RAF Hornchurch was an airfield in the south of
HornchurchHornchurch is a suburban town in northeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential...
in what is now the
London Borough of HaveringThe London Borough of Havering is a London borough in East London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in Havering is Romford and the other main communities are Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. The borough is mainly characterised by suburban development with large areas of...
. Known as Sutton's Farm during the First World War, it occupied of the farm of the same name and was situated east north-east of
Charing CrossCharing Cross denotes the junction of the Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in Westminster within Central London, England. It is named after the site of a long demolished Eleanor cross located at the former hamlet of Charing, at this point...
. Although the airfield closed shortly after the end of WWI, the land was requisitioned in 1923 due to the expansion of the Royal Air Force and it re-opened as a much larger fighter station in 1928. The airfield was ideally located in
bomb alley to cover both London and the
ThamesThe River Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading and Windsor....
corridor from German air attacks. It was a key air force installation between both wars and in to the jet age, closing in 1962.
History
In 1915 the
London Air Defence AreaThe London Air Defence Area was the name given to the organisation created to defend London from the increasing threat from enemy airships during World War I...
(LADA) was established and a number of airfields were constructed around London with the specific aim of defending the capital from the growing threat from enemy airships. Sutton's Farm, along with its neighbour Hainault Farm, to the north-east, were selected due to their location covering the eastern approaches to London. They were designated Landing Grounds Nos. II and III respectively and joined the existing airfields of
North WealdNorth Weald Airfield is an operational airfield, near the village of North Weald Bassett in Epping Forest, Essex. It was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain, when it was known as the RAF Station RAF North Weald. At the present time it is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum...
,
RochfordLondon Southend Airport or Southend Airport is a regional airport in the District of Rochford within Essex, England.-Location:The airport is closer to Rochford than it is to Southend town centre. A frequent rail service runs from Rochford to London Liverpool Street with a journey time of...
and Joyce Green. Suttons Farm airfield became operational on 3 October 1915, initially with two BE2c aircraft. As the number of aircraft increased at the airfields around London, it was decided to organise them into
39 Home Defence SquadronNo. 39 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the MQ-9 Reaper since 2007, operating from Creech AFB, Nevada, USA.-World War I:39 Squadron was founded at Hounslow in April 1916 with B.E.2s and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12s in an attempt to defend against German Zeppelin raids on London...
, which was formed in April 1916, under the command of Major (later Brigadier-General) Thomas Higgins. As the enemy threat moved from airships to aircraft, so better aircraft were introduced to counter them. The BE12, Sopwith 1½ Strutter, Sopwith Pup, FE2, Bristol Fighter, SE5a and Sopwith Camel all operated from Sutton's Farm at some stage, some with more success than others.
39 Squadron moved to North Weald in September 1917 and was replaced by 78 Squadron, under the command of Major Cuthbert Rowden, a 20 year old veteran of the air war in France and subsequent winner of the
Military CrossThe Military Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
. 78 Squadron was later joined by 189 Night Fighter Training Squadron with Sopwith Pups and Camels.
The first recorded interception of an enemy airship over Britain was made by Lt. (later Marshal of the Royal Air Force)
John SlessorMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Cotesworth Slessor GCB, DSO, MC was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force . A pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I, he held operational commands in World War II and served in the RAF's most senior post, Chief of the Air Staff, from 1950 to...
on the very day he arrived at Sutton's Farm, 13 October 1915. The attack had to be aborted, however, as the airship disappeared into cloud and he had to break off the engagement. The first victory in Britain was not recorded until nearly a year later, on 2 September 1916, and was attributed to a pilot from Sutton's Farm,
Lt. William Leefe RobinsonWilliam Leefe Robinson VC was the first British pilot to shoot down a German airship over Britain during the First World War. For this he was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
. Robinson shot down a
Schütte-Lanz SL11Schütte-Lanz is the name of a series of rigid airships designed and built by the Luftschiffbau Schütte-Lanz company from 1909 until the last LS22 delivered in 1917. One research and four passenger airships were planned for post-war use, but never built...
