Royal Air Force Hawkinge or more simply RAF Hawkinge is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Ashford, north of Folkestone, Kent and west of Dover, Kent, England. The airfield was used by both the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force during its lifetime and was involved during the Battle of Britain, as well as other important aerial battles during the Second World War and the early stages of aerial usage in war in the First World War.
History
First World War
During the First World War the airfield was called RFC Folkestone until 29 December 1916 and RFC Hawkinge later on. The only squadron present during this period was No. 25 Squadron RFC between 19 and 20 February 1916 with Vickers F.B.5, Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2B and Morane-Saulnier L.
An Aircraft Acceptance Park was in residence between 27 July 1917 and 12 October 1917 before being renamed to No. 12 Aircraft Acceptance Park which stayed until May 1919.
Inter-war years
Between the wars a number of squadrons were posted here: 2 Squadron RAF between 30 November 1935 and 29 September 1939 with Hawker Audaxes, Hawker Hectors and Westland Lysander I . 17 Squadron RAF reformed here on 1 April 1924 using Sopwith Snipes and Hawker Woodcock II before moving to RAF Upavon on 14 October 1926. 25 Squadron RAF reformed here on 26 April 1920 with the Snipe before moving to Turkey on 28 September 1922. However the squadron returned on 3 October 1923 still with the Snipe but added the Gloster Grebe I, Armstrong Whitworth Siskin IIIA, Hawker Fury Mk I and II, Hawker Demon and the Gloster Gladiators before being posted to RAF Northolt on 26 September 1938. 25 Squadron returned again on 12 October 1938 and started using the Bristol Blenheim IF before the squadron returned to Northolt on 22 August 1939. 38 Squadron RAF from 14 February 1919 until 4 July 1919 when it was disbanded as a cadre. 56 Squadron RAF reformed here on 1 November 1922 with the Snipe before moving to RAF Biggin Hill on 7 May 1923. 83 Squadron RAF between 14 February 1919 and September 1919 as a cadre. 120 Squadron RAF between 20 February 1919 and 17 July 1919 with the Airco DH.9.
Second World War
It was from Hawkinge that air liaison was maintained between the Royal Air Force and the British Expeditionary Force during the fighting in France and the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. As long as communications remained open targets were selected in accordance with requests from the BEF and Hawkinge was one of the advanced re-fuelling bases to provide maximum range for operations over France. It was a fighter airfield for squadrons of No. 11 Group, and was so severely damaged by German bombing and machine gun attacks during the Battle of Britain that it had to be abandoned temporarily.
Hawkinge Cemetery is near the site of the aerodrome and most of the 95 Second World War casualties buried there were airmen. About a quarter were killed during the Battle of Britain. Most of the war graves are in a special plot east of the chapel, including 59 German graves, which are together in a group at the south-eastern corner.