RAF Joyce Green facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Royal Air Force Station Joyce Green
Located near Long Reach, Kent, England
Long Reach Tavern with RFC hangars
Royal Air Force Station Joyce Green
Coordinates	51°28′27″N 0°13′00″E / 51.4743°N 0.2167°E / 51.4743; 0.2167
Type	Airfield
Height	beneath mean tide level
Site information
Condition	Closed
Site history
Built	1911
In use	1911–1919
Demolished	Oct 1919
Battles/wars	First World War
Garrison information
Occupants	Royal Flying Corps   Air Service, United States Army

Joyce Green was an important early airfield located at Long Reach, near Dartford, England. It was one of the first airfields used by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The company Vickers Limited, which made aircraft and weapons, first set up the airfield in 1911. They used it for testing their new planes.

When World War I started in 1914, the RFC also built a base there. However, Joyce Green often flooded and was thought to be too dangerous for training pilots. Because of these problems, it was later replaced by a better site at RAF Biggin Hill.

Joyce Green had two main military parts: the RFC and the Wireless Experimental establishment. The wireless team moved out first in 1917, finding a perfect spot near Biggin Hill. The RFC soon realized this new site was much better for flying and was in a good location. They moved their operations there on February 13, 1917. The RFC took their Bristol Fighters with them, leaving only a few pilots and ground crew at Joyce Green. After the RFC left, Vickers continued their testing until they moved to Brooklands airfield. The Joyce Green airfield officially closed in December 1919, after the war ended.

What Was the Joyce Green Airfield Like?

Joyce Green airfield was named after Joyce Green farm, a cattle farm north of Dartford. The airfield was built on land that used to be part of Franks Farm. This area was reclaimed from the Dartford salt marshes. It was about 15 miles downstream from London Bridge.

The only building nearby was the "Long Reach Tavern." This tavern was famous for bare-knuckle boxing matches in the 1800s. A 'reach' is a long, straight part of a river, and 'Long Reach' is the longest on the River Thames. The area around the tavern became the RFC camp.

The airfield itself was a large grass field, about 121 acres in size. It was 1200 yards long and 1000 yards wide. This low-lying marshland was actually a bit below sea level. It had ditches covered with boards crisscrossing the field. The River Darent was to the west, the River Thames to the north, and Joyce Green Lane to the east. The Joyce Green Hospitals were to the south.

Near the airfield, to the west of the tavern, was the Thames Ammunition factory. To the east was the Long Reach Hospital. This hospital had been used to isolate patients with smallpox. Further south were the Dartford salt marshes. The Joyce Green and Orchard Hospitals also had a small military unit. These hospitals were for smallpox patients from London. The main A206 road was further south, providing access to London. The airfield was also close to Dartford and Erith railway stations.

The RFC buildings and camp were located at the north end, close to the Thames. They were just south and west of the Long Reach Tavern. The RFC had six hangars in total. Three were 80 by 60 feet, and another three were 80 by 50 feet.

Vickers Aircraft Testing at Joyce Green (1910-1919)

The Joyce Green site was first used in 1910 by Hiram Maxim. He worked with Vickers to build a biplane at Crayford. They tried to test it at Joyce Green, but it didn't work out. Maxim then left Vickers.

Vickers decided to keep developing aircraft. In 1911, they created an Aviation Department. They quickly built hangars and workshops at Joyce Green. These were used for testing planes made at their Erith factories. Vickers had other factories nearby in Bexleyheath, Crayford, Erith, and Dartford. The Vickers hangars and buildings were at the south end of the airfield, near the entrance gates.

After planes were built at Erith, they were taken apart. Then, they were moved by road through Crayford to Joyce Green. After testing, they were returned the same way.

Vickers tested its first monoplane at Joyce Green in July 1911. This plane used a French-designed engine and rear part. The rest was built by Vickers. Captain Herbert F. Wood, who managed Vickers' aviation department, flew its first flight.

Aircraft development moved quickly. By 1913, the No. 8 monoplane was built at the Erith factory. However, in 1912, four RFC officers died using monoplanes during Army exercises. This led the military to stop using this type of plane.

Before the war, Vickers also designed a 'Hydravion'. This was an airplane that could take off from water. Floats for this plane were made at the Dartford factory and tested in the nearby River Darent.

