Empire Air Day -
Usworth 20/05/1939
The 1939 Empire Air Day celebrated the twenty-first anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force as a separate service. In all 78 aerodromes were scheduled to take part including 63 from the RAF. The programme had many features including the Air Force comes of age, the Air Force guards the Empire and the men behind the machines.
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At Usworth the station was under the command of Squadron Leader
H.W. Mermagen. 607 "County of Durham" Squadron of the Auxiliary Air
Force were based with their Demon and Gladiator biplanes under the
leadership of Squadron Leader L.E. Smith. The station was opened to
visitors between 2:00pm to 8:00pm with the following aircraft
planned to be on view -
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The flying display was obviously heavily concentrated on the based Gladiators which included a three aircraft formation flying demonstration, a solo aerobatic display and a dive bombing demonstration. Other aircraft included a Lysander, five Fairey Battles in formation and a demonstration of high speed flying by a Supermarine Spitfire. The air day wasn't without incident as the Fairey Seal crashed during take off for its performance. Fortunately both pilot and observer escaped without major injury, the pilot coming off worse suffering a broken nose.
Probably the best displays and demonstrations were kept until late afternoon when at 5:15p.m. attacks by a fighter aircraft on a towed target were scheduled; at 5:45p.m. a demonstration of what might happen if an aeroplane was taken up by a person who has never flown before!!! and at 06:30p.m. a role demonstration of dive bombing aircraft attacking a mock oil refinery. The flying programme was scheduled to conclude with God Save the King at 6:45p.m.