I'm looking for the name of the airstripping which was used during WWII for quick deployment of airstrips on soft ground. I spoke with a veteran about it and he suggested it might be called marsten strips, or something like that. Unfortunately, I think I have the name wrong because no good search results come up. I know that it's perforated to add structural rigidity, and made of steel that's over 1/4" thick. I'd like to get ahold of some and I heard it was obtainable from surplus stocks. If anyone knows a good place to purchase it, especially around San Diego, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks!
There are sections of this stuff in almost every farm in Normandy, and many of the fencing sections between Bayeux and Caen are made of it. Doubt if it is for sale, though.
Marston Matting The product is also called 'PSP' (Perforated Steel Panel/Plate and links together and is tethered with ground anchor pins or similar. In later years PAP was used this was an Aluminium product.
Sommerfield track was a wire mesh with reinforcing rods laid onto a pad of coir as a cushion and leveller. PSP is like sheet piling used in construction and formed from interlocking plates about a foot wide and of varying length.
My late dear friend Derek Hinton was in a Royal Engineer company that was formed to create air strips. They had them in use almost immediately, Somewhere in the house I have a WW2 airstrip uniform badge. Sapper
ROYAL AIR FORCE: 2ND TACTICAL AIR FORCE, 1943-1945.. © IWM (CL 468)IWM Non Commercial Licence Soldiers of the Pioneer Corps laying prefabricated bitumised strips (PBS) for a new runway at B10/Plumetot, Normandy, as a Hawker Typhoon of No. 198 Squadron RAF takes off on the airstrip. ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN THE FAR EAST, 1941-1945. © IWM (CF 682)IWM Non Commercial Licence Spitfire Mk VIIIs and personnel of No.136 Squadron RAF lined up on a recently-laid PSP airstrip on Brown's West Island, Cocos Islands, in the Indian Ocean. ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN THE FAR EAST, 1941-1945. © IWM (CF 688)IWM Non Commercial Licence Consolidated Liberator B Mark VI of No. 99 Squadron RAF throws up spray from recent rain while taking off on its last bombing mission of the war from the recently laid PSP airstrip on Cocos Island (Brown's West Island, Cocos Islands) in the Indian Ocean.
The recent documentary on America's Plan Red - the planned invasion of Canada - mentioned that a number of 'secret' airfields were constructed up near the border in the late 1930's. Some footage was shown of PSP being laid, not for speed but because grass would grow through the mat for camouflage. I've seen a reference somewhere that Marston/Marsden mat was trialled around 1941, but it's use at the Plan Red airfield predates that by some margin.
This is a really cool old farmer in Las Vegas. Marston Mats are visible all through the video but he talks a bit about them at the 2:40 mark. Las Vegas Leftovers go to Hog Farm - America's Heartland - YouTube Dave
