| Airship
Sheds
|
Kenya |
| Country:
|
Kenya
|
Locations: |
Mombassa |
| |
|
|
|
Facilities
|
|
Actual
|
Proposed
|
|
None
|
2
Masts
|
|
-
|
Base
Facilities
|
|
|
The Imperial Airship
Scheme primary objective was to link the "far corners of
the Empire" and so route down the African Continent to South
Africa was always to be in the primary objectives. South
Africa was always the goal, however there were many other
British colonies en route.
Original surveys were
carried out at Zanzibar, Dar-el-Salaam as well as Mombasa
as a suitable location. All of these locations proving suitable
as they were sited on the coast where the weather conditions
were more suited to airship operations than in the hot interior
of the continent.
There have been reports
that land was purchased and plans found regarding the proposal
of a twin mast site at Mombasa on the east coast of Africa.
|
This location would have tied
in correctly with the other proposals at the time as a site would
have been required for airships travelling down to South Africa
from Egypt. Also a double mast site would have been required as
the location could connect with North Africa or on to India and
Australia.
It is believed that Babcock
and Wilson, the contractors for the masthead exquipment, were
engaged for production of the additional mast equipment.
The South Africa masthead
is believed to have been produced and shipped to South Africa,
and the company was already providing discounts for multiple orders,
and so it can be believed that the two masts for Mombasa would
have been ordered.
More details will be made
available when the data is researched and recovered from the AHT
and National Archives.
|