, one of a 16-strong raiding force over London, using the recently developed Brock and Pomeroy mixed incendiary ammunition, which had been adapted specifically for this task. For this action Leefe Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross and became a National hero. Two other Sutton's Farm pilots from the First World War, Lt. Frederick Sowrey and Lt. Wulstan Tempest, were awarded the
DSOThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.The DSO was instituted on 6 September 1886 by...
for their roles in the destruction of Zeppelins,. Tempest's actions were particularly notable; even though his fuel pump was broken and he was having to pump fuel manually whilst flying the aircraft with his other hand, he still managed to engage and destroy an enemy airship and then find his way home in thick fog. These pilots, together with many others, are commemorated by street names in South Hornchurch.
Inter War Years
Soon after the war ended it was decided that Suttons Farm was surplus to requirements and the airfield was decommissioned, although it was retained on “List C” (stations temporarily retained for Service purposes) until 27 February 1920. The land was returned, most of the buildings demolished and farming resumed once more.
Following the decision in the early 1920s to expand the Royal Air Force, former WWI airfields were inspected to ascertain their suitability for use. Although small, Suttons Farm was ideally located to be able to defend the north-eastern approaches to London. After protracted negotiations, the original land was re-purchased, together with some further land to the south of the original airfield.
The new airfield took four years to build and opened, as RAF Sutton’s Farm, in April 1928. Two months later the name was changed to RAF Hornchurch and the first unit to take up residency was No. 111 Squadron, led by Squadron Leader Keith Park, who also became the first station commander.
World War II
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the station was a
Sector Airfield-Organisational structure:During the Battle of Britain the UK's airspace was divided into four Groups.-10 Group:10 Group defended Wales and the West Country and was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Sir Quintin Brand.
...
of
RAF Fighter CommandFighter Command was one of three functional commands that dominated the public perception of the Royal Air Force for much of the mid-20th century...
's 11 Group, covering London and the south east of England during the
Battle of BritainThe Battle of Britain is the name given to the air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force , especially Fighter Command...
in 1940. By this time, its command centre was in Romford, and a satellite station (an advanced attack outpost; RAF Rochford) was unpopular with the Hornchurch crews sent there from time to time because of the canvas accommodation. Following the war, Hornchurch was home to Flying Training Command's Aircrew Selection Centre for 10 years before it moved to
RAF Biggin HillLondon Biggin Hill Airport is an airport at Biggin Hill in the London Borough of Bromley, located south southeast of London, United Kingdom. The airport was formerly the Royal Air Force station RAF Biggin Hill, and a small enclave on the airport still retains that designation.Biggin Hill is best...
and the RAF station at Hornchurch closed in July 1962.
The Airfield Today
Following a period of gravel extraction and infilling with rubbish in the 1970s, the airfield was extensively landscaped to create
Hornchurch Country ParkHornchurch Country Park is a park on the former site of Hornchurch Airfield, south of Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering, East London.The River Ingrebourne passes through the park and if forms part of Thames Chase Community Forest...
, with work commencing in 1980. Most of the former administrative and technical areas, including the two Type A and one Type C hangars, were levelled in the 1960s and the area is now a housing estate. The names of the streets of the estate commemorate the airfield and its pilots (such as
BouchierAir Vice Marshal Sir Cecil Arthur Bouchier KBE, CB, DFC served with the British Army, Royal Flying Corps, Indian Air Force and Royal Air Force from 1915 to 1953....
Walk, Kirton Close, Tempest Way,
RobinsonWilliam Leefe Robinson VC was the first British pilot to shoot down a German airship over Britain during the First World War. For this he was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
Close,
TuckWing Commander Robert Roland Stanford Tuck DSO, DFC & Two Bars, AFC was a British fighter pilot and test pilot.Tuck joined the RAF in 1935. Tuck first engaged in combat during the Battle of France, over Dunkirk, claiming his first victories...
Road,
BaderGroup Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War....
