Royal Air Force Detling, or more simply RAF Detling, is a former

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

station situated above sea level, located near Detling, a village about miles north-east of

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, l ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

. It was a station of the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty (United Kingdom), Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British ...

(RNAS) in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and the

(RAF) in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The airfield suffered several raids by the Luftwaffe, especially during the period of the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...

History

''RNAS Detling'' airfield was north east of Maidstone, and was used jointly by the Navy and Air Force between 1916 and 1919. The

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

aircraft also shared some facilities during the second World War. The site was developed in April 1915, covering some , although it was April 1917 before the first occupants, No. 50 Squadron arrived from Dover. The airfield closed in December 1919 to military flying, and after the war it was used by the Short factory at Rochester to test aircraft, and civilian gliding also started in 1930. RAF Detling opened in September 1938 and was assigned to No. 16 Group RAF (headquartered in Chatham) in Coastal Command, for patrols protecting coastal shipping. Although the site was prone to fog, it was re-activated as it had an excellent view over the

Medway towns Medway is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Kent in South East England. It was formed in 1998 by merging the boroughs of City of Roche ...

. The airfield consisted of grassed fields, with the longest runway being long orientated in a north east/south west direction. No. 500 Sqn were the first squadron to move in from RAF Manston. During the Battle of Britain, the base was subject to several raids by enemy aircraft, but also provided a useful stopover location for aircraft from No. 11 Group who could return to their home bases later. On 13 August 1940, a day the Luftwaffe codenamed

Adlertag ''Adlertag'' ("Eagle Day") was the first day of ''Unternehmen Adlerangriff'' ("Operation Eagle Attack"), an air operation by Nazi Germany's ''Luftwaffe'' (German air force) intended to destroy the British Royal Air Force (RAF). The operation c ...

(Eagle Day), at least 50 bombers set out to bomb Detling and RAF Rochford. This resulted in several casualties at Detling, but had little effect on Fighter Command, as the base was an asset of Coastal Command. Twenty-two aircraft were destroyed on the ground, the hangars were set alight and a direct hit on the operations room killed the commanding officer. In total, 67 service and civilian personnel were killed in the raid. The base suffered several attacks during August and September 1940. In 1943, it was transferred first to

RAF Army Cooperation Command The RAF Army Co-operation Command was a short-lived Command (military formation), command of the Royal Air Force during the World War II, Second World War, comprising the army cooperation units of the RAF. The command was formed on 1 December 1 ...

, then to Fighter Command, ahead of the D Day landings. By December 1944, all flying had ceased, and being a grassed airfield, which were surplus to requirements, Detling was placed on a care and maintenance basis from 1 January 1945. Fears of Nazi fanatics not abiding by a surrender, led to the RAF Regiment setting up a ''disarmament school'', teaching students about booby-trapped buildings and dealing with German prisoners. RAF gliding schools used the site after the war, with the Air Training Corps gliders using the airfield alongside civilian gliding clubs. However, these all had to leave when the RAF disposed of the site back to its original owners who were not interested in running it as a gliding site, eventually closing in 1959. The site of the airfield is now home to the annual Kent County Show, which takes place for three days every July, and a number of other shows and events.

Notable personnel

* Ronald Cuthbert Hay – Served with No. 801 Squadron NAS in 1940 at the base. * Daphne Pearson – Pearson was billeted at Detling in 1940 when she was awarded a

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational Courage, gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, ...

for an act of bravery in rescuing a pilot from a burning aircraft which had crashed on the airfield. Pearson had just got him to safety when the bombs on board exploded. Initially awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal, this was changed to the George Cross later.

Operational units and aircraft

;First World War * No. 50 Squadron RFC Detachment (1916) – Vickers ES 1 * No. 112 Squadron RFC (1917) – Vickers ES 1 * No. 143 Squadron RFC/RAF (1918–1919) – Armstrong Whitworth FK.8, Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5A,

Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the b ...

Sopwith Snipe The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe is a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of the ...

;Inter war period and Second World War * No. 500 Squadron RAF (1938–1939) –

Hawker Hind The Hawker Hind is a British light bomber of the inter-war years produced by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force. It was developed from the Hawker Hart day bomber introduced in 1931 in aviation, 1931. Design and development An improved Ha ...

