I was interested to read in last Thursday’s Salisbury Journal that the oldest surviving aircraft hangars in Europe were opened to the general public for a few days as part of Heritage Open Days.

The hangars which are situated in Wood Road, Larkhill, were built in 1910.

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the open days but I hope those who did found the day very worthwhile.

I remember reading an old local newspaper where an account was given regarding the pioneers of flying who used to use the fields at Stonehenge and Larkhill.

Mr Newton recalled an early morning escapade of 1912 when he and three colleagues, having finished night duty at 3.40am, cycled to the downs via the Woodford’s, in the hope of seeing some of the flying competitors taking part in an aviation race.

“I remember how excited the French flier, Vedrines, became on his arrival,” recalled Mr Newton. “He was flying a monoplane and I believe in those days it was looked upon as a suicide machine.

“The small crowd surged towards him as he was coming in, apparently heedless of the danger for him in landing. We were lucky to see two flyers before returning to Salisbury, the other being Reaumont who piloted a biplane.”

As I have mentioned in the past, there were many fatalities in those early days of aviation and our photograph this week shows the wreckage of Mr R Fenwick’s monoplane which crashed at Larkhill on August 13, 1912, killing the pilot.

The evidence of the frailty of the aircraft of those days is the small amount of remains – a couple of wire wheels, some wire and some twisted metal bars, and that’s the lot!

Many readers will also know about the memorial known as ‘Airman’s Cross’ which commemorates the aviation accident which happened on July 5, 1912, killing Capt Eustace Loraine and Staff Sgt Richard Wilson.