In 1912, Vickers started working on a two-seat pusher biplane. This was the F.B.1 (Fighting Biplane 1). It was one of the first planes designed to carry a machine gun. This design led to the FB5, known as the Gun Bus. When the war started, Vickers stopped making float planes and focused on land-based aircraft.

By 1914, Vickers' Crayford factory took over aircraft production. They continued to develop the F.B. series. The F.B.5 became the famous Gunbus. Two of the first Gunbuses were sent to the RFC base at Joyce Green. Experimental work continued, turning the basic Gunbus into the FB9, called the 'Streamline Gunbus'.

During World War I, Vickers produced the Vimy heavy bomber. The first Vimy prototype (FB27) was built at the Crayford works. It was then assembled and flown from Joyce Green. The plane was so big that Vickers had to dig out the ground inside the hangars to make it fit!

This first Vimy prototype (B9952) flew for the first time on November 30, 1917, at Joyce Green. Captain Gordon Bell was the pilot. The company had planned to use different engines, but they weren't ready. So, the plane was fitted with two 200 horsepower Hispano-Suiza engines. By April 1918, they decided to use Rolls-Royce Eagle engines instead. The plane went into production that month and was named the Vickers Vimy. Interestingly, it was never used in actual combat during the First World War.

In 1919, Vickers moved its aircraft production from Crayford to Brooklands airfield in Weybridge, Surrey. The Vimy became famous on June 14-15, 1919. Captain Jack Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten-Brown flew a converted Vimy (built at Weybridge) on the world's first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Later that year, Ross and Keith Smith flew a Vimy all the way to Australia. These flights showed that long-distance overseas flights were possible.

Vickers moved its testing facilities to Brooklands in Surrey by December 1919.

Royal Flying Corps Operations (1914–1919)

The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed in May 1912. At first, the RFC often visited Joyce Green to test new aircraft. When World War I began in 1914, Joyce Green became an 'air defence' airfield. Its job was to protect London from bombing raids by Zeppelins.

A permanent RFC unit was set up at Joyce Green under No. 6 Wing. The first group there was No. 10 Reserve Squadron. They had various aircraft, including Henry Farmans, Vickers FB5s and FB9s, DH2s, and FE8s. This unit's main role was to train new pilots. They received students from basic training schools for their final flight lessons. Each course had about 20 students and lasted two or three weeks. This included practicing aerial gunnery at the Hythe range near Lydd. After earning their pilot's wings, the young pilots would get a short break before being sent to the war front.

Two FB5 Gunbuses were brought to the airfield from Netheravon. No. 6 Wing was in charge of training pilots. At the same time, hangars, workshops, and living quarters for ground staff were built near the Long Reach Tavern.

On Christmas Day 1914, the airfield saw its first action. Second Lieutenant M. R. Chidson and gunner Corporal Martin flew a Gunbus to chase a German plane. This German plane was a Friedrichshafen FF.29 float plane from the Imperial German Navy, based in Belgium. Unfortunately, the gun on the Gunbus jammed over Purfleet. The gunner's hands were too cold to fix it. So, the German plane was able to drop two bombs on Cliffe railway station. Even so, the Gunbus chased the German aircraft all the way to the Nore sandbank.

The airfield soon became unpopular because it was built on marshland.

In early 1915, the RFC base at Joyce Green was finished, and No. 10 Reserve Squadron moved in. They used Henry Farman, Vickers FB5 and FB9, DH2, and FE8 planes. Many accidents happened, and several trainee pilots died. The Long Reach Tavern was closed, and the RFC used it as a canteen and sleeping quarters.

On January 19–20, 1915, the German Navy launched the first airship raid on Britain. Three Zeppelins were sent. Two bombed Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn, causing the first British military casualties from an air attack.

The RFC flew its first night air defence missions after these Zeppelin attacks. Two Vickers FB5 Gunbuses from No. 7 Squadron took off from Joyce Green to patrol over London.

James Thomas Byford McCudden, a highly decorated air ace, arrived at Joyce Green in March 1917. He became the Wing Fighting Instructor. McCudden had shot down 57 German planes by the time he was 22. His job was to teach advanced students how to fight in the air.

In mid-April 1915, No. 39 Home Defence Squadron was formed. This group brought together all units defending London against Zeppelin raids.

