RAF West Malling
Encyclopedia
RAF West Malling was a Royal Air Force
station near West Malling
in Kent
, England
.
Originally used as a landing area during the first World War
, the site opened as a private landing ground and in 1930, then known as Kingshill, home to the Maidstone School of Flying, before being renamed West Malling Airfield, and, in 1932, Maidstone Airport.
During the 1930s many airshow
s and displays were held by aviators such as Amy Johnson
and Alan Cobham
, flying from a grass runway.
As war approached, the airfield was taken over by the military, to become RAF West Malling in 1940, serving in the front line against the Luftwaffe
.
The station saw further service after the war, first with some of the RAFs first jet squadrons, and later as a US Naval Air Station
.
After closure as an operational air station in 1969, West Malling acquired a more civilian guise, hosting several major Great Warbirds Air Displays during the 70s and 80s, until eventually closing completely as an airfield. The site is now developing into a new village community of mixed residential, commercial, and civic amenities, but still retains several features of its military aviation heritage.
, suffering from several damaging bombing raids, but did play an active part in the later stages of the air campaign, becoming a premier night-fighter base.
Maidstone Airport was taken over in the prelude to World War II
, and the RAF station was formed in June 1940, now with a concrete runway. Designated as one of two RAF Fighter Command
stations assigned to ‘’C Sector’’, and designated as an advanced aerodrome for RAF Kenley
and RAF Biggin Hill. The first aircraft arrived on 8 June 1940. These were Lysanders
of No. 26 (Army Cooperation) Squadron
, used for photo-reconnaissance sorties over occupied Europe. No. 51 Wing
arrived at the same time, and the airfield was provided with anti-aircraft and searchlight
batteries for airfield defence.
arrived from RAF Turnhouse, Scotland, equipped with Defiant Mk.1
turret-fighters. The squadron’s first engagement with the enemy occurred a week later, when 6 out of 9 Defiants were destroyed by a superior force of Me.Bf 109
s over the Channel. The three surviving aircraft were rescued only when the fight was joined by Hurricanes
from No. 111 Squadron.
The remainder of the unit returned north to RAF Prestwick
on 25 July due to the ineffectiveness of the Defiant against single-seat fighters.
flying Bristol Beaufighter
s arrived for its first tour of duty on 27 April 1941. One of the Squadron's pilots, Guy Gibson
VC
, later officer commanding 617 Squadron
on the Dambusters
Raid, said of the station "Of all the airfields in Great Britain ... we have the most pleasant".
A regular and long-standing inhabitant, 29 Sqn. left for the last time on 25 November 1950.
Cathcart Wight-Boycott
was promoted to Acting Wing Commander
and posted to RAF West Malling as Officer Commanding 29 Squadron
who were still flying Bristol Beaufighter
s. Between December 1942 and January 1943 Wight-Boycott took the additional temporary role of Station Commander at West Malling.
. The pilot, Feldwebel
Otto Bechtold, immediately gave himself up to the ground crew. A second aircraft landed but realising his mistake, the pilot attempted to take off, under fire, and was injured as the plane crashed on the airfield. A third FW-190 undershot the runway, crashing into an orchard.
The serviceable aircraft was flown to Royal Aircraft Establishment
at Farnborough
the next day for detailed examination, and was eventually repainted in RAF livery, designated as a prototype or experimental aircraft.
The German pilots revealed that they had become lost in thick fog, thought they were over France, and had been directed to the airstrip by a searchlight at Detling
, equipped with Spitfire Mk XIV
s was stationed at West Malling, tasked with intercepting VI "doodlebug"
flying bombs launched from the Dutch and French coasts towards London.
In March 1965, Air Cadet 618 VGS (Volunteer Gliding School) moved to West Malling from RAF Manston
, setting up its headquarters in the old dispersal area near the runway threshold. Its aircraft (cable-launched Vanguard TX1 gliders) and equipment were stored into one of the large T4 Hangars where they remained until 1992.
of Uganda
4 August 1972, of a decree ordering the expulsion
of the 60,000 Asians who were not Ugandan citizens, around 30,000 of those with British passports emigrated to Britain. The unused accommodation blocks at the airfield were converted for use as temporary homes throughout 1973 until the refugees were resettled around the country.
