Wings Over Dover

Wings over Dover:
A secret history of military airfields in Kent

By Robin Whitlock

Whenever one thinks of Kent during the Second World War, invariably one iconic image stands out above all others: the Supermarine Spitfire. It is this aircraft that, contrary to the actual history of the Battle of Britain in which the Hawker Hurricane was deployed in greater numbers by the RAF, symbolises the struggle against Nazi Germany during the early years of the war. Fuelled by romantic images conveyed by films such as the 1969 movie The Battle of Britain starring Michael Cain, Lawrence Olivier and other classic actors, this epic struggle is often symbolised by images of tired but jovial pilots relaxing in deck chairs between sorties and hot sunny days on rural airfields with the gentle drone of spitfires in the background. Consequently, these airfields, including such famous locations as Biggin Hill, Hawkinge and Manston are almost as celebrated as the aircraft that were based there. Therein lies another series of misconceptions, for there were many airfields in Kent, besides the famous ones, that played a pivotal role in the battle. Furthermore, they have a secret history that is not often considered. They played a vital role in the First World War also, and some of them were not even military airfields originally but existing civilian aerodromes adapted for military use. Here then are few things you might not have considered about military airfields in the county.

The full text of this article can be found in the January-February 2011 edition of "Kent Past" magazine.

I am a freelance writer, researcher and administrator with an interest in many contemporary issues across a wide variety of genre’s and business sectors. I have a particular interest in energy and the environment which is the main theme of my blog. I have been published in a wide variety of magazines since I started writing in 1997 and I also write regularly for the social media forum of a technical recruitment consultancy based in Milton Keynes. More recently I have started writing articles for the website of a business software company and also work as an online data input administrator for a London-based research company involved in gathering investment information for the food and renewable technology industries. I am a graduate of Bath Spa University with a BA (Hons) in Psychology and English (2/1).