RAF Gravesend
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Gravesend Airport, located southeast of
Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Roche ...
town centre,
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 ...
and west of Rochester. It was operated from 1932 until 1956. It was initially a civil airfield, and became a
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 known as RAF Gravesend during 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 ...
, when it was under the control of
RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...
during 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 ...
. It was the first RAF station to operate the North American Mustang III. The airport returned to civilian use at the conclusion of 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 ...
, although it remained under the ownership of the
Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
until its closure in 1956.


Civil operation

The airport was operated by Gravesend Aviation Ltd served Gravesend and has a significant place in the history of British aviation. From 1933 to 1936 it was home to
Percival Aircraft Hunting Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer that produced light training aircraft and the initial design that would evolve into the BAC 1-11 jet airliner. Founded as Percival Aircraft Company in 1933, the company later moved to Luton, ...
, building the famous Mew Gull racing aircraft among others, before the company moved to Luton. After 1936 Essex Aero was based on the site, and maintained the airfield's link with racing aeroplanes by preparing the de Havilland DH.88 Comets and Alex Henshaw's Percival Mew Gull that set the record for a flight from England to
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. The airfield received
Customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...
facilities in December 1933 and many European airlines made use of Gravesend as a diversionary airport when
Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...
was fogged-in. These airlines included
Imperial Airways Imperial Airways was an early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...
, KLM, Sabena and
Deutsche Luft Hansa ''Deutsche Luft Hansa A.G.'' (from 1933 styled as ''Deutsche Lufthansa'' and also known as ''Luft Hansa'', ''Lufthansa'', or DLH) was a German airline. It served as flag carrier of the country during the later years of the Weimar Republic and t ...
.


Royal Air Force

The
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 ...
moved into Gravesend in 1937 when a Flying Training School began operating
de Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland, de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary traine ...
s and
Hawker Hart The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircraf ...
s at the airfield. In 1942, the RAF greatly enlarged the airfield, which included major extensions to both runways – albeit still formed of grass. Throughout the Second World War, Essex Aero continued to manufacture aircraft parts at the site. Accommodation for personnel was provided nearby at Ashenbank Wood. The company also drew up major plans for the airfield, including concreting the runways (the longest one being just over 5600 ft after the RAF extensions), a new terminal and cargo centre west of the Thong Lane side and their aircraft parts main plant to the east of Thong Lane. When the RAF requisitioned the entire aerodrome in 1939 at the beginning of the war they made it a sector airfield for
Biggin Hill Biggin Hill is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, about south-southeast of Charing Cross. It is separated from London's built-up area by the Metropolitan green belt and is located adjacent to the Greater London boundary with Kent and ...
, as one of the airfields of 11 Group. The first squadron to occupy Gravesend was 32 Squadron, arriving on 3 January 1940 with its
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
fighters, being replaced by 610 Squadron on 27 May. These were followed by another Auxiliary Squadron, 604, which operated
Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...
s as night fighters from 3 July. 501 and 66 Squadrons also flew from here during the 1940
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 ...
, arriving on 25 July and 10 September respectively. A 501 Sqdn pilot, "Ginger" Lacey, was one of the RAF's most successful pilots during the Battle of Britain.For Lacey recalling his time flying from Gravesend see "Audio From the Past 03– WW2 – James "Ginger" Lacey Interview (1978) – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axDoDXQjo24 Many other units also occupied the station during the war years, such as 71 Squadron, which arrived 14 August 1942 for the
Dieppe Raid Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942) was a disastrous Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, during the Second World War. Over 6,050 infantry, predominantly Canadian, supported by a ...
, 92 Squadron (24 September 1941). No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron, arriving 11 August 1943 and 65 Squadron, which arrived 29 July 1943, and was the first Squadron to be issued with the North American Mustang III in December – making Gravesend the first RAF base to operate it. Accommodation was split between Cobham Hall (officers mess), the control tower (some pilots), and the 'Laughing Waters' restaurant (groundcrews), while aircraft were dispersed around the perimeter. Air defence was supplied by the army, and the airfield was attacked only a few times – on 2 September 1940 two soldiers were killed when a pair of bombs were dropped, and on the 4th an attack was mounted by a force of
Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and medium bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Due to restrictions placed on Germany a ...
s, but was aborted. Two more attacks came, but neither managed to hit the airfield itself. The airfield was extended later in the war to accommodate three squadrons of American fighters, and it was also used as an emergency runway for bomber aircraft returning from sorties over the continent. After the war, Gravesend Aerodrome largely returned to civilian use, with the RAF finally leaving in 1956, whereupon Gravesend airfield became a housing estate. All that there is to see now is a plaque in a local sports centre listing the names of fifteen pilots killed in action whilst flying from this small field.


