in August 2014. It displays the centre's World War I items. You can also see the full-size replica B.E.2a and Sopwith Camel aircraft here. The building is named after Lt Robertson. He learned to fly at Montrose and was killed in action in 1917. The cross the Germans made for his grave is now on display. It remembers him and all who served at Montrose.

Major Burke's Shed 1.b

In 2019, the Heritage Centre started using Major Burke's Shed 1.b. This shed is one of the first three hangars built in late 1913. Inside, you can see a Panavia Tornado GR4 (ZD744) and a Hawker Hunter F.1 (WF619). These planes are on loan from the RAF Museum.

Historic Airfield Buildings Nearby

Just south of the Heritage Centre are three old aircraft hangars. They are thought to be the oldest of their kind in the world! They were built in late 1913 and used in early 1914. Their design was based on Indian Army Sheds. Major Burke changed them to hold aircraft. They were built in Glasgow and then brought to Montrose. These wooden buildings had corrugated iron roofs. They followed the curve of an old railway line.

The hangar farthest from the centre still has its original outer covering. This building is a very special Listed Building. The other two hangars had new steel coverings added in 1987-88. In 2018, they were also recognized as very important historic buildings.