Way and
MalanAdolph Gysbert Malan DSO & Bar DFC , better known as Sailor Malan, was a famed South African World War II RAF fighter pilot who led No. 74 Squadron RAF during the height of the Battle of Britain. Under his leadership the 74 became one of the RAF's best units...
Square). The former Officers' Mess is now a medical centre in Astra Close. The Officers' Mess (Astra House), Officers' Quarters (Astra Court East, West & North) and WO Quarters (89-99 (odd numbers) Wood Lane) are included in the RAF Hornchurch Conservation Area.
A local school, The
R. J. MitchellReginald Joseph Mitchell CBE, FRAeS, was an aeronautical engineer, best known for his design of the Supermarine Spitfire.-Early years:...
School, was named after the man who designed the
SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries through the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles...
, and a large monument to this effect, with wreaths placed on Remembrance Day, is within the school railings. Another local school (Suttons School) was re-named
Sanders Draper SchoolThe Sanders Draper School is a mixed-gender secondary school for students aged between 11 and 16 located in Hornchurch, London Borough of Havering, UK. It is a specialist science school and it shares its grounds with Sutton's Junior & Infant school, just off Suttons Lane...
after an American pilot, Flying Officer Raimund (
Smudge) Sanders-Draper, flying with the Royal Air Force at the time, had an engine failure on take-off and stayed at his controls to ensure his aircraft didn't crash on the building, which was full of children at the time.
A number of pillboxes, command bunkers and gun positions, together with the largest number of surviving Tett Turrets in England, still exist within the boundaries of the former airfield and can be seen on the Eastern edge of the country park. RAF Hornchurch artefacts and memorabilia are housed in the Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre.
RAF Hornchurch was the subject of one of the programmes in the BBC TV series
Two Men in a Trench. In the programme, several of the defences were examined. One of the Tett Turrets was excavated, the backfill of which contained a pair of 1940 RAF pilot's goggles along with material from the hospital.. The fire trench, a partially buried pillbox and an E pen were excavated, while the gun emplacement on the northern end of the site was cleared of vegetation.
The Good Intent pub, formerly with a large concrete, planetarium-like dome next door (used for training airgunners), still exists on the Hornchurch Road, was popular with the aircrews, and has an interesting collection of photos of the Station.
A DVD about RAF Hornchurch was produced by Mike Jones for
Streets Ahead Productions.
The airfield is said to be haunted and was the subject of a paranormal investigation in 2004. Click
here for the report.
Controversy
William Leefe Robinson
Although Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross for shooting down Schütte-Lanz SL11 in 1916, it wasn't celebrated in all quarters, particularly by serving pilots in France. Home Defence was viewed as a relatively easy role and Robinson had trouble earning the respect of his fellow pilots when he was subsequently posted to France. These views were compounded when Robinson was shot down by aircraft led by
Manfred von RichthofenManfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen was a German fighter pilot known as the "Red Baron". He was the most successful flying ace of the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I, being officially credited with 80 confirmed air combat victories.Richthofen was a member of an...
shortly after arriving in France. The awarding of the VC was, undoubtedly, partly politically motivated, although it must be remembered that any form of flying was inherently dangerous in 1916, particularly at night and at these tremendous heights without oxygen. Robinson also managed to single-handedly lift the spirit of a nation that had suffered the new terror of aerial bombardment from the apparently invincible airships.
Use of Incendiary Ammunition
Although effective in destroying enemy airships, the use of incendiary ammunition was banned under the terms of the Hague Convention of 1899 and pilots using it had to have signed orders from their commanding officer. This type of ammunition was issued only to squadrons in Home Defence roles and never to squadrons serving overseas. On his return to Sutton's Farm, William Leefe Robinson's CO ordered him to keep quiet about it as it was thought the propaganda value for the enemy would be invaluable should it leak out, even though the Germans had already broken the terms of the convention by using gas in 1915. Later in the war the use of incendiary ammunition became officially recognised.
