Royal Air Force Hawkinge or more simply RAF Hawkinge is a former Royal Air Force station located 13.23 mi east of Ashford, 2.2 mi north of Folkestone, Kent and 7.1 mi 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 as other important aerial battles during the Second World War and the early stages of aerial usage in war in the First 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:

Second World War

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 to provide maximum range 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:

Post war

After the war, the station hosted the Home Command Gliding Centre RAF (part of RAF Home Command), where many Air Cadets first learned to fly in Slingsby Mk III and Slingsby Sedbergh TX Mk.1 gliders. RAF Hawkinge became a Woman's Officer Cadet Training Unit between June 1960 and January 1962, under the command of Group Officer Jean Conan Doyle, the daughter of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle. 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: • No. 1 Aircraft Delivery Flight RAF (September 1945) • Detachment from No. 1 Coast Artillery Co-operation Flight (August 1941) • No. 3 Armament Practice Station RAF (August - November 1945) • No. 6 Fighter Command Servicing Unit (February 1945 - February 1946) • No. 12 Aircraft Acceptance Park (August 1917 - May 1919) • No. 157 (General Reconnaissance) Wing RAF (May - August 1944) • No. 166 Gliding School RAF (December 1945 - September 1955) • No. 416 (Army Co-operation) Flight RAF (March 1940) • No. 421 (Reconnaissance) Flight RAF (November 1940 - January 1941) • 854 Naval Air Squadron • 855 Naval Air Squadron • No. 3201 Servicing Commando • No. 3203 Servicing Commando • No. 3210 Servicing Commando • Air Sea Rescue Flight RAF, Hawkinge (July - December 1941) became 'B' Flight, No. 277 Squadron RAF • 'D' (Army Co-operation) Flight RAF (April 1940) • Home Command Gliding Centre RAF (December 1955 - June 1958) became No. 1 Home Command Gliding Centre RAF (June 1958 - March 1959) became No. 1 Gliding Centre RAF (March 1959 - December 1961) • Pilotless Aircraft Section RAF (February 1940) • WRAF Depot (July 1947 - June 1960) • ; RAF Regiment • No. 1334 Wing RAF Regiment • No. 2709 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2733 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2767 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2799 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2813 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2826 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2828 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2886 Squadron RAF Regiment • No. 2955 Squadron RAF Regiment

Station commanders

Current use

The site has been largely built over and is now occupied by the Kent Battle of Britain Museum and a housing estate. The remains of the strip are referred to by locals as "the rough grounds".

Citations