After a period of intense action at Kenley during the summer of 1940, 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron were posted north to Prestwick to rest and re-group. While their memories of their time in Scotland were mostly happy, some of them witnessed a horrific accident which left an indelible mark on them.
From it's earliest days as an Air Acceptance Park, there had been anxiety about public access to Hayes Lane, which at the time ran in a straight line from the end of Buxton Lane through to the junction with Old Lodge Lane.
By 18th September, 1940, the Luftwaffe's attention was firmly focused on bombing London into submission. This is the story of just one rescue amongst many that took place during this period.
At a time when everyone faced mortal danger, the vital task of dealing with unexploded bombs stands out as one of outstanding risk and danger. Sadly, the exploits of those brave men were sometimes left unrecorded, and this seems to be the case for a terrible tragedy that took place in Whyteleafe.
On the 4th November, 1940, a lone enemy bomber attacked Caterham on the Hill dropping several bombs which damaged shops and houses, and opening fire on children leaving the Council School, (now Hillcroft School).
On 21st September, 1926.. Major Clarence L. Tinker, Assistant Military Attache for Aviation at the U.S. Embassy and Commander Robert Andrew ...
Ernest Leonard Bailey was born on 19th March, 1920, in Birdham, Chichester, where he worked as a painter and decorator. Realising he would soon be called up, Ernie volunteered to join the RAF, thinking that would be better than the infantry. He enlisted at Uxbridge on his 20th birthday, in 1940, and was sent to Morecombe to do his Initial training.
At around 9.25am on 17th January, 1938, three Gloster Gladiators of No.65 Squadron took off from their base at RAF Hornchurch for formation flying practice. The flight had been ordered by F/Lt. Leslie Charles Bicknell so that a relatively inexperienced pilot, Sergeant Geoffrey Edwin Gaskell, could get some formation practice with two of the squadron's more accomplished flyers - Pilot Officer Adrian Hope-Boyd and Pilot Officer Roland Robert Stanford-Tuck.
On the night of 23rd September, in 1916 three Zeppelins targeted London. The last one to come inland, L31, commanded ...
On 1st September, 1940, Sonia Carlile-Straw, a 19-year-old secretary from Caterham, manned an ARP post alone and took care of shocked and wounded casualties for 13 hours un-aided.
In March 1938, No.3 Squadron were proud to be the second R.A.F. Fighter squadron, after No.111, at Northolt, to get ...
The story of how a startling entry in RAF Kenley's station diary led us to the tragic death of an Indian Air Force pilot.
St Luke's Church connection with RAF Kenley is a sad but nonetheless proud one - its beautiful graveyard is home to a spot called “Airmen’s Corner”.
On 1st September, 1940, seven newly-recruited Coldstream Guards were killed when the Guards Training Depot at Caterham was hit by bombs probably intended for RAF Kenley.
Bellman hangars were first designed in 1936. They were intended to be temporary structures, easily assembled and dismantled by unskilled ...
In January 1987, one of Britain's last surviving Bessonneau hangars collapsed under the weight of heavy snow at Kenley. It was used by 615 VGS to store their gliders.
Kenley's role as a sector station meant its controllers were involved in the events leading to a tragic accident at Friston, on 18th October, 1941.
For the night of 18th October, 1940, the 615 Operations Book records the death of four airmen as a result of enemy action. They were stationed at RAF Northolt at the time but the Squadron had close connections with Kenley, being the local Auxiliary Squadron, with many personnel drawn from the local area.
On 19th October, 1945, No.435 squadron, RCAF, had only been at Croydon for a few days when one of their Dakotas (KG439) stalled and dived into the front garden of a house in Mitchley Avenue, Sanderstead, not long after take-off.
At the front of Airmens' Corner, at St. Luke's Churchyard, Whyteleafe, are two metal plaques. One of them remembers an airman who served with 24 (Communications) Squadron, at Kenley, in the 1920's.