On 23rd May, 1942, two pilots were injured, as well as one precious Spitfire lost and another damaged in an awful friendly fire incident involving Kenley's Canadian 402 Squadron and 91 Squadron from Hawkinge.
RAF Kenley is more commonly known for its role in the Battle of Britain or the Canadian Wing, under “Johnnie” Johnson, but it also featured heavily in the Battle of France. Between 10 May and 25 June 1940 eight squadrons, or parts thereof, were based at Kenley.
Following their departure from Kenley on 21 April 1941, 615 Squadron continued to operate the Hawker Hurricane as their mount on travels to Wales, Kent and finally India. Stationed at Alipore, near Calcutta (Kolkata), it was not until 30 September 1943 that they began swapping their Hurricane IIs for Spitfire Vs.
401 squadron RCAF were stationed at RAF Redhill at the end of July 1943, when they lost two pilots in unrelated accidents only a couple of days apart.
A love letter with a difference from Kenley's best-known Wing Leader - James Edgar 'Johnnie' Johnson - the RAF's top-scoring fighter pilot of World War II.
This is a brief outline of the planes that took part in the attack on and defence of the airfields defending London and south-east England on Sunday 18 August 1940, specifically RAF Kenley.
"My number three man called that he was going down and I saw him bale out"
10 August 1944 would be the blackest day for 615 Squadron and not due to enemy action...
As Fighter Command looked to the future in 1941 following the end of the Battle of Britain and major German ...
On 11th January, 1942, Sgt. Maskill, of 485 (New Zealand) Squadron, had a lucky escape when he misjudged his landing..
Having survived as a fighter pilot with 64 Squadron at Kenley during the Battle of Britain, Adrian Laws tragically lost his life on the 30th September 1940 in a mid-air collision, while stationed at RAF Leconfield.
While relating the stories of fighter combat during WW2, we often talk of ‘miraculous escapes,’ but what happened to P/O ...
On 3rd February, 1943, 416 squadron, RCAF, were escorting Ventura bombers to St. Omer when they were attacked by FW190s of JG26. P/O John Rainville was lucky to escape with his life..
When Flight Lieutenant John Trull's engine failed over Lille on 20th February, 1944, he must have wondered if he would live to see another day, let alone marry his sweetheart...
My father, Ronald Parsonson, volunteered for the RAF when war broke out . He was prompted to join the RAF by his school friend and tennis partner Robert (Bob) Palmer who was later awarded a posthumous VC.
At 16.25hrs, on 15th December, 1943, Spitfire IX, BS288, caught fire over East Grinstead, forcing the pilot, Flight Sergeant E. L. Hampson (138274), to abandon the aircraft and take to his parachute. The Spitfire plummeted into the ground at Forest Row.