The Battle of Barking Creek
The first aircraft to be shot down by the British in the Second World War was a
HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. Some production of the Hurricane was carried out in Canada by the Canada Car and Foundry Co Ltd....
of
56 SquadronNumber 56 Squadron is one of the oldest and most successful squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of the significant air campaigns of both World War I and World War II...
. On 6 September 1939, three days after the declaration of war, a searchlight battery on
Mersea IslandMersea Island is the most easterly inhabited island in the United Kingdom, located marginally off the coast of Essex, England, to the southeast of Colchester. It is situated in the estuary area of the Blackwater and Colne rivers and has an area of around...
incorrectly identified a friendly aircraft crossing the Essex coast. A message was relayed to HQ 11 Group, which ordered Hurricanes from North Weald to investigate. They were subsequently misidentified as hostile aircraft themselves by the
Chain HomeChain Home was the codename for the ring of coastal radar stations built by the British before and during World War II. The system otherwise known as AMES Type 1 comprised of radar fixed on top of a radio tower mast, called a 'station' to provide long-range detection of aircraft...
Radar at
CanewdonCanewdon is a village in the Rochford District of Essex in England.The name Canewdon is derived from the Saxon name ‘Caningadon’, roughly translated to ‘hill of the Can people’. ‘don’ means hill and the ‘ing’ implies a personal name and probably indicates a pre-existing settlement...
. Further aircraft from North Weald were scrambled to intercept their comrades, but they too were misidentified through a combination of miscommunication, inexperience and over-enthusiasm. A tragic, but inevitable mistake was now just minutes away; Spitfires from 74 Squadron, led by
“Sailor” MalanAdolph Gysbert Malan DSO & Bar DFC , better known as Sailor Malan, was a famed South African World War II RAF fighter pilot who led No. 74 Squadron RAF during the height of the Battle of Britain. Under his leadership the 74 became one of the RAF's best units...
, took off from Hornchurch and quickly engaged two Hurricanes, shooting them both down.
Pilot OfficerPilot Officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below Flying Officer...
Montague Hulton-Harrop was killed whilst the other pilot, Pilot Officer Tommy Rose, baled out and landed safely. The two pilots responsible for the attack, Pilot Officer John Freeborn and
Flying OfficerFlying Officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
Paddy Byrne were placed under arrest upon their return to Hornchurch. Freeborn had been the squadron adjutant and had distributed orders that single engined aircraft should not be engaged as it was assumed that enemy fighters would not have the fuel to be able to fly a return sortie from Germany and, therefore, any single engined aircraft would be friendly.
A court-martial was held on 7 October 1939, at which, Freeborn later claimed, that Malan said he never gave the order to attack. All three were acquitted, with the judge claiming that the case should never have been brought to trial. The proceedings have never been made public.
Notable Station Commanders
| Name |
Rank as CO |
From |
To |
Died |
Later Career |
 |
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith ParkAir Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC, RAF was a New Zealand soldier, First World War flying ace and Second World War senior Royal Air Force commander. He was in tactical command during two of the most significant air battles in the European theatre in the Second World...
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Sqn Ldr |
01/04/28 |
16/03/29 |
05/02/75 |
AOC No 11 Gp, C in C, Air Command South East Asia |
 |
Air Marshal Sir Leonard Slatter Air Marshal Sir Leonard Horatio Slatter KBE, CB, DSC & Bar, DFC, RAF was a naval aviator during World War I and a senior Royal Air Force commander during World War II. Slatter ended his career as the commander-in-chief of Coastal Command.-Early life and World War I:Slatter was born in Durban,...
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Sqn Ldr |
25/10/29 |
01/04/30 |
14/04/61 |
AOC Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force. The service came to prominence during the Second World War. It defended the United Kingdom from naval threats and countered them by air. Coastal Command was often referred to as the "Cinderella Service" as a result of the comments made...
