Royal Air Force West Malling or more simply RAF West Malling is a former Royal Air Force station located south of West Malling, Kent and west of Maidstone, Kent, England.
Originally used as a landing area during the First World War, the site opened as a private landing ground and in 1930, then known as King Hill, home to the Maidstone School of Flying, before being renamed West Malling Airfield, and, in 1932, Maidstone Airport.
During the 1930s many airshows and displays were held by aviators such as Amy Johnson and Alan Cobham, flying from a grass runway.
As war approached, the airfield was taken over by the military, to become RAF West Malling in 1940, serving in the front line against the Luftwaffe. The station saw further service after the war, first with some of the RAFs first jet squadrons, and later as a US Naval Air Station.
After closure as an operational air station in the 1960s, West Malling acquired a more civilian guise, hosting several major Great Warbirds Air Displays during the 70s and 80s, until eventually closing completely as an airfield. The site is now occupied by Kings Hill, a community of mixed residential, commercial, and civic amenities, but still retains several features of its military aviation heritage.
First World War
The airfield was as a landing area during the First World War. but did play an active part in the later stages of the air campaign, becoming a premier night-fighter base.
Maidstone Airport was taken over in the prelude to the Second World War, and the RAF station was formed in June 1940, now with a concrete runway. Designated as one of two RAF Fighter Command stations assigned to C Sector, and designated as an advanced aerodrome for RAF Kenley and RAF Biggin Hill. The first aircraft arrived on 8 June 1940. These were Lysanders of No. 26 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, used for photo-reconnaissance sorties over occupied Europe. No. 51 Wing RAF arrived at the same time, and the airfield was provided with anti-aircraft and searchlight batteries for airfield defence.
Battle of Britain July 1940
On 12 July, No. 141 Squadron arrived from RAF Turnhouse, Scotland, equipped with Defiant Mk.1 turret-fighters. The squadron's first engagement with the enemy occurred a week later, when 6 out of 9 Defiants were destroyed by a superior force of Me.Bf 109s over the Channel. The three surviving aircraft were rescued only when the fight was joined by Hurricanes from No. 111 Squadron. The remainder of the unit returned north to RAF Prestwick on 25 July due to the ineffectiveness of the Defiant against single-seat fighters. The plane, a German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter, circled twice then landed. The driver of the armoured car, AC Wilding immediately swung his vehicle into the path of the aircraft to prevent it from taking off again. With no means to escape, the pilot, Feldwebel Otto Bechtold, immediately gave himself up. Driving back to the airfield from the Guardroom, they saw a second Focke-Wulf Fw 190 land, but before the armoured car could reach it, the pilot realised his mistake and turned his aircraft round to begin a take-off run. The car commander, LAC Sharback, at once opened fire with his twin Vickers machine guns and the aircraft slewed off the runway and caught fire. The pilot, wounded in the shoulder and leg and with his flying suit in flames, was thrown clear of the aircraft as it overturned. The two gunners ran to the pilot's rescue, extinguished his burning clothing and dragged him clear of the aircraft. Unfortunately, when one of the Station's fire trucks was attempting to extinguish the flames, the aircraft exploded in a ball of fire, scattering debris over a radius of 300 yards and seriously injuring several of the RAF Firemen. Within a few minutes, a third Fw 190 crashed on the approach to the runway and a fourth aircraft ploughed into a nearby orchard and burst into flames.
The serviceable aircraft was flown to Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough the next day for detailed examination, and was eventually repainted in RAF livery, designated as a prototype or experimental aircraft.
The German pilots revealed that they had become lost in thick fog over the English Channel, believed they were over France, and had been directed to the airstrip by a searchlight at Detling.
Doodlebugs, 1944
From 20 June to 21 July 1944, No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron RAF, equipped with Spitfire Mk XIVs was stationed at West Malling, tasked with intercepting VI "doodlebug" flying bombs launched from the Dutch and French coasts towards London.
After the war
Night fighters, 1950s and 1960s
In use throughout the 1950s and early 1960s as Britain's premier night fighter station.
United States Navy until 1967
RAF West Malling then became home to several squadrons of the US Navy, until 1967 including FASRON-200.
Following the issue by Idi Amin of Uganda 4 August 1972, of a decree ordering the expulsion of the 60,000 Asians who were not Ugandan citizens, around 30,000 of those with British passports emigrated to Britain. The unused accommodation blocks at the airfield were converted for use as temporary homes throughout 1973 until the refugees were resettled around the country. Other RAF stations involved in this exercise were RAF Honington and RAF Stradishall, both in Suffolk.
Development
thumb|Gibson Building: Former Officers' Mess, headquarters of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council since 1974.
RAF West Malling is now the site of Kings Hill, a mixed development of residential and business developments, including over 2,000 homes, two schools, local retail units and 18-hole golf course.
The former Officers' Mess (now the Gibson Building, and used as Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council offices) was built in 1939, and is now a Grade II listed building. It was bought by the council in 1974 and converted to become their offices. The building has been substantially extended since, with the 1939 Officers' Mess now used as the Council Chamber. A common layout was used at all RAF stations, so that visiting officers were able to find their way around easily.
The brick-built building still shows remnants of the painted camouflage pattern used during the war.
A number of H-block accommodation buildings are also in use as offices.