Squadrons based for periods

The following squadrons were also here at some point: ;Units:


Approval for civilian use

In 1954, the
Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
had to decide whether the civil airport should be retained and substantially enlarged, or the extensions east of Thong Lane be released for residential development.
Kent County Council Kent County Council is a county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Kent in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes the Unitary authorities of England, unitary auth ...
had made it clear that the land west of Thong Lane, was identified as a Civil Airport. Additionally,
Kent County Council Kent County Council is a county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Kent in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes the Unitary authorities of England, unitary auth ...
also informed the
Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
, that it would neither support nor oppose enlargement, acknowledging, however, that it would as a result of any such enlargement, the site becoming designated as a fully operational international airport. After the war, the then Gravesend Municipal Council gave planning permission to Essex Aero to take over the airport, but with severe (and unworkable) conditions. The main conditions were that the RAF extensions must be ripped up, thereby reducing the airport size by 40%; that the two runway lengths cut back to just 3000 ft; and finally, provisions that a school and associated housing should be built on parts of the airfield. Under those circumstances, Essex Aero did not continue with its scheme.


Site today

The airfield site today has become a housing estate called Riverview Park; little can be identified of the original use. Leander Drive & Vigilant Way were built quite a distance in-field from the former perimeter track, which ran east–west, almost where Astra Drive now runs to the southern edge of Riverview Park. To the west and north, it followed a line almost where the existing boundary of Riverview Park Estate now stands and to the east, it ran almost adjacent to Thong Lane. The main entrance to the airport, leading to the control tower & hangars was roughly where the existing mini-roundabout in Thong Lane now is. On the eastern side of Thong Lane, where the leisure centre and golf club now occupy the site was the eastern wartime extension to the airfield. The perimeter track ran east from Thong Lane from a point roughly opposite Vigilant Way to the south, extended towards Shorne for about half a mile, before looping northwards and then north-east towards what is now the Leisure Centre, before finally crossing Thong Lane to link up with the peri track on the west of Thong Lane roughly where Leander Drive now is situated. The current approach road to the leisure centre does follow the line of the perimeter track. "Cascades"
Leisure Centre A leisure centre, sports centre, or recreation centre is a purpose-built building or site, usually owned and provided by the local government authority, where people can engage in a variety of sports and exercise, and keep fit. Typical facilit ...
in Thong Lane has a plaque dedicated to the airmen of World War II who served at Gravesend Airport. The Control Tower from the Airport was located across the road from the grounds. The Stand By Set House (Emergency Generator Building) stands in the field immediately to the north of Cascades surrounded by two modern-day barns whilst there is a small piece of the tarmac outer perimeter-track left in the fields behind Astra Drive. But this has fallen into disrepair. These are all that remain of the entire airfield. In addition, two buildings in Stacey Close off Valley Drive (The Stork at Rest Pub and the building opposite) housed the airfield's sick quarters.


See also

*
List of former Royal Air Force stations This list of former RAF stations includes most of the stations, airfields and administrative headquarters previously used by the Royal Air Force. They are listed under any former county or country name which was appropriate for the duration of ...


References


Citations


Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gravesend Defunct airports in England RAF Airports in Kent Battle of Britain