' 1967 experimental film
Magical Mystery Tour
, the 1972 television series Pathfinders and the 1982 television drama series We'll Meet Again
, all used the airfield as a location during production.
Aerial sequences for an episode of the British police TV series Dempsey & Makepeace
were filmed here in 1984, involving some spirited flying by a Topflite de Havilland Heron
G-ANUO.
More recently, the 2007 TV series Cape Wrath
includes scenes shot at Kings Hill and other local areas.
, a mixed development of residential and business developments, including over 2,000 homes, two schools, local retail units and 18-hole golf course.
Now The Gibson Building
, and used as Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council offices, the former Officers Mess
, built in 1939, is now a Grade II listed building, the Officers' Mess itself is used as the Council Chamber. A common layout was used at all RAF stations, so that visiting officers were able to find their way around easily.
The brick-built building still shows remnants of the painted camouflage
pattern used during the war.
A number of H-block
accommodation buildings are also in use as offices.
The control tower
- also listed - is largely complete in the form it was in 1942, now surrounded by modern housing, and waiting restoration and eventual new use.
Situated near the site of the old guard house, a memorial to the personnel stationed at RAF West Malling was unveiled on 9 June 2002. Otto Bechtold, the FW-190 pilot, was a guest of honour at the ceremony.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station near West Malling
West Malling
West Malling is a historic market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of about 3000-5000.-Landmarks:...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Originally used as a landing area during the first World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the site opened as a private landing ground and in 1930, then known as Kingshill, home to the Maidstone School of Flying, before being renamed West Malling Airfield, and, in 1932, Maidstone Airport.
During the 1930s many airshow
Airshow
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
s and displays were held by aviators such as Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson CBE, was a pioneering English aviator. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, Johnson set numerous long-distance records during the 1930s...
and Alan Cobham
Alan Cobham
Sir Alan John Cobham, KBE, AFC was an English aviation pioneer.A member of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Alan Cobham became famous as a pioneer of long distance aviation. After the war he became a test pilot for the de Havilland aircraft company, and was the first pilot for the newly...
, flying from a grass runway.
As war approached, the airfield was taken over by the military, to become RAF West Malling in 1940, serving in the front line against the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
.
The station saw further service after the war, first with some of the RAFs first jet squadrons, and later as a US Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
.
After closure as an operational air station in 1969, West Malling acquired a more civilian guise, hosting several major Great Warbirds Air Displays during the 70s and 80s, until eventually closing completely as an airfield. The site is now developing into a new village community of mixed residential, commercial, and civic amenities, but still retains several features of its military aviation heritage.
Wartime action
RAF West Malling was not fully operational during the Battle of BritainBattle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, suffering from several damaging bombing raids, but did play an active part in the later stages of the air campaign, becoming a premier night-fighter base.
Maidstone Airport was taken over in the prelude to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the RAF station was formed in June 1940, now with a concrete runway. Designated as one of two RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
stations assigned to ‘’C Sector’’, and designated as an advanced aerodrome for RAF Kenley
RAF Kenley
The former Royal Air Force Station Kenley, more commonly known as RAF Kenley was a station of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I and the RAF in World War II. It is located near Kenley, London, England.-History:...
and RAF Biggin Hill. The first aircraft arrived on 8 June 1940. These were Lysanders
Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War...
of No. 26 (Army Cooperation) Squadron
No. 26 Squadron RAF
No. 26 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1915 and was disbanded for the last time in 1976.The squadron motto is N Wagter in die Lug , and the squadrons badge is a springbok's head couped.-1915 to 1918:...
, used for photo-reconnaissance sorties over occupied Europe. No. 51 Wing
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
arrived at the same time, and the airfield was provided with anti-aircraft and searchlight
Searchlight
A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...
batteries for airfield defence.
Tally Ho! July 1940
On 12 July, No. 141 SquadronNo. 141 Squadron RAF
No. 141 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 January 1918 at Rochford, for home defence in the London Area. The Squadron moved to RAF Biggin Hill in February and giving up its mixed collection of types in favour of Bristol F.2 Fighters during March...
arrived from RAF Turnhouse, Scotland, equipped with Defiant Mk.1
Boulton Paul Defiant
The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc...
turret-fighters. The squadron’s first engagement with the enemy occurred a week later, when 6 out of 9 Defiants were destroyed by a superior force of Me.Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
s over the Channel. The three surviving aircraft were rescued only when the fight was joined by Hurricanes
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
from No. 111 Squadron.
