RAF Hawkinge


Royal Air Force Hawkinge or more simply RAF Hawkinge is a former Royal Air Force station located north of Folkestone, Kent and west of Dover, Kent, England. The airfield was used by both the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force during its lifetime and was involved during the Battle of Britain as well other important aerial battles during the Second World War.

History

First World War

During the First World War the airfield was called RFC Folkestone until 29 December 1916 and RFC Hawkinge later on. The only squadron present during this period was No. 25 Squadron RFC between 19 and 20 February 1916 with Vickers F.B.5, Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2B and Morane-Saulnier L.
An Aircraft Acceptance Park was in residence between 27 July 1917 and 12 October 1917 before being renamed to No. 12 Aircraft Acceptance Park which stayed until May 1919.

Inter-war years

Between the wars a number of squadrons were posted here:
It was from Hawkinge that air liaison was maintained between the Royal Air Force and the British Expeditionary Force during the fighting in France and the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. As long as communications remained open targets were selected in accordance with requests from the BEF and Hawkinge was one of the advanced re-fuelling bases when maximum range was required for operations over France. It was a fighter airfield for squadrons of No. 11 Group, and was so severely damaged by German bombing and machine gun attacks during the Battle of Britain that it had to be abandoned temporarily.
Hawkinge Cemetery is near the site of the aerodrome and most of the 95 Second World War casualties buried there were airmen. About a quarter were killed during the Battle of Britain. Most of the war graves are in a special plot east of the chapel, including 59 German graves, which are together in a group at the south-eastern corner.
A number of squadrons were posted here:
After the war, the station hosted the RAF Home Command Gliding Centre, and is fondly remembered by many Air Cadets as the place where they first learned to fly in Slingsby Mk III and Slingsby Sedbergh TX Mk.1 gliders.
In the 1950s, RAF Hawkinge became a Woman's Officer Cadet Training Unit, under the command of Group Officer Jean Conan Doyle, the daughter of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle. Group Officer Conan-Doyle went on to become the most senior woman officer in the Royal Air Force with the rank of Air Commandant.
The Home Command Gliding Centre was ancillary to the training unit, the reason being that the grass airfield made it ideal for ATC Cadets to learn to fly sail planes.

Units

The following units were here at some point:
The site has been largely built over, but part is occupied by the Kent Battle of Britain Museum.

Citations