Page 2 AGM—13th JUNE 2012 NEWSLETTER Less than 40 members attended our AGM in June, this was a pity because the talk by our speaker for the evening was quite exceptional. Jane Sidell, English Heritage’s Inspector of Airfield Friends Group Ancient Monuments for , gave her presentation “Preserving the Past for the Future” outlining the range of www.kafg.org.uk projects and activities English Heritage was involved with. She drew particular attention to military heritage sites and to the relevance of RAF Kenley. Two questions were asked from Newsletter № 10 the audience that received full and satisfactory answers. The relevance of this talk became even more apparent as we took September 2012 the audience through the presentation that we are giving to local groups and associations, which so far has been quite Welcome to our tenth widely acclaimed. Overall, talking to those remaining after the Newsletter, our first one meeting there is a lot of interest in what we are doing and in was in the summer of 2009 the potential of what we hope to do in relation to the Heritage so we seem to be giving lottery Fund bid. you a level of consistency in The meeting agreed retrospectively that we should collect CONTENTS membership subscriptions by Standing Order. This scheme providing information about has been quite successful; our Membership Secretary and what is going on and what Page 2 AGM 13th June Treasurer have found it quite simple to operate. Naturally we are doing about it. there are some who have not yet renewed their membership; Page 3 Heritage Lottery so we shall be sending out reminders in due course. Our at- Fund Bid & Kenley Since our last Newsletter we tendance at events and our Heritage Day was very successful Heritage Day have conducted our fourth in terms of new members recruited. The meeting also noted our concern about the lack of pro- Page 4 Kenley Heritage Annual General Meeting, gress in any determination on the future of the Officers Mess & 5 Day and entered a new field by Building and particularly the Portcullis field. We followed up Page 6 Members Memories organising an Airfield Herit- an earlier telephone conversation with Comer Homes but we age Day. We also had an in- don’t expect an early reply. Co-incidentally we had just post- Page 7 Tangmere Trip formation tent at ed our letter when notification came through that the refusal Diary Dates Carnival and at the of the last Planning Application was subject of an appeal. We Membership News expect that this will delay a reply still further. Summer Fair. Page 8 Membership Read on! All Officer and committee members were re-elected as well as Renewal Form Chris Baguley our independent examiner. Page 3 HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND BID Page 4 KENLEY HERITAGE DAY (CONT’D)

The bid is generally at the same stage that it was in June. This is because a structural condition survey of the blast pens particularly is being concluded by the City of London (Commons). The result of this will then provide the founda- tion for estimating which we have to include with our stage one application. We anticipate having this ready for submis- sion to meet the December cut off time as dictated by HLF. Some of the work that we are doing; the walks, talks, dis- plays and Airfield Heritage Days, is more or less demanded under the terms of the bid so in this respect we are very Our primary task was to conduct walks along part of the Her- much up to speed. itage Trail to raise awareness and give information. We were able to conduct these walks with volunteers and some 450 By the time this newsletter is published the Olympic games Sqn cadets and staff helping. will have passed. In terms of everything that the games have generated I doubt they will be distant memories. Much has Walks started every 15 or been made of the success of the volunteers in whichever 20 minutes between 12:15 sphere they were working in. The spirit of volunteering lives and 15:45 with between a on. There is a reason for mentioning this and quite clearly we dozen and 20 people on are going to need volunteer help, not only in the various as- each walk. The success can pects demanded by the HLF bid, but in our day to day running be measured in the feed- of the things I have outlined here. Any help that spreads the back that amounted to a lot load makes it easier for everyone involved, so if you love your of “Well I thought I knew heritage and your airfield please let Mike Simpson know on the Airfield well enough but I didn’t know such and such was 01883 627438. there”.

