After a period as an Aircraft Acceptance park in 1917-18 when machines were prepared for service in France, Treasury approval was given in 1919 for 19 officers and 462 NCOs and airmen to be established. This was on Lord Trenchard's insistence that Kenley was to be preferred to Northolt, Middlesex, as a major airfield for the Royal Airforce. No.1 Squadron moved in and its first duty was to fly a shuttle service to France for the Peace Conference.
Aerial view of the airfield taken just after
WWIIThe first squadron properly based at Kenley was No.24, flying Bristol Fighters, Avro 504's and De Havilland DH9's on communication sorties over Europe. On 1 April 1923, another famous World War 1 squadron was formed at Kenley - this was No.32 (Fighter) Squadron, equipped with Sopwith Snipes. These two squadrons operated with their own administrative personnel but on 22 September 1924 the Air Council decided that the time had come for Kenley to become a self-accounting Station with Wing Commander F. K. Wise as the Station Commander.
In January 1925, No.32 Squadron was re-equipped with the Gloster Grebe fighter, and the squadron pilots were the stars at the great Wembley Exhibition flying display. In 1926 RAF Kenley played a vital role in the General Strike, distributing official mail and emergency orders to strategic airfields.
With the country back to normal it was decided to move No.24 Squadron to Northolt and concentrate on the fighter defence of London by moving No.23 Squadron to Kenley flying Gloster Gamecocks. In 1928 No.32 Squadron was re-equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Siskin 111's, powered by a Jaguar IV engine giving the fighter a top speed of 156 miles per hour and a climb to 15,000 ft. in 10 minutes - a revolutionary performance in those days.
Hurricanes lines up at the airfield ready for inspection c.1941
In 1930 both squadrons at Kenley received the versatile Bristol Bulldog. A favourite with the pilots, the Bulldog was 20mph faster than the Siskin and could climb to 20,000 ft. in 14 minutes. Its armament comprised twin synchronised Vickers machine guns and four 20lb bombs. Pilot Officer Douglas Bader of No.23 Squadron had his accident in a Bulldog when practising for the 1931 Hendon Air Pageant.
Equipped with tin legs, Douglas Bader returned to fly with much distinction during the Second World War. He eventually retired in 1946 as a Group Captain with DSO and DFC after his name and many famous stories to relate.
From 1932 to 1934 extensive re-building took place at Kenley with the expansion of the Royal Air Force. As soon as the base was operationally fit Nos.3 and 17 Fighter Squadrons arrived. In 1936 No.17 Squadron was equipped with the Gloster Gauntlet (a road at Kenley is named after this aircraft - Gauntlet Crescent). March 1937 saw the reforming of No.80 Squadron at Kenley and the re-equipment of No.3 Squadron with the last of the biplane fighters - the Gloster Gladiator.
On 2 September 1939, No.17 Squadron had moved to Debden and Nos.3 and 615 Squadrons moved to Croydon. As the blitzkrieg swept into France, Holland and Belgium, Kenley became the home for three fighter squadrons which often consisted of various "bits and pieces" as losses reduced the squadron strengths. Nos.111 and 253 Squadrons were Kenley based during this period and, after a valiant rearguard action with the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk, the remnants of No.615 Squadron returned in time to take part in the Battle of Britain in August and September 1940. No.64 Squadron flew in Spitfires, followed by No.66 (South Yorkshire) Squadron - one of its young pilots being Pilot Officer Johnnie Johnson, destined to end the war as the top-scoring pilot of the Royal Air Force. Many people will still remember the massed formation of enemy aircraft which crossed the coast at Dover making for the RAF airfields to the south of London. Two formations of Dornier 17's with Messerschmitt 109 escorts attacked Kenley simultaneously, a formation of 50 aircraft at high level and nine aircraft at a mere 100ft. No.615 Squadron was intercepting over Hawkinge and Nos.64 and 111 Squadrons dealt with the Kenley raiders. Two raiders were shot down and several damaged, but this did not prevent about 100 bombs falling on Kenley, causing extensive damage. Ten aircraft were destroyed on the ground and six badly damaged, communications were cut and hangers destroyed, together with a number of camp buildings and married quarter houses. Casualties were remarkably light with ten killed and ten injured. As the Battle of Britain reached its climax No.66 Squadron came to Kenley flying Spitfires. The Operations Room was moved to Caterham and Coulsdon for fear of further bombing of the camp, and No.605 (County of Warwick) Squadron came to the airfield. In 1941 the first of Winston Churchill's offensive strikes was staged when Hurricanes of Nos.1 and 615 Squadrons attacked targets in Occupied Europe. A Spitfire Wing was formed with Nos.452 (RAAF), 485 (RNZAF) and 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadrons, with men like Paddy Finucane, John Peel, Johnnie Kent and Bluey Truscott, an Australian pilot who survived many sorties only to die in the Pacific in the closing stages of the war against Japan. Group Captain Victor Beamish came to Kenley to command until he lost his life on an offensive mission. The memorial to Group Captain Beamish, formerly erected in Victor Beamish Avenue on the Station, will be re-sited outside the newly located Detachment Headquarters in Building 158.A United States Army Air Force Squadron, equipped with Spitfires, gained valuable experience flying from Kenley, as did Free French and Belgian squadrons and an all Canadian Wing. When the time came for invasion of Europe, the squadrons at Kenley became part of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force. In April 1944, the 2nd Tactical Air Force complement, renamed No.21 Wing, moved from Kenley to fly from airfields in the low countries and Germany right up to VE Day.
The actor, Kenneth Moore, signing autographs during the filming of 'Reach For The Sky' in 1956 at Kenley.
The R.A.F. left Kenley in 1978 and today Air Training Corps gliders still operate from Kenley and the Squadron - No.615 Gliding School - bearing the same numbers as No.615 County of Surrey Squadron - remains to remind us all of those who flew from this historic ground many, alas, never to return. They gave their today that we might have a tomorrow.
The Royal Air Force Kenley badge is described by the Clarenceaux King of Arms as follow: "A portcullis to suggest the successful defence of this country in the critical times of war. The Rose and Lily have reference to air combats over England and France and to the early days in the history of Kenley from which airfield the first London/Paris air service was operated." The motto NISI DOMINUS PRO NOBIS may be translated as "Except the Lord be on our side".
TRAVEL INFORMATION By Train To Whyteleafe or Upper Warlingham Stations www.southernrailway.com/planmyjourney By Bus 409 service past the airfield www.metrobus.co.uk |
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