In October 1915, a BE2c plane with a bomb rack was stationed here. On October 13, five aircraft from Joyce Green flew against German Zeppelins. Second Lieutenant Claude Alward Ridley took off in a BE2c. He spotted an airship in the searchlights and fired 20 rounds, but then lost sight of it.

Dartford was important for London's defence. Anti-aircraft guns were placed on the River Brent, Dartford Heath, and the Dartford Marshes. Many searchlights and listening posts were also set up. There were 37 air raids in or near Dartford between 1914 and 1918. Even though many bombs were dropped, no one in Dartford was killed directly by these raids.

Zeppelins caused so much fear that the Lord Mayor of London offered £500 to the first pilot or gun crew to shoot one down in Britain. This award was claimed by an anti-aircraft gun crew at Dartford. They helped bring down Zeppelin L15.

On April 15, 1916, the units defending London against Zeppelins were reorganized as the No. 39 Home Defence Squadron. Zeppelin operations then moved north of London, leaving Joyce Green on the southern edge of the defence area.

On March 22, 1917, McCudden returned to teach advanced students, including Mick Mannock, combat skills. McCudden came back to Joyce Green two more times in November 1917 and April 1918.

In autumn 1917, the threat changed to Gotha bombers, which started raiding London. In one week, German planes flew over Dartford three nights in a row. The Brent guns fired almost a thousand rounds at them.

No. 63 Training Squadron moved to Redcar on February 13, 1919. Joyce Green was left with only a group of pilots and ground crew. Many of these were US Army Air Service personnel doing their final training before going to France.

Wireless Testing Park

In 1914, the RFC took over the Marconi Company's experimental section at Brooklands. This section had been formed in 1911. The RFC turned it into a wireless training school for pilots and engineers. Major Charles Prince, a former Marconi engineer, was in charge. At first, all communication work for the RFC had to be done by the Royal Engineers. This caused problems between the two groups.

In August 1915, most wireless research was moved to Woolwich. The RFC wireless staff were sent to a new site at Joyce Green. This move was initially welcomed. Brooklands airfield was not good for training and testing because of tall obstacles and electrical interference.

The Wireless Testing Park moved to Joyce Green in August 1915. Training, testing, and wireless experiments began right away. Meanwhile, young men practiced flying, dropping flour bombs from their Henry Farman Trainers. In 1915, Major Prince sent the first ground-to-air message at the airfield. He called Captain J. M. Furnival, who was flying above. Prince said, 'Hello Furnie. If you can hear me now it will be the first time speech has ever been communicated to an aeroplane in flight.' He then added, 'Hello Furnie if you can hear me dip your wings.' The plane, flying at 50 mph, responded with 'an obedient lurch.'

Despite problems, the team successfully developed a practical aircraft telephone set by late 1915. This Mark One set weighed only 20 pounds (9 kg). It was the world's first working air-to-ground wireless telephone equipment. Prince reported, 'It seemed almost beyond hope to achieve really practical wireless telephony from an aeroplane, but the difficulties have been overcome, and the new set is by no means a toy, or only of scientific interest. A new and amazing power is conferred by it.'

By May 1916, 306 aircraft and 542 ground stations had spark wireless and crystal set receivers.

However, four-fifths of the RFC's wireless work was still done by the Royal Engineers Signals Experimental Establishment. Only one RFC officer was allowed on their premises at a time. This officer could not influence the designs or equipment. The Royal Engineers often criticized the new sets submitted by the RFC. They called them things like 'a monument of incompetence' and 'hopelessly bad design'.

As time went on, it became clear that aviation radio was very different from army radio. The two services needed to be separate.

Why Joyce Green Was Replaced by Biggin Hill

Air Vice Marshal Gould Lee wrote in his book "Open Cockpit" that using the waterlogged Joyce Green field for testing was okay. It was also fine as an emergency landing spot. But using it as a training station, especially for Camel planes, was a bad idea. He said many students crashed and died there.

James McCudden, another famous pilot, described Joyce Green as a "quiet little spot near Dartford." It was below sea level, next to the River Thames. The pilots lived in wooden barracks. The grass runways were so close to the river that many pilots drowned in accidents.

The Wireless Radio Unit found the bad weather, constant mist, and damp ground at Joyce Green made research difficult. Many accidents and deaths, along with the planned creation of the Royal Air Force in 1918, led to the Wireless Testing Park moving to Biggin Hill in February 1917.

