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.
Bellman hangars were first designed in 1936. They were intended to be temporary structures, easily assembled and dismantled by unskilled ...
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.
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.
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.
Samantha Furmanis kindly contacted us to pass on this wonderful photo of No.615 (County of Surrey) Squadron, which includes her Father, Leading Aircraftman Albert Edward Hart, standing three rows behind Arthur Vere Harvey, the Squadron's Commanding Officer, who is seated in the very centre of the photo.
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 12th September, 1918, Lieutenant Frederick Plummer took off from Kenley in an Armstrong Whitworth FK8, (F3453), on a ferry flight to France. He had ascended to 200ft and started to turn, when a gust of wind caught the aircraft and it lost flying speed and nose-dived into the ground, wrecking the machine and killing Frederick instantly.
On 16th September, 1917, Captain Cecil Griffin took off from No.7 Air Acceptance Park, Kenley, in Sopwith Camel B6302. His engine mis-fired badly when he was about 400 yards from the airfield boundary and the aircraft plunged earthwards..
10 August 1944 would be the blackest day for 615 Squadron and not due to enemy action...