No. 111 Squadron RAF
No. 111 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland until March 2011, when the squadron was disbanded, ending the Tornado F3's RAF service.-In World War I:...
The remainder of the unit returned north to RAF Prestwick
RAF Prestwick
RAF Prestwick is the home of the "Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre ", and is located within the NATS air traffic control facility at Prestwick, in Ayrshire, Scotland....
on 25 July due to the ineffectiveness of the Defiant against single-seat fighters.
Dambuster, April 1941
No. 29 SquadronNo. 29 Squadron RAF
No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was...
flying Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The 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...
s arrived for its first tour of duty on 27 April 1941. One of the Squadron's pilots, Guy Gibson
Guy Gibson
Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, RAF , was the first CO of the Royal Air Force's 617 Squadron, which he led in the "Dam Busters" raid in 1943, resulting in the destruction of two large dams in the Ruhr area...
VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, later officer commanding 617 Squadron
No. 617 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role...
on the Dambusters
Operation Chastise
Operation Chastise was an attack on German dams carried out on 16–17 May 1943 by Royal Air Force No. 617 Squadron, subsequently known as the "Dambusters", using a specially developed "bouncing bomb" invented and developed by Barnes Wallis...
Raid, said of the station "Of all the airfields in Great Britain ... we have the most pleasant".
A regular and long-standing inhabitant, 29 Sqn. left for the last time on 25 November 1950.
Beaufighters 1942
In September 1942 Squadron LeaderSquadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Cathcart Wight-Boycott
Cathcart Wight-Boycott
Air Commodore Cathcart Michael Wight-Boycott CBE DSO and bar MA, RAF R’td was a British fighter pilot during the Second World War and a senior Royal Air Force officer during the post-war years...
was promoted to Acting Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
and posted to RAF West Malling as Officer Commanding 29 Squadron
No. 29 Squadron RAF
No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was...
who were still flying Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The 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...
s. Between December 1942 and January 1943 Wight-Boycott took the additional temporary role of Station Commander at West Malling.
Emergency Landing, April 1943
On 16 April 1943 a single-engined aircraft was heard approaching the airfield. The plane circled twice, then landed. Station staff, assuming it was a Defiant low on fuel, sent a crash crew to meet the pilot, but on arriving, they discovered a German Focke-Wulf FW-190Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
. The pilot, Feldwebel
Feldwebel
Feldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR-6 in the NATO rank comparison scale, equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army...
Otto Bechtold, immediately gave himself up to the ground crew. A second aircraft landed but realising his mistake, the pilot attempted to take off, under fire, and was injured as the plane crashed on the airfield. A third FW-190 undershot the runway, crashing into an orchard.
The serviceable aircraft was flown to Royal Aircraft Establishment
Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
at Farnborough
Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airport or TAG London Farnborough Airport is an airport situated in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England...
the next day for detailed examination, and was eventually repainted in RAF livery, designated as a prototype or experimental aircraft.
The German pilots revealed that they had become lost in thick fog, thought they were over France, and had been directed to the airstrip by a searchlight at Detling
RAF Detling
RAF Detling was a station of the Royal Naval Air Service in World War I and the Royal Air Force in World War II. Situated 600 feet above sea level, it is located near Detling, a village about three miles north-east of Maidstone, in Kent....
Doodlebugs, 1944
From 20 June to 21 July 1944, No. 322 SquadronNo. 322 Squadron RAF
No. 322 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a Fighter Squadron during the Second World War-History:No. 322 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed from the Dutch personnel of No. 167 Squadron RAF on 12 June 1943 at RAF Woodvale. The squadron retained the code-letter combination VL which had...
, equipped with Spitfire Mk XIV
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s was stationed at West Malling, tasked with intercepting VI "doodlebug"
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
flying bombs launched from the Dutch and French coasts towards London.
After the war
In use throughout the 1950s and early 1960s as Britain's premier night fighter station, RAF West Malling then became home to several squadrons of the US Navy, until 1967. It was then placed on Care & Maintenance, used by several air-industry related business.In March 1965, Air Cadet 618 VGS (Volunteer Gliding School) moved to West Malling from RAF Manston
RAF Manston
RAF Manston was an RAF station in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site is now split between a commercial airport Kent International Airport and a continuing military use by the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre , following on from a long...