The Sopwith Camel was a difficult plane to fly, even for experienced pilots. It was known for spinning out of control during sharp turns. This caused the deaths of many young pilots during their training.

US Army Air Service (1917-1919)

Before it closed, Joyce Green also hosted some of the first American military air units in Europe. Three flights from the 8th Aero Squadron of the US Army Air Service arrived on December 24, 2017. They were soon sent to other locations. A ground unit remained and left in May 2018 for Thetford.

None of the many USAS squadrons in the UK were flying units. When squadrons arrived from the United States, pilots trained with British units. Some were sent to active squadrons in France. The ground crews trained with British units to learn how to maintain aircraft. Many USAS squadrons were construction squadrons. They built airfields and did not have flying or maintenance staff.

Ground crew from the 149th Aero Squadron, a training squadron, were at Joyce Green in May 1918. This squadron was formed on December 7, 1917. It was sent to France in March 1918 and closed in March 1919. Private Carroll H. Bunch, an aerial photographer from this squadron, took several photos of the airfield and its buildings.

Ground crew from the 159th Aero Squadron (a Day Bombardment squadron) were also here between March 15 and October 25, 1918. This squadron was formed on December 7, 1917. It was sent to France from Codford on November 2.

Airfield Closure

After a public air display in May 1919, Vickers began to move its operations to Brooklands.

Following the end of World War I, Joyce Green was no longer needed. It was closed in October 1919 and returned to farming use by December. All the hangars were taken down by 1939.

The Long Reach Tavern eventually closed in 1957 and was torn down in the late 1950s.

Airfield Operations and Units

Joyce Green served several roles during its time. It was a manufacturer's airfield for Vickers Ltd from 1911 to 1919. It also played a role in Home Defence (HD) and as a Night Landing Ground (NLG) from October 1914. The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) also used it.

From October 1914 to 1915, it was an Advanced Base for Home Defence for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). From 1916 to 1919, it was a Home Defence Night Landing Ground for several RFC/RAF squadrons. It was a Training Squadron Station for the RFC/RAF from July 1915 to October 1918. The Wireless Testing Park RFC was there from October 1916 to January 1917. Finally, it was a Pilots’ Pool for the RAF from October 1918 to December 1919.

Royal Flying Corps / Royal Air Force: Resident Units

Several RFC and RAF units were based at Joyce Green.

• No. 1 Squadron HD detachment: October 1914 - November 1914.
• No. 1 RAS HD detachment: December 19, 1914 - December 1914.
• No. 7 Squadron HD detachment: December 22, 1914 - December 1914.
• No. 2 RAS HD detachment: July 1915 - September 1, 1915. It then joined No. 10 RAS.
• No. 10 RAS/RS/TS: September 1, 1915 - September 1, 1917. Moved to Ternhill.
• 5th Wing HD detachment: September 8, 1915 - February 1, 1916.
• No. 10 RAS HD detachment: January 31, 1916 - February 1, 1916.
• No. 22 RS B Flight nucleus: June 1916 - August 24, 1916.
• Wireless Testing Park: October 21, 1916 - January 1, 1917. Moved to Biggin Hill.
• No. 63 TS: June 1, 1917 - October 5, 1918. Moved to Redcar.
• No. 10 TDS B Flight nucleus: October 15, 1917 - October 1, 1917. Moved to Feltwell.
• 8th Aero Squadron USAAS HQ: December 24, 1917 - May 1, 1918. Moved to Thetford.
• 8th Aero Squadron USAAS flights: December 24, 1917 - December 1917. Dispersed to Northolt, Thetford, and Wyton.
• Pool of Pilots: October 5, 1918 - December 1919. Disbanded.

Wing Chain of Command

The airfield was part of different command structures over time:

• 6th Wing: September 1915 onwards.
• 18th Wing: April 12, 1916 onwards.
• 6th Wing: January 1917 onwards.
• 58th Wing, 1 (Training) Group, SE Area: 1918 onwards.
• 18th Wing, SE Area: 1919 onwards.
• 49th Wing, HD Group, SE Area, VI Brigade: 1918 onwards.

