West Malling
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Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Egham, UK
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West Malling
Had lunch with a pal the other day whose house is built on part of the old airfield. He used to watch airshows from his back garden b4 it all closed down.. .. .Any history anywhere, what sort of aircraft used it, any pointers to good books for him?. .. .Thanx. .DOC
Join Date: Oct 1999
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This is adapted from a blurb issued by the West Malling Airfield Memorial Group (01732 841964):. .. .After acting as a landing area in WW1, the airfield served civil aviation - it is recorded that Amy Johnson flew from here.. .. .In the early days of WW2 W Malling was a satellite station for the Biggin Hill Sector. The first aircraft stationed here were Lysanders. . .. .In 1940 the station sustained heavy bombing and, after repairs, opened as a fully operational night fighter base.. .. .Famous aviations stationed here included, Wg Cdr Peter Townsend, Wg Cdr Bob Braham, Wg Cdr Cats-eyes Cunningham, Sqn Ldr Guy Gibson.. .. .One night in Apr 43 three enemy aircraft landed here believing that they had crossed the Channel and were back in France.. .. .Kent's own RAAF Sqn was based here from 1946-57, flying, amongst other things, Javelin FAW 2s.. .. .The RAF left the airfield in 1961 and it became a USAF air facility until 1964.. .. .No 618 ATC Gliding School (inc yours truly) flew here from around 1964 until 1995.. .. .Short Brothers did maintenance work here on Chipmunks and Varsities in the late 60s.. .. .Some of the Beatles film 'Magical Mystery Tour' was filmed here (look for the blast walls, and the hangar office with the Union Jack on the wall).. .. .The b***ards started digging it up in 1989.
When I was a ULAS student at White Waltham, our Chipmunks were overhauled at West Malling. I went there once on 19 Apr 71 with my QFI to drop off WZ 873 and pick up 'his' aeroplane - WD 345. It was a very pleasant afternoon - can't remember much about West Malling except that they had one of those ancient 'Ice Cold in Alex' meat wagons (ambulance for younger readers!) with canvas sides as part of the aerodrome crash services!!. .. .Another wonderful aerodrome sadly given up - why couldn't they have got rid of dumps like Valley or Kinloss instead?
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Used to have a painting contract for all the Saab 340's. Many varied colour schemes were applied here up until the early nineties, probably about 200 passed through. I believe the aircraft used to clear customs at Southend on the way in and outfron Sweden.
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Doc.400. .I did my flying scholarship/ppl nearby at Surrey & Kent at Biggin Hill in the spring of 1963; the US Navy seemed to have mostly Orion maritime recon aircraft there, but I recall the odd A-4 lurking around.
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As referenced by Stan Evil:. .. .<a href="http://www.flyingzone.co.uk/associations/asr/rafwestmallingmemorialgroup/index.html" target="_blank">http://www. flyingzone.co.uk/associations/asr/rafwestmallingmemorialgroup/index.html</a>. .. .Also, try this:. .. .<a href="http://www.kingshillparish.gov.uk/a_short_history.htm" target="_blank">http://www.kingshillparish.gov.uk/a_short_history.htm</a>. . . . <small>[ 25 March 2002, 12:43: Message edited by: newswatcher ]</small>
