RAF Detling
Detling, Kent in England
RAF Detling station badge, with motto: Dare to be wise
RAF Detling is located in Kent
RAF Detling
RAF Detling
Shown within Kent
Coordinates51°18′18″N 000°35′36″E / 51.30500°N 0.59333°E / 51.30500; 0.59333
TypeRoyal Air Force station
CodeDQ[1]
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byRAF Bomber Command 1938
* No. 6 Group RAF
RAF Coastal Command 1938–43
* No. 16 Group RAF
RAF Army Cooperation Command 1943
RAF Fighter Command 1943
* No. 11 Group RAF
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
* No. 83 Group RAF
Air Defence of Great Britain
Site history
Built1937 (1937)/38
In useSeptember 1938 – October 1959
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Cold War
Airfield information
Elevation161 metres (528 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
04/22 1,280 metres (4,199 ft) Grass
00/00  Grass
00/00  Grass

Royal Air Force Detling, or more simply RAF Detling, is a former Royal Air Force station situated 600 feet (180 m) above sea level, located near Detling, a village about 4 miles (6.4 km) miles north-east of Maidstone, Kent.

It was a station of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in the First World War and the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The airfield suffered several raids by the Luftwaffe, especially during the period of the Battle of Britain.

History

RNAS Detling airfield was 4 miles (6.4 km) north east of Maidstone,[2] and was used jointly by the Navy and Air Force between 1916 and 1919. The Fleet Air Arm aircraft also shared some facilities during the second World War. The site was developed in April 1915, covering some 95 acres (38 ha), although it was April 1917 before the first occupants, No. 50 Squadron arrived from Dover.[3] 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.[2][4]

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.[5] Although the site was prone to fog, it was re-activated as it had an excellent view over the Medway towns.[6] The airfield consisted of grassed fields, with the longest runway being 4,200 feet (1,300 m) long orientated in a north east/south west direction.[7][8] No. 500 Sqn were the first squadron to move in from RAF Manston.[9] 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.[10] On 13 August 1940, a day the Luftwaffe codenamed Adlertag (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.[11] 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.[12] In total, 67 service and civilian personnel were killed in the raid.[13] The base suffered several attacks during August and September 1940.[14]

In 1943, it was transferred first to RAF Army Cooperation Command, then to Fighter Command, ahead of the D Day landings.[15][8] 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.[16] 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.[17][18][19]

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.[20]

This Memprial Commemorates the Units and Squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Naval Air Service, the Fleet Air Arm, the Army and civilian personnel who served at Detling Air Field.

Notable personnel

Corporal J. D. M. Pearson, GC, WAAF by Laura Knight (1940)
  • Ronald Cuthbert Hay – Served with No. 801 Squadron NAS in 1940 at the base.[21]
  • Daphne Pearson – Pearson was billeted at Detling in 1940 when she was awarded a George Cross 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.[22]

Operational units and aircraft

First World War
Inter war period and Second World War

The following units were also here at some point:[57]

References

  1. 1 2 Falconer 2012, p. 79.
  2. 1 2 Delve 2005, p. 74.
  3. ↑ Chorlton 2014, p. 88.
  4. ↑ Moor 2011, p. 43.
  5. ↑ Collier 1957, p. 438.
  6. ↑ Moor 2011, p. 52.
  7. 1 2 Ashworth 1985, p. 72.
  8. 1 2 Delve 2005, p. 75.
  9. ↑ "Detling station opened". The Times. No. 48105. London. 21 September 1938. p. 16. ISSN 0140-0460.
  10. ↑ "Detling Airfield". heritagegateway.org.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  11. ↑ Collier 1957, pp. 187–188.
  12. ↑ Moor 2011, p. 90.
  13. ↑ Moor 2011, p. 92.
  14. ↑ Collier 1957, pp. 460–461.
  15. 1 2 3 Ashworth 1985, p. 75.
  16. ↑ Ashworth 1985, p. 76.
  17. ↑ "ATC Gliding Training". The Times. No. 51524. London. 28 October 1949. p. 16. ISSN 0140-0460.
  18. ↑ "RAF glider training". The Times. No. 51569. London. 20 December 1949. p. 2. ISSN 0140-0460.
  19. ↑ "Clubs' difficulties in obtaining sites". The Times. No. 51524. London. 16 March 1959. p. 14. ISSN 0140-0460.
  20. ↑ Moor 2011, p. 237.
  21. ↑ Stothard, Peter, ed. (5 December 2001). "Commander Ronnie Hay". The Times. No. 67314. London. p. 19. ISSN 0140-0460.
  22. ↑ Stothard, Peter, ed. (26 July 2000). "Daphne Pearson obituary". The Times. No. 66889. London. p. 19. ISSN 0140-0460.
  23. 1 2 3 Chorlton 2014, p. 89.
  24. 1 2 Collier 1957, p. 468.
  25. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 44.
  26. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 27.
  27. 1 2 Jefford 2001, p. 78.
  28. ↑ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 149.
  29. ↑ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 219.
  30. ↑ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 194.
  31. ↑ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 182.
  32. ↑ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 223.
  33. ↑ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 131.
  34. 1 2 Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 168.
  35. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 31.
  36. 1 2 Jefford 2001, p. 36.
  37. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 47.
  38. ↑ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 187.
  39. ↑ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 204.
  40. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 85.
  41. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 88.
  42. ↑ Lake 1999, p. 268.
  43. 1 2 Jefford 2001, p. 103.
  44. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 54.
  45. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 62.
  46. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 68.
  47. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 99.
  48. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 26.
  49. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 60.
  50. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 61.
  51. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 67.
  52. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 94.
  53. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 96.
  54. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 52.
  55. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 76.
  56. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 84.
  57. ↑ "Detling". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  58. 1 2 3 4 5 Moor 2011, p. 240.
  59. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 94.
  60. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 249.
  61. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 70.
  62. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 144.
  63. 1 2 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 49.
  64. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 71.
  65. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 182.
  66. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 318.
  67. 1 2 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 166.
  68. 1 2 3 Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 261.
  69. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 168.
  70. ↑ Oliver 1997, p. 317.
  71. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 136.
  72. ↑ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 146.
  73. ↑ Oliver 1997, p. 289.
  74. ↑ Oliver 1997, p. 298.
  75. ↑ Lake 1999, p. 171.
  76. 1 2 Moor 2011, p. 10.

Sources

  • Ashworth, Chris (1985). Military airfields of the Central South and South-East. Wellingborough: P. Stephens. ISBN 0-85059-608-4.
  • Chorlton, Martyn (2014). Forgotten airfields of World War I. Manchester: Crécy. ISBN 9780859791816.
  • Collier, Basil (1957). The defence of the United Kingdom by Basil Collier. London: Imperial War Museum in association with The Battery Press.
  • Delve, Ken (2005). Southern England : Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex. Ramsbury: Crowood Press. ISBN 1861267290.
  • Falconer, J. (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
  • Jefford, C. G. (2001). RAF squadrons : a comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 (2 ed.). Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Lake, Alan (1999). Flying units of the RAF : the ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
  • Moor, Anthony John (2011). Detling Airfield : a history, 1915–1959. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 9781445603469.
  • Oliver, Kingsley M. (1997). Through adversity : the history of the Royal Air Force Regiment, 1942–1992. Rushden: Forces & Corporate. ISBN 0-9529597-0-4.
  • Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
  • Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J.; Halley, J. (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.
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