The control tower - also listed - is largely complete in the form it was in 1942, now surrounded by modern housing, and has been restored for use as a coffee shop.
Situated near the site of the old guard house, a memorial to the personnel stationed at RAF West Malling was unveiled on 9 June 2002. Otto Bechtold, one of the German Fw 190 pilots who had landed in error in 1943, was a guest of honour at the ceremony.
Road names in Kings Hill pay homage to the site's past use as a RAF aerodrome, with names such as Typhoon Road, Mosquito Road, Hurricane Road, Spitfire Road, Beaufighter Road, Javelin Road, Lancaster Way, Lysander Road, Meteor Road and Mustang Road, and finally Tower View running past the Control Tower.
Kings Hill Cricket Club is located on what was the main runway and the team are known as the Mosquitos. The club's pavilion bar is also known as the hangar. The club badge is the RAF roundels with a Mosquito aircraft. The junior teams are all named after other aircraft that operated out of West Malling.
Units and aircraft
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Squadron
!Dates
!Aircraft
!Variant
!Notes
|-
|No. 3 Squadron RAF
|1943
|Hawker Tempest
|1B
|
|-
|No. 14 Squadron RAF
|1947 & 1948
|de Havilland Mosquito
|B16 & B35
|Based twice.
|-
|No. 19 Squadron RAF
|1941
|Supermarine Spitfire
|IIA
|Detachments from Fowlmere.
|-
|rowspan=3|No. 25 Squadron RAF
|1947–1951
|de Havilland Mosquito
|NF10
|
|-
|1951–1954
|de Havilland Vampire
|NF10
|
|-
|1942
|North American Mustang
|II
|Based twice to/from Gatwick.
|-
|1944–1950
|de Havilland Mosquito
|XIII, XX and later NF36
|Based on 11 separate periods.
|-
|No. 41 Squadron RAF
|1944
|Supermarine Spitfire
|XII
|Based for one week.
|-
|No. 64 Squadron RAF
|1943
|Supermarine Spitfire
|VC
|
|-
|No. 66 Squadron RAF
|1940
|Supermarine Spitfire
|I & IIA
|
|-
|No. 80 Squadron RAF
|1944
|Supermarine Spitfire
|IX
|
|-
|rowspan=3|No. 85 Squadron RAF
|1943, 1944, 1947, 1948
|de Havilland Mosquito
|XII, XVII, NF36
|Based four times.
|-
|1948–1957
|Gloster Meteor
|NF11, NF12 & NF13
|
|-
|1946
|Supermarine Spitfire
|XXI
|
|-
|No. 124 (Baroda) Squadron RAF
|1943 & 1944
|Supermarine Spitfire
|VII
|
|-
|No. 130 (Punjab) Squadron RAF
|1943
|Supermarine Spitfire
|VB
|
|-
|No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron RAF
|1942
|Supermarine Spitfire
|VA and VB
|Detachments from Kirton-in-Lindsey.
|-
|No. 141 Squadron RAF
|1940
|Boulton Paul Defiant
|I
|
|-
|No. 153 Squadron RAF
|1955–1957
|Gloster Meteor
|NF12 & NF14
|
|-
|No. 157 Squadron RAF
|1944
|de Havilland Mosquito
|XIX
|
|-
|No. 234 (Madras Presidency) Squadron RAF
|1943
|Supermarine Spitfire
|VI
|
|-
|No. 247 (China-British) Squadron RAF
|1946
|de Havilland Vampire
|F1
|Based twice.
|-
|No. 255 Squadron RAF
|1941
|Bristol Beaufighter
|VIF
|Detachments from Coltishall.
|-
|No. 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron RAF
|1941–1942
|Boulton Paul Defiant
|I & II
|
|-
|No. 274 Squadron RAF
|1944
|Supermarine Spitfire
|IX
|
|-
|No. 287 Squadron RAF
|1945–1946
|Supermarine Spitfire
|XVI
|
|-
|No. 316 Polish Fighter Squadron
|1944
|North American Mustang
|III
|
|-
|No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron RAF
|1944
|Supermarine Spitfire
|XIV
|
|-
|No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron RAF
|1943
|Supermarine Spitfire
|VC
|
|-
|No. 409 Squadron RCAF
|1944
|de Havilland Mosquito
|XIII
|
|-
|No. 410 Squadron RCAF
|1943
|de Havilland Mosquito
|VI
|
|-
|No. 485 Squadron RNZAF
|1942
|Supermarine Spitfire
|VB
|
|-
|No. 486 Squadron RNZAF
|1942
|Hawker Typhoon
|IB
|
|-
|rowspan=5|No. 500 (County of Kent) Squadron RAuxAF
|1947–1948
|de Havilland Mosquito
|NF19 & NF30
|
|-
|1948
|Supermarine Spitfire
|F22
|
|-
|Douglas Boston
|III (Turbinlite)
|
|-
|No. 610 (County of Chester) Squadron AAF
|1942
|Supermarine Spitfire
|VB
|
|-
|No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron AAF
|1944
|Supermarine Spitfire
|VII
|
|}
The following units were here at some point:
In popular culture
Several films and TV programmes, including The Beatles' 1967 experimental film Magical Mystery Tour,
See also
- Kings Hill
- West Malling
- List of former Royal Air Force stations
References
Citations
Bibliography
External links
- Station Memorial
- The Control Tower