, setting up its headquarters in the old dispersal area near the runway threshold. Its aircraft (cable-launched Vanguard TX1 gliders) and equipment were stored into one of the large T4 Hangars where they remained until 1992.
Civilian use
Transit camp
Following the issue by Idi AminIdi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
4 August 1972, of a decree ordering the expulsion
Expulsion of Asians in Uganda in 1972
On 4 August 1972, the then President of Uganda, Idi Amin, ordered the expulsion of his country's Indian minority, giving them 90 days to leave Uganda...
of the 60,000 Asians who were not Ugandan citizens, around 30,000 of those with British passports emigrated to Britain. The unused accommodation blocks at the airfield were converted for use as temporary homes throughout 1973 until the refugees were resettled around the country.
Film set
Several films and TV programmes, including The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' 1967 experimental film
Experimental film
Experimental film or experimental cinema is a type of cinema. Experimental film is an artistic practice relieving both of visual arts and cinema. Its origins can be found in European avant-garde movements of the twenties. Experimental cinema has built its history through the texts of theoreticians...
Magical Mystery Tour
Magical Mystery Tour (film)
Magical Mystery Tour is an hour-long British television film starring The Beatles that originally aired on BBC1 on 26 December 1967...
, the 1972 television series Pathfinders and the 1982 television drama series We'll Meet Again
We'll Meet Again (TV series)
We'll Meet Again is a British television drama set in the Second World War. It was produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network and was broadcast in early 1982 in the Friday primetime slot of 9 pm GMT....
, all used the airfield as a location during production.
Aerial sequences for an episode of the British police TV series Dempsey & Makepeace
Dempsey & Makepeace
Dempsey & Makepeace is a British television crime drama made by London Weekend Television for ITV, created and produced by Ranald Graham...
were filmed here in 1984, involving some spirited flying by a Topflite de Havilland Heron
De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
G-ANUO.
More recently, the 2007 TV series Cape Wrath
Cape Wrath (TV series)
Cape Wrath is a British drama television series produced by Ecosse Films which focuses on a family trying to escape its past while confronting an even more uncertain future...
includes scenes shot at Kings Hill and other local areas.
Development
RAF West Malling is now the site of Kings HillKings Hill
Kings Hill is a civil parish in the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is one of several new villages built in Kent since the 1950s . Development started in 1989 near West Malling, on land previously occupied by RAF West Malling. The plan was for a multi-purpose site of both...
, a mixed development of residential and business developments, including over 2,000 homes, two schools, local retail units and 18-hole golf course.
Now The Gibson Building
Guy Gibson
Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, RAF , was the first CO of the Royal Air Force's 617 Squadron, which he led in the "Dam Busters" raid in 1943, resulting in the destruction of two large dams in the Ruhr area...
, and used as Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council offices, the former Officers Mess
Mess
A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...
, built in 1939, is now a Grade II listed building, the Officers' Mess itself is used as the Council Chamber. A common layout was used at all RAF stations, so that visiting officers were able to find their way around easily.
The brick-built building still shows remnants of the painted camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
pattern used during the war.
A number of H-block
H-block
H-block or h-block can refer to:* H engine, with cylinders in an H pattern* Maze , Belfast, where the prison blocks were built to a uniform H-shaped plan** Anti H-Block, 1981 Irish Republican election label...
accommodation buildings are also in use as offices.
The control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
- also listed - is largely complete in the form it was in 1942, now surrounded by modern housing, and waiting restoration and eventual new use.
Situated near the site of the old guard house, a memorial to the personnel stationed at RAF West Malling was unveiled on 9 June 2002. Otto Bechtold, the FW-190 pilot, was a guest of honour at the ceremony.
