Airfield dig plan grounded
Aug 4 2006
By Leon Watson
A TEAM of Royal Air Force engineers have pulled out of a historic dig to uncover Kenley Airfield’s wartime past.
The project has been postponed because members of the Ministry of Defence Fire Training School, in Manston, Kent, have been seconded elsewhere.
Councillor Steve O’Connell, of the Friends of Kenley Airfield, said: “It is a shame because we were looking forward to it and it would have been very worthwhile to help find out what is there.”
Organisers are now hoping to press on with excavating a patch of the airfield, believed to be an old airplane dump, in the autumn or winter.
The dig was scheduled to start on Monday to test 50-year-old rumours about what lies beneath the former airforce base.
Bomb disposal teams have already carried out a subterranean survey of the Second World War airfield in preparation for the excavation.
It is thought legendary airplanes such as the Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, the two fighters which won the Battle of Britain, are buried there.
It is also rumoured an AVRO Lincoln bomber – a high-altitude four-engined plane not used in the Second World War – was also left at the site.
Kenley Aerodrome played a key role in the Battle of Britain in 1940. Polish, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand airmen were based there and saw combat in the skies above London.
Disabled flying ace Douglas Bader flew from there and Winston Churchill is said to have taken secret flying lessons at Kenley.
A spokeswoman for the Corporation of London, which owns the site, said: “The team from RAF Manston was due to start next week but that has been postponed because they are working on other priorities.
“But work on the site should start before the winter.”
The airfield closed as a military base in 1974 but Surrey Hills Gliding Club, the 615 Volunteer Gliding Squadron and the Air Training Corps continue to use the site.
* A BATTLE of Britain memorial fly-by has been planned for later in the month to pay respect to the vital role RAF Kenley had during the Second World War.
The annual event, which includes the reunion of the 615 Hurricane Squadron, will take place – weather permitting on August 20 at 2.20pm.
By: Tony Woods - 8th August 2006 at 20:01
Thanks Mark – the Spitfire shot gives me a good view of the ground falling away. I am pretty sure of the location now. Cheers
By: Mark12 - 8th August 2006 at 19:30
I know Kenley well and often take a walk around the perimeter. Was the dump at the NE end of the field ? The location is not clear but I assume it was away from the main base.
I have just had a look at Kenley on Google Earth.
By my judgement when I saw the two Spitfires, the Lincoln and the Anson frames in 1958, they were located between the peri track and the Eastern boundary fence.
We parked our bikes near the main gate and traversed the perimeter fence on foot before climbing over when we got to the aircraft. I cannot be sure if we got as far as the NE pocket. It is possible.
Mark
By: Tony Woods - 8th August 2006 at 18:15
I know Kenley well and often take a walk around the perimeter. Was the dump at the NE end of the field ? The location is not clear but I assume it was away from the main base.
By: WebPilot - 8th August 2006 at 17:54
According to Mark there was also a derelict Mk 22 Spitfire.
We will know soon I hope. Very very exciting.Cees
There was a 22 – PK665 which I think was recovered and later scrapped, as was the Lincoln AFAIR. But I have heard talk of there being parts of Typhoon, Spitfire, Tomahawk and part of an Overstrand on the dump in the past. Where they’re still there of course is to be seen.
By: lotus72 - 8th August 2006 at 15:47
is there a video being made of this? If not, I’m volunteering! (honest)
By: Allison Johnson - 8th August 2006 at 15:26
More cunning than a fox thats recently been appointed professor of cunning at Oxford University.
I’ll stop now. 😀
I think we should both get our coats. 😀
By: HP57 - 8th August 2006 at 15:10
According to Mark there was also a derelict Mk 22 Spitfire.
We will know soon I hope. Very very exciting.
Cees
By: WebPilot - 8th August 2006 at 14:31
Was Kenley not the site where a Spitfire XVI was recovered from, now at Shoreham?
Cees
Yes. The heavily degraded remains of TB885 which is now stored by the excellent Shoreham BoB museum. I doubt there’s much else left at Kenley but I’d be happy to be proved wrong!
By: HP57 - 8th August 2006 at 13:59
Was Kenley not the site where a Spitfire XVI was recovered from, now at Shoreham?
Cees
By: JonathanF - 8th August 2006 at 13:09
I think a site like that needs more than 3 days, some highly speculative conclusions, some bad knitwear/sandals and a mountain of post-excavation work still to do/fund. Be a start though I suppose.
By: TobyV - 8th August 2006 at 01:00
More cunning than a fox thats recently been appointed professor of cunning at Oxford University.
I’ll stop now. 😀
By: Allison Johnson - 8th August 2006 at 00:52
That sounds like a cunning plan.
Sorry, but someone had to say it 😀
Is a plan so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel?
Ali (just proving you ain’t the only sad one on this forum)
😀
By: TobyV - 8th August 2006 at 00:31
Simple solution…
The easy way to get the secrets of Kenleys wartime past revealed is to give Tony Robinson and the Time Team a bell!
3 days over one weekend and Kenleys secret history will be secret no more.
That sounds like a cunning plan.
Sorry, but someone had to say it 😀
By: WP840 - 7th August 2006 at 17:04
Simple solution…
The easy way to get the secrets of Kenleys wartime past revealed is to give Tony Robinson and the Time Team a bell!
3 days over one weekend and Kenleys secret history will be secret no more.
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August 7, 2006 at 9:56 am