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 |
Air Vice-Marshal Sir Matthew Frew |
Wng Cdr |
02/04/37 |
27/07/38 |
28/0574 |
AOC Training HQ SAAFThe South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
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Air Vice Marshall Sir Cecil Bouchier Air Vice Marshal Sir Cecil Arthur Bouchier KBE, CB, DFC served with the British Army, Royal Flying Corps, Indian Air Force and Royal Air Force from 1915 to 1953....
|
Wng Cdr |
20/12/39 |
21/12/40 |
15/06/79 |
AOC British Commonwealth Air Forces of Occupation Japan |
|
Air Chief Marshal Sir Harry BroadhurstAir Chief Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst GCB, KBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, AFC, RAF , commonly known as Broady, was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-Early life:...
|
Wng Cdr |
20/12/40 |
12/05/42 |
29/08/95 |
AOC Bomber CommandRAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II, the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s was at the peak of its postwar power with the V bombers and a...
, Managing Director A V Roe & CoAvro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
|
Click
here for a complete list of Station Commanders
Squadrons
During its relatively short life, RAF Hornchurch became home to many
RAF squadrons:
| Squadron |
Identification |
Equipment |
From |
To |
Commanding Officer |
No. 39 SquadronNo. 39 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the MQ-9 Reaper since 2007, operating from Creech AFB, Nevada, USA.-World War I:39 Squadron was founded at Hounslow in April 1916 with B.E.2s and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12s in an attempt to defend against German Zeppelin raids on London...
|
|
 |
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c |
15/04/16 |
09/17 |
North WealdNorth Weald Airfield is an operational airfield, near the village of North Weald Bassett in Epping Forest, Essex. It was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain, when it was known as the RAF Station RAF North Weald. At the present time it is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum...
|
Maj Thomas Higgins |
No. 78 SquadronNo. 78 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Merlin HC3A transport helicopter from RAF Benson.Until December 2007 it was the operator of two Westland Sea King HAR3s from RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands.-History:No...
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 |
Sopwith CamelThe Sopwith Camel was a British World War I single-seat fighter biplane introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It had a combination of a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns...
|
09/17 |
31/12/19 |
Disbanded |
Maj Cuthbert Rowden |
| No. 189 Squadron - History :No. 189 Squadron was formed at Ripon on 20 December 1917 as a night-flying training unit, moving shortly afterwards to Sutton's Farm to continue their work until the end of World War I. On 1 March 1919, the squadron was disbanded....
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Sopwith CamelThe Sopwith Camel was a British World War I single-seat fighter biplane introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It had a combination of a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns...
|
4/18 |
01/03/19 |
Disbanded |
Maj H S Powell |
No. 111 SquadronNo. 111 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the RAF Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland.-In World War I:No. 111 Squadron was formed at Deir el-Balah, Palestine on 1 August 1917, with a mixed bag of single seat fighters as the first dedicated fighter squadron in the region...
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 |
Armstrong Whitworth Siskin IIIAThe Armstrong Whitworth Siskin was a British biplane single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1920s produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. The Siskin was one of the first RAF fighters designed after the First World War; it was noted for its aerobatic qualities....
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01/04/28 |
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Sqn Ldr Keith ParkAir Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC, RAF was a New Zealand soldier, First World War flying ace and Second World War senior Royal Air Force commander. He was in tactical command during two of the most significant air battles in the European theatre in the Second World...
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|
 |
Bristol Bulldog IIA The Bristol Bulldog was a British Royal Air Force single-seat biplane fighter designed during the 1920s by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, with over 400 Bulldogs produced, that arguably became the most famous aircraft during the RAF's inter-war period....
|
01/31 |
12/07/34 |
NortholtRAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station located east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, in West London, UK. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, it also handles a large number of private civilian flights....
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| No. 54 Squadron |
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Bristol Bulldog IIA The Bristol Bulldog was a British Royal Air Force single-seat biplane fighter designed during the 1920s by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, with over 400 Bulldogs produced, that arguably became the most famous aircraft during the RAF's inter-war period....
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15/01/30 |
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Sqn Ldr W E G Bryant |
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 |
Gloster Gauntlet The British Gloster Gauntlet was a single-seat, biplane fighter of the RAF designed and built by Gloster Aircraft in the 1930s. It was the last RAF fighter to have an open cockpit and the penultimate biplane fighter in service.-Design and development:...