, Avro Anson I * No. 48 Squadron RAF Detachment (1939) – Avro Anson I – provided support to 500 Squadron * No. 4 Squadron RAF Detachment (1940) – Westland Lysander II *

No. 53 Squadron RAF No. 53 Squadron was a Royal Air Force Squadron (aviation), squadron that saw service in both the First World War, First and Second World Wars. History No. 53 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at RAF Catterick, Catterick on 15 May ...

(1940) – Bristol Blenheim IV * No. 235 Squadron RAF (1940) – Bristol Blenheim 1F * 806 Naval Air Squadron's Detachment No. 9 between 7 and 31 May 1940 with the Skua II * 825 Naval Air Squadron initially between 18 and 28 May 1940 then again between 1 and 5 July 1940 with the Swordfish I * 819 Naval Air Squadron's Detachment No. 6 between 21 and 23 May 1940 with the Swordfish I * 815 Naval Air Squadron between 27 May and 2 June 1940 with the Swordfish I * 826 Naval Air Squadron between 31 May and 1 June 1940 with the Albacore I * 801 Naval Air Squadron between 31 May and 23 June 1940 with the Skua II * 812 Naval Air Squadron's Detachment No. 7 between 27 and 28 August 1940 with the Swordfish I * 812 Naval Air Squadron's Detachment No. 2 between 27 December 1940 and 12 March 1941 with the Swordfish * No. 13 Squadron RAF Detachment (1941) – Bristol Blenheim IV * No. 26 Squadron RAF (1941) – Curtiss Tomahawk II * No. 59 Squadron RAF (1941) – Bristol Blenheim IV * 816 Naval Air Squadron's Detachment No. 2 initially between 12 March and 4 April 1941 and then between 11 and 16 April 1941. 'X' Flight joined on 23 April 1941 until being redesignated as 821 NAS on 1 July 1941 * 821 Naval Air Squadron between 1 July and 14 July 1941 with the Swordfish I * No. 239 Squadron RAF (1942) – North American Mustang I * No. 280 Squadron RAF (1942) – Avro Anson I * No. 26 Squadron RAF (1943) – North American Mustang II * No. 318 Squadron RAF (1943) – Hawker Hurricane I * No. 567 Squadron RAF (1943–1944) –

Fairey Barracuda The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber designed by Fairey Aviation. It was the first aircraft of this type operated by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy to be fabricated entirely from metal. The Barra ...

, Miles Martinet, Hawker Hurricane IV &

Airspeed Oxford The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford is a twin-engine monoplane aircraft developed and manufactured by Airspeed Ltd, Airspeed. It saw widespread use for training Commonwealth of Nations, British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombin ...

No. 655 Squadron RAF No. 655 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of the ...

(1943) – Auster III * No. 125 Airfield RAF (October 1943 – May 1944) ** No. 132 Squadron RAF (1943) – Supermarine Spitfire IXB ** No. 184 Squadron RAF (1943) – Hawker Hurricane IV ** No. 602 Squadron RAF (1943) – Supermarine Spitfire IXB * No. 1 Squadron RAF (1944) – Supermarine Spitfire IXB * No. 118 Squadron RAF (1944) – Supermarine Spitfire IX * No. 124 Squadron RAF (1944) – Supermarine Spitfire VII & HF.IXE *

No. 165 Squadron RAF No. 165 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force that was formed during World War I and served during World War II. The squadron has been formed twice. Initially formed on 1 June 1918 as a nucleus, it did not see active service before b ...

(1944) – Supermarine Spitfire IXB * No. 453 Squadron RAAF (1944) – Supermarine Spitfire IXB * No. 504 Squadron RAF (1944) – Supermarine Spitfire IXE * Unknown Fighter Wing ** No. 80 Squadron RAF (1944) – Supermarine Spitfire IX ** No. 229 Squadron RAF (1944) – Supermarine Spitfire IX ** No. 274 Squadron RAF (1944) – Supermarine Spitfire IX * No. 651 Squadron RAF (No. 1903 Flight) (1951–1955) – Bristol Sycamore HC11 * No. 651 Squadron RAF (No. 1902 Flight) (1955–1957) – Auster AOP6 The following units were also here at some point:

References

Sources

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External links

RAF Detling in World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Detling Royal Air Force stations in Kent Royal Naval Air Stations in Kent Military airbases established in 1939 Military installations closed in 1959