RAF Kenley - a walk to discover its incredible history
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video I visit the marvellous Kenley Aerodrome site on the Greater London/Surrey border, accompanied by guests from Kenley Revival (www.kenleyrevival.org/).
Jump To:
00:00 Opening
01:11 Kenley Revival
01:40 The Tribute
02:03 Aircraft Acceptance Park & History
03:29 The Tribute Pen - tour and inside the shelter
06:25 Kenley's Weather and its impact
07:15 Douglas Bader
07:42 More Pen Details
10:14 Rifle Range
11:10 Handley Page Shed
11:51 Hangars
13:00 Downloadable Guide
13:10 Officer's Mess Area
13:32 Operations Room Site
14:18 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain Memorials
15:27 Fuel Dump Area and more history
17:11 Fuel Delivery Overview
17:32 Defending the Airfield
18:20 Best preserved Pen
19:50 Post War, Summary and Thanks!
Thank you for watching, I really appreciate it.
If you would like to make a contribution towards the costs of making content then please click on the “Thanks” button on any video, or alternatively you can buy me a coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/philswallow
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I mention that there is a downloadable guide to WW2 walks at the Kenley site, it is available here: www.kenleyrevival.org/content...
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All of my contact details/links are here: bio.site/philswallow
#Kenley #RAFKenley #KenleyRevival #KenleyAerodrome #philswalk&talk #localhistory #battleofbritain #RAF
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I was stationed at RAF KENLEY in 1958 as an Aircraft Crash Crash Rescue fireman. I did my National Service there. Inside the gate on the right was the Medical hut, the Guard House was on the left and our brick barracks were just down the road on the right . They housed us Firemen ,the Cooks and the Hanger men. All gone now. The Parade ground and the NAFFI and the Mess Hall buildings are still there I believe but boarded up. It was a good to have such great comrades there. We were all brothers together there. I was 19 years old then, I am 87 now but still remember and relish my service. I live in Ontario Canada. John Gibbs
Thank you for your comments, John. You may have seen it but here is a link to the excellent Kenley Revival website: www.kenleyrevival.org/
Thankyou for your service sir. ❤
Thank you so much for that. It is the first time as I can remember that anyone has actually thanked me. @@josephinerimmer6888
Brilliant stuff, so glad it's being looked after, we should never forget that generation who did so much for us, my Grandparents included.
Fascinating stuff. 20th Century archaeology.
I lived down Old Lodge Lane by the school next to Cannons Hill, flew gliders with the ATC 285 Sqn and went picking black berries with my nan and my on airdrome. Happy days.
I used to fly from Biggin hill and fly past Kenley aerodrome on take off and landing. Didn't know it has so many preserved structures. Thanks for showing. Will hopefully visit one day (not just fly by)
It is well worth a visit, a very special place!
Great video about Kenley's history and also the sterling work done by the Kenley Revival team. If anyone is interested, Alfred Price's book, "18th August 1940, The Hardest Day" is a fantastic book and probably the best researched record of the attack on Kenley. I first read this book when I was 13 years old and to say it fired a life long interest is an understatement. My copy is signed by Gunther Unger, one of the 9/KG 76 Dornier 17 pilots that took part in the low level raid that day, along with Harry Newton of 111 Squadron who was shot down by Unger's gunner, Franz Bergmann during the attack. The book is probably still my favourite account of the battle.
Thank you for this. I learned about Harry Newton when researching my recent video walk near Botley Hill Farm, where he came down in his Hurricane. I have just ordered the book and look forward to reading it!
So interesting and educational.
Thank you, Peter
Excellent...thank you.
Glad you liked it!
Our family moved to Whyteleafe in 1952. Our house had a big white cross painted on its roof and under the hall floorboards were large bundles of telephone wires. We believe the house was used as an off-site reserve control centre during the war. (We also found a lot of .303 ammunition in the loft!)
Wow Ted, what a story! Have you ever spoken with the Kenley Revival team about this?
@@philswallow I haven't, maybe I should!
I enjoyed this. I was there yesterday with the family. Thanks for making the effort to put this together.
Thanks Jonny, it is a very special place!
Never considered the blast pens would shield fire from other areas / aircraft. I just assumed a blast pen was where they loaded and prepped a plane prior to it going up. Thanks so much for this video. Very informative. Great video. I live close to biggin hill and really must pop over to Kenley.