KENLEY HERITAGE DAY Our day held on the Portcullis field was really quite successful. This was in spite of the advertising for it having been kept low key because we didn’t have the confidence that with the few volunteers that we had we would be able to cope. As it turned out the day went very well and our display tent was assisted enormously by Jane Sidell having come all the way from Hindhead to support us and also member helpers. Page 5 KENLEY HERITAGE DAY (CONT’D) Page 6 MEMBERS MEMORIES

The Portcullis Club held Early Satellite an Open Day, who For the first twenty wartime months it was Aero- were able to introduce drome that had a close association with RAF Kenley. When people to what they do war began runways were still being laid at Kenley so it was and to the merit of the Croydon, whose civil aircraft had been moved down to Bris- various artefacts kept tol, that took over Kenley’s role in the meantime. within their building and more within the After work was completed in early 1940 the Kenley “B” sec- field itself. tor was formed with two Hurricane Squadrons based there and a third at Croydon designated as its satellite airfield. In May 1940 when the German offensive started the squad- rons were sent over to French aerodromes but with a wors- ening situation they soon returned to this country. From home bases they then flew over to help cover the Dunkirk evacuation and final B.E.F. withdrawal from France. During the singly and in turn 111 Squadron, then 85 Squadron and finally 605 Squadron flew from Croy- don under Kenley’s operational control firstly from the air- field and later the old converted butchers shop in Caterham. Also for a fortnight in September, 72 Squadron was tempo- 450Sqn ATC acquitted rarily based at Croydon after heavy bombing at Biggin Hill, themselves very well as the Operations Room there was unable to control its spit- usual; they held a successful fires. tombola and their BBQ was As winter approached day raids by bombers gradually tailed very well received. off but 605 Squadron was still kept busy engaging with Mes- serschmitt fighter bombers. By 1941 the Luftwaffe concentrated on night bombing and Croydon’s Hurricanes flew as part of the Kenley Wing on of- There will be a Kenley Fun Day next year probably on 28 th fensive sweeps and bomber escorts across the channel. July a little later than usual; we will keep you up to date with However by May 1941 the powers that be had decided in fu- further details. We can therefore expect to have another Air- ture that Redhill would make Kenley a better satellite airfield field Heritage Day in 2014 with a different route for the walks so then Croydon left the sector and became a base for Army with more interesting features. co-operation squadrons. Tony Harding Page 7 TRIP TO TANGMERE Page 8 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM

Following the success of our visit to the RAF museum at Hen- don last September, we are planning another trip on Wednes- Kenley Airfield day October 10 th to the Tangmere military aviation museum in Sussex. Friends Group The coach will depart from the Portcullis field at approx 09:00, where you will also be able to park. The cost will be £20.00 per head and will include a complimentary cup of coffee/tea on ar- Membership Renewal rival at the museum. You are welcome to bring your own packed lunch, or alternatively there is a café at the museum where snacks can be purchased. The coach will depart at 14:30 Subscription for year July 2012—June 2013 arriving back at Kenley at approx 17:00. I/We wish to subscribe to a Single Household Membership of £5.00 As the museum is fairly small, numbers are limited and we will therefore be hiring just a single 24 seat coach. Places will be I/We enclose a further donation of £…….. allocated on a first come first served basis, however preference will be given to KAFG members. Should demand exceed availa- Total: £………. Add all Household Members bility, we would endeavour to arrange a second trip fairly shortly after the first. To register your interest and reserve a seat, please contact Andy Spencer Jones either by telephone - Name 1 Name 2 020 8660 3102 or email - [email protected] . Name 3 Name 4

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Name 5 Name 6

15th September ATC Balloon Race Address 16th September RAFA Battle of Britain Parade 1.00 Tribute 11th November Remembrance Sunday 1.30 Tribute Telephone:

MEMBERSHIP NEWS Mobile

Thank you to all members that have renewed either by Stand- Email ing Order or by subscriptions. If you have forgotten to renew this year, please use the form overleaf but remember to add names of all household members. Also please include a tele- I/We would like to be part of a committee or as a volunteer helper. phone or mobile number so that we can contact you at short Please make cheques payable to KAFG and return to:- Lesley West, notice if needs must. If you are not sure whether you have or KAFG Membership Sec., 5 Hillhurst Gardens, Caterham, CR3 5HX not renewed, give me a ring on 020 8660 3149 or email: [email protected]. Lesley West