Gravesend Airport, located south-east of Gravesend town centre, Kent and west of Rochester. It was operated from 1932 until 1956. It was initially a civil airfield, and became a Royal Air Force station known as RAF Gravesend during the Second World War, when it was under the control of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. It was the first RAF station to operate the North American Mustang III. The airport returned to civilian use at the conclusion of the Second World War, although it remained under the ownership of the Air Ministry until its closure in 1956. It is notable that a decision had to be made in 1954, by the Air Ministry, as to whether this civil airport should be retained and substantially enlarged, or the extensions east of Thong Lane be released for residential development. Kent County Council had made it clear that the land west of Thong Lane, was identified as a Civil Airport. Additionally, Kent County Council also informed the Air Ministry, that it would neither support nor oppose enlargement, acknowledging, however, that it would as a result of any such enlargement, the site becoming designated as a fully operational international airport.
Civil operation
The airport was operated by Gravesend Aviation Ltd served Gravesend and has a significant place in the history of British aviation. From 1933 to 1936 it was home to Percival Aircraft, building the famous Mew Gull racing aircraft among others, before the company moved to Luton. After 1936 Essex Aero was based on the site, and maintained the airfield's link with racing aeroplanes by preparing the de Havilland DH.88 Comets and Alex Henshaw's Percival Mew Gull that set the record for a flight from England to South Africa.
The airfield received Customs facilities in December 1933 and many European airlines made use of Gravesend as a diversionary airport when Croydon was fogged-in. These airlines included Imperial Airways, KLM, Sabena and Deutsche Luft Hansa.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force moved into Gravesend in 1937 when a Flying Training School began operating de Havilland Tiger Moths and Hawker Harts at the airfield. In 1942, the RAF greatly enlarged the airfield, which included major extensions to both runways – albeit still formed of grass. Throughout the Second World War, Essex Aero continued to manufacture aircraft parts at the site. Accommodation for personnel was provided nearby at Ashenbank Wood. The company also drew up major plans for the airfield, including concreting the runways (the longest one being just over 5600 ft after the RAF extensions), a new terminal and cargo centre west of the Thong Lane side and their aircraft parts main plant to the east of Thong Lane.
When the RAF requisitioned the entire aerodrome in 1939 at the beginning of the war they made it a sector airfield for Biggin Hill, as one of the airfields of 11 Group. The first squadron to occupy Gravesend was 32 Squadron, arriving on 3 January 1940 with its Hawker Hurricane fighters, being replaced by 610 Squadron on 27 May. These were followed by another Auxiliary Squadron, 604, which operated Bristol Blenheims as night fighters from 3 July. 501 and 66 Squadrons also flew from here during the 1940 Battle of Britain, arriving on 25 July and 10 September respectively. A 501 Sqdn pilot, "Ginger" Lacey, was one of the RAF's most successful pilots during the Battle of Britain.
Many other units also occupied the station during the war years, such as 71 Squadron, which arrived 14 August 1942 for the Dieppe Raid, 92 Squadron (24 September 1941). No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron, arriving 11 August 1943 and 65 Squadron, which arrived 29 July 1943, and was the first Squadron to be issued with the North American Mustang III in December – making Gravesend the first RAF base to operate it.
Accommodation was split between Cobham Hall (officers mess), the control tower (some pilots), and the 'Laughing Waters' restaurant (groundcrews), while aircraft were dispersed around the perimeter. Air defence was supplied by the army, and the airfield was attacked only a few times – on 2 September 1940 two soldiers were killed when a pair of bombs were dropped, and on the 4th an attack was mounted by a force of Heinkel He 111s, but was aborted. Two more attacks came, but neither managed to hit the airfield itself.