On 8th May, 1939, Gloster Gauntlet Mk. II, K5359, of 17 squadron, stalled and hit the ground as it side-slipped attempting to land at RAF Kenley.
It is tempting to think that we have nothing more to learn about 'The Hardest Day,' but somehow, one of Kenley's heroes has been overlooked, a Warrant Officer who was honoured for bomb disposal work which was pivotal in keeping Kenley operational during this vital stage of the Battle of Britain.
AC1 Albert John Asker's death, on 20th September, 1942, is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, but the cause would have remained a mystery, had it not been for an entry in a pilot's diary..
On 24th January, 1938, Sgt. Ernest Harry Lomax, of No.3 squadron, Kenley, bailed out of his Gloster Gladiator (K6150) when he got into a spin from which he couldn't recover, while practicing aerobatics in a formation of four.
Arthur Henry Hill, born on 20 April 1922, was the eldest of four children born to Charles Henry Hill & Mary Gladys Hill (nee Boyce), of Elsternwick, Victoria.
On 15th July, 1930, Flying Officer Peter Bagwell Rogers of No.23 Squadron, lost control of his Gloster Gamecock Mk.I (J7894) and spun into the ground at Gedney Dawsmere, near Holbeach Ranges, Lincolnshire, during gunnery practice.
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..
At a reunion of No. 501 Squadron at RAF Kenley, surviving Battle of Britain pilots gather to swap stories and recall the events of 1940.
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...
William Wallace Anderson enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) two days after his first wedding anniversary.
On Saturday 4 April, 1942, New Zealander Pilot Officer Fox, known as ‘Dene’, was 21 years old with 259 flying hours to his credit. He had been posted to 485 Squadron RNZAF the previous month and was still a novice at operational flying.
Fred Chandler was the eldest son of Edward and Evelyn Chandler and grew up in Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand.