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09/36 |
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Sqn Ldr Cecil Bouchier Air Vice Marshal Sir Cecil Arthur Bouchier KBE, CB, DFC served with the British Army, Royal Flying Corps, Indian Air Force and Royal Air Force from 1915 to 1953....
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 |
Gloster GladiatorThe Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter, used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it was...
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05/37 |
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Sqn Ldr H M Pearson |
| DL (KL) |
 |
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I |
03/03/39 |
03/09/40 |
Catterick RAF Catterick was formerly a Royal Air Force airfield located near Catterick, North Yorkshire in England.-History:Catterick airfield first opened in 1914 as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the North East of England...
|
Sqn Ldr James Leathart |
|
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIa |
23/02/41 |
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Sqn Ldr T.P.R. Dunworth |
 |
Supermarine Spitfire Mk Va |
05/41 |
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Sqn Ldr R F Boyd |
|
Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb |
07/41 |
17/11/41 |
Castletown Isle of Man Airport is the main civilian airport of the Isle of Man. It is located to the south of the island at Ronaldsway near Castletown, southwest of Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man...
|
Sqn Ldr N Orton |
| No. 65 Squadron -History:It was first formed on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps with a core provided from the training ground at Norwich.It was last disbanded at RAF Coningsby in June 1992, by re-numbering as No. 56 Squadron, after serving as the Operational Conversion Unit for the Tornado...
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 |
Hawker Demon |
12/07/34 |
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Gloster Gauntlet The British Gloster Gauntlet was a single-seat, biplane fighter of the RAF designed and built by Gloster Aircraft in the 1930s. It was the last RAF fighter to have an open cockpit and the penultimate biplane fighter in service.-Design and development:...
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09/36 |
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| FZ |
|
Gloster GladiatorThe Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter, used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it was...
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04/37 |
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|
|
| FZ (YT) |
|
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I |
21/03/39 |
27/08/40 |
TurnhouseEdinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2008, handling 9,006,702 passengers. It was also the seventh busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
|
Sqn Ldr A L Holland |
No. 74 SquadronNo. 74 Squadron RAF, also known as a "Tiger Squadron" from its tiger head motif, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s.-First World War:...
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Hawker Demon |
21/09/36 |
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Sqn Ldr Donald Brookes |
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|
Gloster Gauntlet The British Gloster Gauntlet was a single-seat, biplane fighter of the RAF designed and built by Gloster Aircraft in the 1930s. It was the last RAF fighter to have an open cockpit and the penultimate biplane fighter in service.-Design and development:...
|
04/37 |
|
|
Sqn Ldr Donald Brookes |
| JH (ZP) |
|
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I |
13/02/39 |
14/08/40 |
Wittering RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Although Stamford is the nearest town, the runways of RAF Wittering cross the boundary between Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.-RFC Stamford:...
|
Sqn Ldr Donald Brookes |
No. 222 Squadron-In World War I:The Squadron was formally formed at Thasos on 1 April 1918 from A squadron of the former No. 2 Wing, RNAS when the Royal Air Force was formed. Later, 6 April 1918 former Z Squadron of No. 2 Wing, RNAS was added to the strength. Renumbered No. 62 Wing and consisting of Nos...
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ZD |
|
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I |
30/08/40 |
11/11/40 |
ColtishallThe former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
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Sqn Ldr John Hamar Hill Group Captain John Hamar “Johnnie” Hill was born on December 28 1912 and educated at Dover College where he had been a College Prefect and a good games player....
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 |
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX |
29/04/43 |
30/12/43 |
Woodvale RAF Woodvale is a Royal Air Force airfield located four miles south of Southport, Merseyside in a village called Formby. Although constructed as an all-weather night fighter airfield for the defence of Liverpool, it did not open until 7 December 1941. This was just after the Liverpool Blitz, which...
