Royal Air Force Detling, or more simply RAF Detling, is a former Royal Air Force station situated 600 ft above sea level, located near Detling, a village about 4 mi 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 mi 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 95 acre, 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 4200 ft 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

Operational units and aircraft

The following units were also here at some point: • No. 1 Coast Artillery Co-operation Unit RAF (September 1939 – May 1940) became No. 1 Coast Artillery Co-operation Flight (May 1940 – April 1941) • 'K' Flight of No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF (January – August 1942) • 'D' Flight of No. 2 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (June 1941 – February 1943) became No. 1624 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF (February – December 1943) • No. 3 Aircraft Delivery Flight RAF (July – September 1943) • No. 4 Aircraft Delivery Flight RAF (September – October 1943) • No. 6 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (September – November 1943) • No. 16 Group Communication Flight RAF (June 1941 – January 1945) • No. 75 (Signals) Wing RAF (December 1945 – November 1946) • No. 141 Gliding School RAF (October 1951 – September 1955) • No. 168 Gliding School RAF (June 1949 – September 1955) • No. 403 Repair & Salvage Unit (September – October 1943) • No. 405 Repair & Salvage Unit (January – March 1944) • No. 410 Repair & Salvage Unit (November 1943 – January 1944) • No. 615 Gliding School RAF (? – June 1962) • No. 1338 Wing RAF Regiment • No. 1493 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight RAF (July – October 1943) • No. 1903 Air Observation Post Flight RAF (February 1955 – January 1956) • No. 2709 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2733 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2746 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2751 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2753 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2768 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2769 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2773 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2793 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2822 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2828 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2877 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 4018 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment • No. 4138 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment • Reserve Command Gliding Instructors School RAF (1949–50) became Home Command Gliding Instructors School RAF (1950–55) became Home Command Gliding Centre RAF (1955) • No. 1336 Wing RAF Regiment • * No. 2814 Squadron RAF Regiment • * No. 2878 Squadron RAF Regiment • * No. 2749 Squadron RAF Regiment

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