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The frontline battle for Britain

by Richard Thompstone
Eighty years ago – between July 10 and October 30, 1940 – the Battle of Britain was fought over southern
England. It gave RAF Fighter Command its greatest victory over the German Luftwaffe and changed the
course of World War Two.
During the 113 days of battle, RAF and Luftwaffe aircraft filled the skies above Newington and along the
Medway and Thames estuaries. Servicemen were billeted in the village, which was a main supply route
to the RAF airbases at Detling, Eastchurch and Manston.
The turning point came on September 15 when the Luftwaffe launched its biggest attack against Lon-
don. An estimated 1,500 planes from both sides filled the skies until early evening when the Luftwaffe
formations were dispersed.

Inevitably, and sadly, aircraft were brought down in the area in the summer and autumn of 1940. Twelve
Battle of Britain fighter pilots lost their lives while flying over Swale or are buried in the borough, accord-
ing to the History Research Group of Sittingbourne (HRGS).

Among them is Sgt (Pilot) William Burley Higgins, of 253 Squadron, who died on September 14, 1940,
aged 26, when his Hurricane was shot down by ME109s at Swanton Farm, Bredgar. He was from Derby-
shire and is buried in Whitwell, Derbyshire.

P/O George Henry Corbett, of 66 Squadron, aged 20, died flying a Spitfire that was shot down by ME109s
at Bayford Marshes, Upchurch, on October 8, 1940. He was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, and is buried
in St Mary’s churchyard, Upchurch.

In 1943, because of the significance of September 15, it was decided to commemorate the Battle of Britain
annually on that date and the first Battle of Britain flypast took place over London on September 15, 1945.
Kent’s airfields – including Detling, just four miles flying distance from Newington village – were key to
the success of our aerial defence.

I’ve uncovered fascinating details about Detling airfield and some of the people who were based close to
Newington.
The Airfield
Lying south-west of Newington, at what is now the Aerodrome Business Estate, Detling was originally
a reconnaissance airbase for Coastal Command with flights taking off across the estuaries, the Channel
and the Dover Straits. Though fighter aircraft weren’t based there until 1943, Luftwaffe intelligence
wrongly considered in to be a major airbase and it was bombed several times. Many service personnel
were killed.

Detling had originally become home to the Royal
Naval Air Service in May 1915, a few months into
World War One. It was taken over by the Royal Flying
Corps in 1917, providing artillery co-operation and
photographic reconnaissance for the Army. Hangars
were erected.
The RNAS and RFC merged on April 1, 1918, to
form the Royal Air Force, but Detling was abandoned
in October 1919. However, with the threat of another
war, it was brought back into use and the airfield was
expanded in 1938. Detling airfield now

It became operational as No. 6 (Auxiliary) Group of Bomber Command and was home to 500 (County
of Kent) Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force before being handed over to Coastal Command six
months before war was declared on September 3, 1939.

It wasn’t an ideal spot for an airfield. The notorious fog at the top of Detling Hill was problematic; pilots
would find themselves suddenly unable to see the grass landing strip and overshoot the runway.