West Malling
WEST MALLING: In WW1 known as KINGS HILL?,
(See seperate KINGS HILL listing for WW1 info)
Later civil aerodrome/airport in the 1930s, (Aka MAIDSTONE AIRPORT)
Note: See seperate entry for MAIDSTONE AIRPORT which was later absorbed into the much larger RAF WEST MALLING airfield
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: In January 2021, Mike Holder who is a great friend of this 'Guide' provided these maps and pictures. The 1933 pictures show the Sir Alan Cobham No.2 Tour fleet assembled on the aerodrome, clearly marked as MAIDSTONE AIRPORT. The display was on the 17th April and as they had displayed at GRAVESEND the previous day, and went on to ELSTREE the next day - presumably this picture was taken in the morning of the 17th? What I find especially interesting is how this quite small regional airport/aerodrome later expanded into a quite sizeable military facility.
In WW2 a military aerodrome, later also still military (?) allowing various civil activities, especially air shows until the 1980s
Note: This first picture from Alan Faupel taken in August 2002. This appears to be the only remaining structure as testimony to this once famous airfield. Hopefully it will be restored to serve a useful purpose and perhaps preserving evidence of its history. The second picture (2018) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Military users: WW2: RAF Fighter Command 11 Group
141 & 264 Sqdns (Boulton Paul Defiants)
19, 66 & 74 Sqdns (Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
316 (Polish) Sqdn (North American P-51 Mustangs)
29 Sqdn* (Bristol Beaufighters)
85, 264 & 410 Sqdns (DH Mosquitos)
3 Sqdn (Hawker Typhoons)
Post 1945:
25 Sqdn (DH Vampires - the NF.10 version, later the Gloster Meteor NF14)
29 Sqdn (DH Mosquitos)
Operated by: 1933: Possibly the Maidstone Aero Club?
1975: Short Bros & Harland
1980s/1990s: Metair Ltd
Flying School: Pre 1940: Maidstone Flying Club
Gliding: From the1970s only? 1981: 618 Sqdn Air Cadets Gliding School
Later: 618 VGS (Volunteer Gliding School)
Maintenance: 1975: Short Bros & Harland (Chipmunk overhauls)
Location: E of the A228, ENE of Kent Street village, 5nm W of Maidstone
Period of operation: During WW1 known as KINGSHILL operating from 1917 to 1919. No known activity found for this site until around 1930. Indeed, when used as a private landing ground in around 1930 the site was still known as KINGSHILL? However, it appears that when the Maidstone School of Flying used the site in the early 1930s it was then called WEST MALLING airfield. The title MAIDSTONE AIRPORT was being applied in 1932. It would seem the site reverted to being called RAF WEST MALLING during WW2 when it became once again a military airfield in 1940. Although it closed as a military airfield in 1969 a variety of civil activities remained, especially the air shows, until the 1980s.
Runways: 1933: Max landing run 777 grass
WW2: The records do seem confusing. My guess is that in early 1944 there were two grass runways with steel matting:
08/26 1646 grass 18/36 1463 grass.
In late 1944 it would seem a single hard runway was being constructed: 08/26 1829x46
1990: 07/25 1829x46 hard
Glider strips: 1990: 07/25 approx 1000 grass (S of 07/25 hard)
15/33 approx. 1100 grass
Helipad: 1990: On apron just N of the control tower
NOTES:
It appears that the aerodome that formed part of the northern sector of the WW2 airfield was used by, at least:
FLYING CIRCUS VENUES
Venue (21st to 22nd May 1932) for Alan Cobham’s National Aviation Day UK Display Tour.
Venue (17th April 1933) for Alan Cobham’s No.2 Tour of the UK.
Note: See the MAIDSTONE AIRPORT listing for more 'Flying Circus' information.
THE BAC COMPANY
There seems to be a connection between WEST MALLING and the BAC company whose factory was in nearby Maidstone. Charles Herbert ‘Jimmy’ Lowe-Wylde was probably the best known British test and exhibition glider pilot in the 1930s and toured with the Alan Cobham display teams.
In 1932 it was he it seems who conceived the idea of fitting a 600cc motor-cycle engine above the wings of a BAC VII glider thereby creating perhaps the first motor-glider? Certainly the first British motor-glider? I have no idea of the circumstances but on the 13th May 1933 he was killed at WEST MALLING test flying one of these machines, aged 32. This sad event also recalls the demise of Percy Pilcher who pioneered glider flying and also conceived the same idea - although in his case, had he lived he might well have beaten the Wright Brothers to being the first to claim having achieved powered flight.
*No. 29 Squadron was a night-fighter operation.
In 1975 it seems the RAF were operating Vickers Varsitys here
AIRSHOWS
Major airshows were often held here. At one, (in 1983), I had my one and only flight as a passenger in an Air Atlantique Douglas DC.3. This was kitted out for passenger work, (suitably sound-proofed), so I was a bit disappointed not to experience the din and racket I’d read about by those who flew in them in WW2. With a limited budget I had to choose between the DC.3 and a flight in a DH.83 Fox Moth. Needless to say, (isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing?), I now wish I’d chosen the latter of course.
PICTURE GALLERY - 1980's AIRSHOWS
Note: All pictures by the author unless specified. Please see my article of Air Shows to see extra pictures.
Mark Lewis
This comment was written on: 2018-03-13 17:38:55In mid-September 1967 The Beatles filmed part of their Magical Mystery Tour TV movie here, including the I Am The Walrus sequence, in which the blast walls surrounding the dispersals can be seen as the group perform.
Brian Coates
This comment was written on: 2018-09-15 20:16:22My first memory of RAF West Mallingduring the Battle of Britian was when twin engined German bombers in 3's bombed the airfield one Sunday in August at dinner time My mother was cooking the Sunday roast. I attended several of the airshows in the 1980's the most memorable being in Aug. 1982 when Concorde put on a wonderful show. I have photographs to remember me of this.
Chris Baker
This comment was written on: 2019-01-25 10:06:02Hi. I grew up in West Malling. This article says there is only one remaining structure on the site. There is another. At the North corner is a bofors gun tower still remaining and is documented and listed.
Carol Mapley
This comment was written on: 2019-02-13 17:47:05Short Brothers were based at West Malling from 1967 to 1975. They operated a maintenance facility which looked after the UAS and AEF Chipmunks. Concurrently they also operated two ex RRE Vickers Varsities which supported trials of early image intensification cameras which were mounted in the underside panned. You can read more about these trials in Mike Brookes book "More testing times". One of these Varsities still exists and can be found at RAF Museum collection at Cosford. Another sideline of Shorts was the storage and maintainance of several Mosquito aircraft used for film making. I believe Shorts at the airfield also fabricated a replica Lancaster cockpit which was used in the TV series "Pathfinders". This cockpit along with the studio paraphernalia was in the adjacent hanger to Shorts, the same one as used in the Beatles film. The scene from Magical Mystery Tour involving Victor Spinetti dressed as an army sergeant was filmed in one of the adjacent Uni Seco huts and the large painted union flag was still in perfect condition during the seventies.
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