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Sqn Ldr E J F Harrington |
|
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX |
10/03/44 |
04/04/44 |
Selsey |
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No. 41 SquadronNo. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit, based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. The squadron celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2006, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War:As No...
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PN (EB) |
|
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I |
26/07/40 |
23/02/41 |
Catterick RAF Catterick was formerly a Royal Air Force airfield located near Catterick, North Yorkshire in England.-History:Catterick airfield first opened in 1914 as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the North East of England...
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Sqn Ldr Donald FinlayDonald "Don" Osborne Finlay was a British athlete and Royal Air Force officer.He was born in Christchurch, Dorset and died in Great Missenden.-Athletics career:...
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No. 266 Squadron-World War I:The squadron was formed from No's 437 and 438 Flights at Mudros, Greece on 27 September 1918 from to carry out anti-submarine patrols in that area, flying Short 184s and 320s along with Felixtowe F.3s. In February 1919 it was transferred to the Caucasus on HMS Engadine. It operated...
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk I |
14/08/40 |
21/08/40 |
Wittering RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Although Stamford is the nearest town, the runways of RAF Wittering cross the boundary between Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.-RFC Stamford:...
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Sqn Ldr R L Wilkinson |
No. 600 SquadronNo. 600 Squadron RAuxAF is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Formed in 1925 as a reserve squadron recruiting from the vicinity of London to supplement the Royal Air Force's strength in time of war, 600 Squadron operated as a night fighter squadron during the Second World War...
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Bristol BlenheimThe Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was later adapted into a successful long-range and night fighter...
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22/08/40 |
15/09/40 |
Redhill Redhill Aerodrome is located southeast of Redhill, Surrey, England.Redhill Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee .-Early History:The airfield came into use in the 1930s for private...
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Sqn Ldr David Clark |
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Bristol Beaufighter Mk 1FThe Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
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01/09/40 |
| No. 264 Squadron No. 264 Squadron RAF also known as No 264 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force formed from two former Royal Naval Air Service flights, No. 439 and No. 440, on 27 September 1918 at Souda Bay, Crete to perform anti-submarine patrols. It operated the Short 184 floatplanes on patrols in the...
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Boulton Paul DefiantThe Boulton Paul Defiant was a British fighter aircraft and bomber interceptor used early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter" and served with the Royal Air Force . Contemporary with the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc, the concept...
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22/08/40 |
28/08/40 |
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No. 41 SquadronNo. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit, based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. The squadron celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2006, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War:As No...
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries through the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles...
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03/09/40 |
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| No. 603 Squadron No. 603 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The primary role of 603 Squadron, since reforming on 1 October 1999, has been as a Survive to Operate squadron, as well as providing Force Protection and Mission Support...
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk |
27/08/40 |
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No. 64 SquadronNo. 64 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. It was last disbanded on 31 January 1991 at RAF Leuchars.- 1916 to 1919 :...
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XQ (SH) |
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIa |
11/11/40 |
16/05/41 |
TurnhouseEdinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2008, handling 9,006,702 passengers. It was also the seventh busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb |
16/11/41 |
28/03/43 |
TurnhouseEdinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2008, handling 9,006,702 passengers. It was also the seventh busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
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| No. 122 Squadron No. 122 Squadron was a Royal Air Force fighter squadron during the first and second world wars.-History:The squadron was formed on 1 January 1918 at Sedgeford as a day bomber unit with the Airco DH.4, the intention was to train the squadron for operations on the de Havilland DH.9 but the squadron...
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vc |
01/04/42 |
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX |
03/10/42 |
18/05/43 |
Eastchurch RAF Eastchurch was a Royal Air Force station near Eastchurch village in the English County of Kent. The history of aviation at Eastchurch stretches back to the first decade of the 20th century when it was used as an airfield by members of the Royal Aero Club...
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See also
- Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force , especially Fighter Command...
- Battle of Britain Airfields
-Organisational structure:During the Battle of Britain the UK's airspace was divided into four Groups.-10 Group:10 Group defended Wales and the West Country and was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Sir Quintin Brand.
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- Battle of Britain Squadrons
External links