Croydon Aerodrome

The London Terminal Aerodrome

1921 - 1928

Page Three

Due to the establishment of the new 'Imperial Airways' at 'Croydon Aerodrome' in 1924 more changes were made to handle the increase in traffic. The 'Traffic Control' tower was altered to it's third wooden design as shown in the picture above.

(above) 1925

(above and below) Waddon's third wooden control tower with added wind indicators mounted on the top. 1925.

In 1923 a Government Committee was appointed to review the policy of subsidising airlines. It duly reported and reccommended that the main existing aircraft companys should be mergedin to one organisation, with the mission ofdeveloping British Commercial Air Transport on an economicbasis, andcreating a company which would be strong enough to develop Britain's external air services. As a result 'Imperial Airways Ltd' was formed on the 31st of March 1924 and on the 1st of April 1924 it took over the aircraft and services of four company's, three of which were already operating from Croydon .... 'Instone Airline Ltd' which had a 'Vickers Vimy Commercial' called 'City of London', and four 'De Havilland DH 34's' ..... 'Daimler Airways', which had three 'De Havilland DH34's' ..... 'Handley Page Transport Ltd', which had three 'Handley Page W8B's, 'Princess Mary', 'Prince Henry' and 'Prince George' ..... The other company which had a fleet of three flying boats which obviosly would not be based at Croydon was the 'British Air Navigation Co Ltd'. Some of the aircraft were either obsolete or unserviceable. Industrial troubles with the pilots delayed the operation of services until the 26th of April 1924, when a daily London to Paris service was opened with a DH34. Thereafter began the task of expandingthe routes between England and the Continent. Brussels, Ostende and Cologne on the 3rd of May, and a summer service to Basle and Zurich via Paris. The first new airliner commissioned by Imperial was a 'Handley Page W8F' called 'City of Washington' on the 3rd of Novemeber 1924. In the first year of operation the company flew 853,042 miles, carried 11,395 passengers and 212,380 letters.

The advertising poster of the 'Imperial Airways' Argos (above) clearly also shows the latest wooden 'Control Tower' in the background. The picture (below) is of a 'Farman Goliath' at the entrance to one of the old Waddon round-roof hangers.  (above) 'Imperial' maintenance of 'Bristol 62' in 1925

(above) An arial view of the aerodrome in 1925

(above). April the 28th 1925. Sir Sefton Brancker inspecting the Pander Baby Monoplane. It is fitted with a 25hp Anzani engine and uses only 1.5 gallons an hour. It is a Dutch production.

A guide to the airport published 1926

(above) The first German commercial aircraft to arrive at Croydon since the war. 1926.

(below) A lineup of eight Imperial Airways HP Airliners in 1926. From front to rear they are G-EBBL, G-EBBH, G-EBBD, G-EBLE, G-EBMT, G-EBMR, G-EBMM and G-EBMS.In the front is G-EAKM, an Avro 536 of Surrey Flying Services, while in the very background is F-ADCA, a Farman Goliath of French airline Air Union.

(below) a 1926 report about the aerodrome

Due to the great increase in International traffic and the new airlines from the USA, another major upgrade of the aerodrome was proposed in 1926 (as shown in the plan below). Work began in 1927 and the new aerodrome was in operation in 1928.

(below) February 1927

(below) Farman Goliath June 1927

The Closing of the Waddon aerodrome in 1927-1928 and the building of the new one alongside Purley Way. Pictures below are of the two aerodromes before completion and removal of the old.