Notable People Who Served at Joyce Green

Several important officers served at the Joyce Green airfield:

• Mick Mannock
• James McCudden
• Harry Goode
• Albert Gregory Waller
• Selden Herbert Long
• A. S. G. Lee
• Herman W von Poellnitz ("Von Pip")
• G. R. McCubbin (who shot down Max Immelmann)
• G. W. Mapplebeck

Gallery

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  Where the rivers Darent and Thames meet

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  RAF Aerial photograph of the Aerodrome in August 1917

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  RAF Aerial photograph of the Aerodrome on 28 Feb 1918

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  RFC Site plan 1918, (not showing the drainage ditches or Joyce Green Lane)

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  Dismantled Vickers Vimy on its way to Joyce Green outside "The Bear and Ragged Staff", Crayford

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  Ditch boards at Joyce Green, with a Vickers Vimy

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  Pay parade in the station motor vehicle yard, behind the Reach Tavern 1917

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  Long Reach Tavern with the RFC hangars in the background, note the Thames riverside mile marker post

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  The Tavern on 6 August 1939 when the Mauretania sailed past. The RFC are long gone; note the Thames mile post markers

The dashed line on the 1918 RAF plan shows the airfield boundaries. The RFC/RAF buildings were mostly at the north end, near the Long Reach Tavern. The Vickers buildings were further south. The plan also shows nearby buildings like Joyce Green Hospital and Orchard Hospital.

Accidents and Incidents at Joyce Green

Sadly, there were several accidents and incidents involving military aircraft at Joyce Green.

The first deaths happened on January 13, 1913. A new biplane, converted from a Vickers No.6 Monoplane, crashed into the River Thames during a test flight. The Vickers pilot, Leslie McDonald, and his mechanic, Harry English, drowned. Richard Salmon, the tavern owner, saw the accident and spoke at the investigation. The coroner said the crash was caused by a sudden loss of engine power. This incident did not stop Richard from flying. He later enjoyed a joyride from the airfield when he was nearly 70 years old.

Captain Gilbert William Mapplebeck (22), a recognized ace, died on August 24, 1915. He was testing a Morane-Saulnier N “Bullet” plane. He climbed to 80 feet, then made a sharp right turn. The plane stalled and crashed. Mapplebeck was killed. A Member of Parliament, Noel Pemberton-Billing, questioned this in Parliament. He claimed the plane type was unsafe and that there was a problem with the safety belt. The investigation in 1916 found that the French air force had largely stopped using this type of plane. However, since Mapplebeck was an 'expert' pilot, it was not considered careless to let him fly it. The crash was blamed on "an unfortunate error of judgment on the pilot’s part."

Major Ernest Frederic Unwin (35) died on March 22, 1916. His B.E.2c plane hit a tree during a night landing approach at Joyce Green and caught fire.

Captain Bert James (22) RAF, was killed at Joyce Green in May 1918, within sight of the airfield.

Second Lieutenant Edwin John Leslie Lonnen (27) was killed on August 16, 1916, in a Vickers FB.9 at Joyce Green. His plane stalled in a turn and nose-dived.

Lieutenant Harold Staples Brewster (22), a Canadian, died on December 6, 1916, in a D.H.2 at Joyce Green. His plane nose-dived and crashed.

Lieutenant Henry Richard Deighton Simpson (20), an American RFC pilot, was killed on December 20, 1916. His Vickers F.B.16A crashed during a test flight at Joyce Green due to "excessive strain on machine."

Lieutenant Sydney Esmond O’Hanlon (23) of 63 Squadron, was fatally injured on January 29, 1918. While he was instructing, another aircraft lost control and hit his Sopwith Pup. He died on February 3.

Vickers test pilot Harold Barnwell (39) crashed a Vickers F.B.26 Vampire at Joyce Green. He tried a spin without enough height to recover and died.

What Remains Today?

North Kent Nomads Flying Club

One of the fields that was part of the old airfield is now used by the North Kent Nomads Flying Club. This club uses large radio-controlled model aircraft.

Wells Fireworks Factory

In 1938, a fireworks company called Joseph Wells and Sons Limited bought land between Orchard Hospital and the former airfield. This included a part of the airfield site where the RAF Officers' mess had been. Wells had been making fireworks since 1837 in London. To meet demand and follow safety rules, they opened new factories.

They opened a factory in Colchester in 1915, which closed in 1938 when the new factory was built at Joyce Green, Dartford. Their Honor Oak factory closed in 1947, and its buildings were moved to the Joyce Green site. Wells continued to make fireworks there until the family sold the site in 1968.