It’s a great place to visit and they have the most wonderful sunrises and sunsets there. I’m not far from Biggin Hill and that place is very special too of course
Thank you I lived near the airfield durung the war
I always wondered what these pens were for, as a boy I spent many hours playing in the common and sitting on the pens watching the RAF staff training in gliders… we also explored pens looking for ammunition or any war relic, never found anything… not even a cartridges case. on odd occasions when we were spotted they would chase us and as young boys we would leg it of into the woods… I actually lived in Hayes Lane..
Great memories! It's a very special place, the fact that the land area remains is a huge bonus. It would have been wonderful if some of the original hangars had survived but at least we can enjoy and reflect when visiting there unlike some airfields that have been developed on now.
An excellent video, thanks Phil for a detailed tour of the airfield.
Many thanks Steve, what a fantastic place it is!
@@philswallow Thanks Phil, I used to work in the Officers Mess building until it closed in 2004, happy times. Sad to see it's current condition of course, but Linda told me the other week that it will be restored soon, or eventually!
Yes Steve. I saw the planning details on the Tandridge website and Comer have a portfolio of grand buildings that they have renovated elsewhere. Fingers crossed it all comes to fruition as I’m sure it will be a very impressive site once again.
tremendous
Thanks Phil, very interesting.
Thanks Julie!
The Rings set in the ground may be to tie down aeroplanes. This is normal practice still today, especially for general aviation sized aircraft that can be moved by winds or even flipped over. Greg
We’ve had some further developments on that recently so I may need to do a follow-up
Another great video Phil.
Many thanks Steve!
If you look up RAF North Weald, you can find a picture of a MkV Spitfire, ZD-Z, in the background is a dispersal with said netting
To the left of the picture, quite a high structure?
Thank you for this, I have shared it with Linda (from the video) and she is delighted! There are some great images and content on the RAF Weald site
@@philswallow yes, you can see the end caps of the dispersal and scaffold poles behind along the dispersal arm
Worthwhile saying that the top scoring (38 kills) RAF Ace Johnnie Johnson led his Canadian Wing from Kenley in 1943-44 before they hopped over to France post D-Day.
If you can find it (and happily I have a copy) his war memoirs 'Wing Leader' give a lot of details about his Canadian Wing and their deeds and misdeeds. 😉
Thank you. I will hopefully return to Kenley for some follow-ups in the future so will bear this in mind 👍🏻
I have a signed Robert Taylor print of a Mossie signed by JJ....Worcester Park is my home town....long ago //
Used to play on the airfield in the 70s spent a lot of time in the officers mess exploring
That sounds like fun!
@@philswallow we used one of the pill boxes which we partly Doug out the rear. Assess tunnel
Also their was a part demolished house on the woods edge which we explored too
I was there the morning after the final hanger burned down
They are opening up one or two blast pens in September (10th and 16th) so many folk will get a chance to see inside them.
My uncle once told me he knew where it was but I don’t think he’s memory is that good these days
Great video!! I was an air cadet at Kenley in the early to mid 1970’s (450 Squadron if I remember correctly), our huts/offices were near the officers mess building. There was a Spitfire that used to be parked near the main gate as a tribute to the Battle of Britain, I think they removed it in the early 70’s. One point that interests me is ground crews had to test fire the planes guns to ensure that the lines of fire would intersect at the desired point, the range in the video is probably too small for the concentrated fire of 6 x .303 machine guns & was a small arms range as you say, so I’m curious as to where the armourers “dialed in” or “sighted” the guns on the planes? I’ve been all over the airfield when it was still RAF property & seen it from the air when we had glider training, but never found any place that would fit the bill.
I will make enquiries mate!
@@philswallow There was a large open faced shed that was used ranging the aircraft guns.We as kids in the 60's used to pick up the brass casings and then the bullets from the sand pit...polish them up and put them back together.Used to be a marvellous aircraft wreck dump until they covered it up.....maybe get the metal detectors out?
Sounds like great fun! Good shout with regard to the metal detectors although maybe folk have already done that!
My uncle told me they burried the Lincoln bomber that crashed there don’t know if it’s still there
I hadn’t heard about that, will ask around