RAF units and aircraft
| Unit | Dates | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sqn No. 3 Squadron RAF No 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Typhoon F2, FGR4 and T3 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.No 3 Squadron, which celebrated its 95th anniversary over the weekend of 11-13 May 2007, is unique in the RAF for having two official crests.... |
1943 | Hawker Tempest Hawker Tempest The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war.... |
1B | |
| 14 Sqn No. 14 Squadron RAF No. 14 Squadron of the Royal Air Force currently operates the Beechcraft Shadow R1 in the ISTAR role from RAF Waddington.-World War I:... |
1947 & 1948 | de Havilland Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"... |
B16 & B35 | Based twice |
| 19 Sqn | 1941 | Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
IIA | Detachments from Fowlmere |
| 25 Sqn | 1947–1951 | de Havilland Mosquito | NF10 | |
| 1951–1954 | de Havilland Vampire De Havilland Vampire The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served... |
NF10 | ||
| 1954–1957 | Gloster Meteor Gloster Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force... |
NF12 & NF14 | ||
| 26 Sqn No. 26 Squadron RAF No. 26 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1915 and was disbanded for the last time in 1976.The squadron motto is N Wagter in die Lug , and the squadrons badge is a springbok's head couped.-1915 to 1918:... |
1940 | Westland Lysander Westland Lysander The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War... |
III | |
| 1942 | North American Mustang P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts... |
II | Based twice to/from Gatwick | |
| 29 Sqn No. 29 Squadron RAF No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was... |
1941–1943 | Bristol Beaufighter Bristol Beaufighter The 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... |
IF and VIF | |
| 1944–1950 | de Havilland Mosquito | XIII, XX and later NF36 | Based on 11 separate periods | |
| 32 Sqn | 1942 | Hawker Hurricane Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... |
I, IIB and IIC | Based three times |
| 41 Sqn No. 41 Squadron RAF No. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No... |
1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | XII | Based for one week |
| 64 Sqn No. 64 Squadron RAF No. 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 :... |
1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | VC | |
| 66 Sqn No. 66 Squadron RAF No. 66 Squadron was a Royal Flying Corps and eventually Royal Air Force aircraft squadron.-In World War I:It was first formed at Filton on 30 June 1916 as a Training Squadron equipped with BE2c,d & e, BE12 and Avroe 504A machines. The squadron received its first Sopwith Pup on 3 February 1917,... |
1940 | Supermarine Spitfire | I & IIA | |
| 80 Sqn No. 80 Squadron RAF No. 80 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II.-Establishment and early service:... |
1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | IX | |
| 85 Sqn No. 85 Squadron RAF No. 85 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It most recently served as No. 85 Squadron based at RAF Church Fenton.-In World War I:... |
1943, 1944, 1947, 1948 | de Havilland Mosquito | XII, XVII, NF36 | Based four times |
| 1948–1957 | Gloster Meteor | NF11, NF12 & NF13 | ||
| 91 Sqn No. 91 Squadron RAF No 91 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force but is no longer operational. The name acknowledges the contribution made by Nigeria to the cost of the squadron's aeroplanes.-World War I:... |
1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | XIV | |
| 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | XXI | ||
| 96 Sqn No. 96 Squadron RAF No. 96 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron. The squadron served on the Western Front during World War II and the Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II. No. 96 Squadron served in a variety of roles such as night fighter cover and transportation. It was disbanded in 1959,... |
1943–1944 | de Havilland Mosquito | XIII | |
| 124 Sqn No. 124 Squadron RAF No. 124 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a light bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:... |
1943 & 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | VII | |
| 130 Sqn | 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | VB | |
| 133 Sqn No. 133 Squadron RAF 133 Squadron RAF was one of the famous Eagle squadrons formed from American volunteers serving with the RAF during World War II.-History:133 Squadron was first formed in 1918 at RAF Ternhill. It was a training unit for the Handley Page O/400, flying the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2, that was... |
1942 | Supermarine Spitfire | VA and VB | Detachments from Kirton-in-Lindsey |
| 141 Sqn No. 141 Squadron RAF No. 141 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 January 1918 at Rochford, for home defence in the London Area. The Squadron moved to RAF Biggin Hill in February and giving up its mixed collection of types in favour of Bristol F.2 Fighters during March... |
1940 | Boulton Paul Defiant Boulton Paul Defiant The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc... |
