Sands Abstract

While Margaret was taking Megan one her usual longish walk I took Zoe on a shorter walk over the beach at Belhaven. Whilst on the walk I came across a memorial plaque which explained that the sands had been used as a temporary airfield.

 I was aware that the sands had been covered with wooden posts during World War Two to ensure that the enemy did not take advantage of this long stretch of flat sands and salt marsh as a possible landing site. but I was totally unaware of their use as a temporary airfield towards the end of World War One.

'A temporary aerodrome was established on Belhaven Sands, immediately to the west of Dunbar, in 1918, as an out-station of the Torpedo Aeroplane School at East Fortune. The hard, compacted sand of the broad beach was considered suitable for the landing of heavily-laden aeroplanes. Small huts were erected as workshops and servicing was undertaken in a canvas Bessoneaux hangar. Personnel travelled from their living accommodation at East Fortune. Nothing remains of the aerodrome. In the Second World War the beach was obstructed by vertical wooden poles to prevent German aeroplanes from landing."


My extra shows a view of the beach today and as you can see the sands though overall being flat but nonetheless quite rutted and would have made a very uncomfortable landing strip.