Terror of German raid on aerodrome
Peter Cook takes us back to a Battle of Britain bombing raid on Detling Aerodrome which claimed the lives of 67 people
A man delivering bread in Bredhurst looked on in disbelief at the “massive firework display” as the ammunition and bomb store at Detling aerodrome were blown sky high by Nazi raiders.
The attack was also witnessed by Chatham Dockyard apprentice Len Dixon, then of Gordon Road, Gillingham, who with fellow apprentices Ken Foss, and James Dingley, had set out on August 13 1940, for a bike ride. They stopped to picnic roughly where the M2 motorway service area is now. “On the ridge to the south we could make out the hangars, buildings and ground equipment of the RAF base at Detling,” he said.
“High above a long thin streak of white cloud crossed the blue sky.
“Suddenly from the airfield came the undulating intermittent shrieking of the ‘attack imminent’ warning followed by a short ominous silence.
“Then from the level of the white cloud we saw a formation of many aircraft instantly recognised as German Stuka dive bombers. Each in turn peeled off and dived vertically to the airfield. All hell broke loose.
“The anti-aircraft defences of the base opened up with a deafening crescendo of gunfire, while the high-pitched scream of the Stukas added to the noise and mayhem.
“We watched the bombs plunge onto the airfield where they exploded throwing up great quantities of earth and debris.
“All except one, which had gone so deep that its explosion was completely contained below the surface.
“At last the Stukas flattened out and headed fast and low in our direction.
“It became alarmingly obvious that we could be on the end of both enemy and friendly fire.
“We fled for shelter behind the trunk of a nearby oak tree. The Stukas roared overhead followed by the hiss and clatter of missiles hitting the upper branches.
“When the noise abated, we saw the airfield under a pall of smoke and dust.
The whole action lasted only a few minutes.
“After a while we left the scene and slowly cycled home, realising that we had in a small way, shared some of the experiences endured by troops on the Dunkirk beaches.” Some 67 people were killed and 94 injured in the attack on Detling aerodrome.
Altogether 87 dive bombers took part in the raid.
The former First World War airfield was home to No. 500 County of Kent Squadron which had comprised volunteer part time airmen of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. The squadron flew Anson Mk 1 aircraft attached to coastal command and used for reconnaissance and escort work.
It was also used by fighter aircraft needing to refuel or land in an emergency.
This may have convinced enemy spotters that it was a fighter base.
Although Observer Corps units had spotted the German planes, they had no means of communicating directly with Detling. Messages had to be routed via Anti-Aircraft Command in Maidstone.
So the attack came as a complete surprise.
It was originally mistakenly thought that the Luftwaffe target would be the Short
Bros and Pobjoy factories at Rochester Airport.
There will still be a great many people around who were children at the time, so we’d love to hear their memories of the Battle of Britain in
1940? Tell Pete all about it by emailing pcook78@btinternet. com