I | |
| 153 Sqn No. 153 Squadron RAF No. 153 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force. On 1 July, 1958, the unit was renumbered as No. 25 Squadron RAF.-Aircraft operated:... |
1955–1957 | Gloster Meteor | NF12 & NF14 | |
| 157 Sqn No. 157 Squadron RAF No. 157 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was active as a night fighter unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No. 157 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 14 July 1918 at RAF Upper Heyford and was eventually equipped with Salamander aircraft for ground support duties,... |
1944 | de Havilland Mosquito | XIX | |
| 234 Sqn No. 234 Squadron RAF No. 234 Squadron RAF had a long career within the RAF, being operational on flying boats in World War I and on fighter aircraft in World War II. After the war it remained a fighter unit till 1957. In its last incarnation the squadron was in turn Operational Training Unit , Tactical Weapon Unit and... |
1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | VI | |
| 247 Sqn No. 247 Squadron RAF No. 247 Squadron was formerly a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was also known as No.247 Squadron in recognition of the donations made by the British colonies, which at the outbreak of the Second World War, were established on the Chinese coast... |
1946 | de Havilland Vampire | F1 | Based twice |
| 255 Sqn No. 255 Squadron RAF No. 255 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an anti–submarine unit in World War I and a night-fighter unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No... |
1941 | Bristol Beaufighter Bristol Beaufighter The 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... |
VIF | Detachments from Coltishall |
| 264 Sqn No. 264 Squadron RAF 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... |
1941–1942 | Boulton Paul Defiant | I & II | |
| 274 Sqn No. 274 Squadron RAF No. 274 Squadron RAF began to form as a patrol squadron, intended to fly Vickers Vimys, at Seaton Carew in November 1918 a few days before the end of World War I. The squadron formation was then cancelled. It was reformed on 15 June 1919 as a bomber squadron, flying Handley Page V/1500s, but... |
1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | IX | |
| 287 Sqn No. 287 Squadron RAF No. 287 Squadron was an anti-aircraft co-operation squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1941 to 1946.-History:The squadron was formed at RAF Croydon on 19 November 1941 from No. 11 Group RAFs Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation Flight. The squadron flew various aircraft, including Westland Lysanders and... |
1945–1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | XVI | |
| 316 Sqn | 1944 | North American Mustang | III | |
| 322 Sqn No. 322 Squadron RAF No. 322 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a Fighter Squadron during the Second World War-History:No. 322 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed from the Dutch personnel of No. 167 Squadron RAF on 12 June 1943 at RAF Woodvale. The squadron retained the code-letter combination VL which had... |
1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | XIV | |
| 350 Sqn | 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | VC | |
| 409 Sqn | 1944 | de Havilland Mosquito | XIII | |
| 410 Sqn | 1943 | de Havilland Mosquito | VI | |
| 485 Sqn | 1942 | Supermarine Spitfire | VB | |
| 486 Sqn | 1942 | Hawker Typhoon | IB | |
| 500 Sqn No. 500 Squadron RAF No. 500 Squadron AAF was formed in 1931 as a Special Reserve squadron and in 1936 became part of the Auxiliary Air Force. It served in a number of roles before being disbanded in 1957.-Formation and early years:... |
1947–1948 | de Havilland Mosquito | NF19 & NF30 | |
| 1948 | Supermarine Spitfire | F22 | ||
| 1948–1951 | Gloster Meteor | F3 | ||
| 1951–1952 | Gloster Meteor | F4 | ||
| 1951–1957 | Gloster Meteor | F8 | ||
| 531 Sqn No. 531 Squadron RAF No. 531 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.-History:No. 531 Squadron was formed at RAF West Malling, Kent on 8 September 1942, from No. 1452 Flight, as part of No. 11 Group RAF in Fighter Command... |
1942–1943 | Douglas Havoc | I (Turbinlite) | |
| Douglas Boston | III (Turbinlite) | |||
| Hawker Hurricane | IIC | |||
| 567 Sqn No. 567 Squadron RAF No. 567 Squadron was an anti-aircraft co-operation squadron of the Royal Air Force, formed during World War II and active between December 1943 and June 1946 in the defence of south-east England.-History:... |
1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | XVI | |
| 610 Sqn No. 610 Squadron RAF No. 610 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was as a Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force, its pilots were initially part timers who would spend their weekends and spare time flying and practicing combat maneuvers. The squadron was named the "County of Chester" and adopted the motto "Alifero tollitur... |
1942 | Supermarine Spitfire | VB | |
| 616 Sqn No. 616 Squadron RAF No. 616 Squadron was a unit of the British Auxiliary Air Force and later the Royal Auxiliary Air Force between 1938 and 1957.-Formation:... |
1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | VII |