Loss of F/O Henry “Harry” Hector MacKenzie (RCAF) – 3rd January 1944
No.198 Sqn Typhoon JR523 piloted by F/O Henry “Harry” Hector MacKenzie (RCAF) took off from Manston at 1143hrs as “Blue 3” in a formation of four Typhoons with F/Lt R.O....
Category: Aircraft
A New Year’s Day present to the Germans of a Handley Page O/100 – 1st January 1917
A Handley Page O/100, #1463 flown by Flt Lt Henry Connell Vereker accompanied by HP 1462 of Sub Lt Sands left for France on a foggy, wintery day. Two attempts...
Air Speed Record set at Reculver, 7th November 1945
On 7th November 1945, Group Captain Hugh Joseph Wilson, CBE, AFC, Royal Air Force, Commandant of the Empire Test Pilots’ School, Cranfield, set the first world speed record with a...
An unexpected passenger in a Handley Page O/100 on 4th November 1916
Published with permission from ‘Bloody Paralyser – The Giant Handley Page Bombers of the First World War’ by Rob Langham (Fonthill Media, 2016). Following the first flight of the Handley Page...
Prime Minister, Winston Churchill visits Manston on 28th August 1940
On this day, 28th August 1940 Manston’s importance was recognised when the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, paid it a personal visit. He saw an airfield barely serviceable, still with craters...
Heavy Luftwaffe raids on Manston and Ramsgate on 24th August 1940 leave the airfield unserviceable
Six heavy attacks, the first at 0600hrs (TBC) when approximately 80 aircraft crossed the coast to Thanet, left Manston unserviceable after the heavy raid at 1520hrs, despite its many tunnels...
