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RAF Detling

( Royal Air Force Stations In Kent )

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Operational units and ai..
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Royal Air Force Detling, or more simply RAF Detling, is a former Royal Air Force station situated above sea level, located near Detling, a village about 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 north east of Maidstone, 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 , 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. 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 (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, 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 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 & Sopwith Snipe

Inter war period and Second World War

No. 500 Squadron RAF (1938–1939) – Hawker Hind, Avro Anson
No. 48 Squadron RAF Detachment (1939) – Avro Anson – provided support to 500 Squadron
No. 4 Squadron RAF Detachment (1940) – Westland Lysander II
No. 53 Squadron RAF (1940) – Bristol Blenheim
No. 235 Squadron RAF (1940) – Bristol Blenheim
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
No. 26 Squadron RAF (1941) – Curtiss Tomahawk II
No. 59 Squadron RAF (1941) – Bristol Blenheim
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
No. 26 Squadron RAF (1943) – North American Mustang II
No. 318 Squadron RAF (1943) – Hawker Hurricane
No. 567 Squadron RAF (1943–1944) – Fairey Barracuda, Miles Martinet, Hawker Hurricane & Airspeed Oxford
No. 655 Squadron RAF (1943) – Auster III
No. 125 Airfield RAF (October 1943 – May 1944)