BIGGIN HILL – HOME DEFENCE BASE /Prototype Testing; December 1917 Onwards Earlier in WW1 (1915/16) Britain became under attack from Zeppelin Airship bombers. These attacks were met by the Royal Flying Corp pilots flying machines of the day. After shooting down a number of these slow moving raiders, the Germans ceased these raids. However, by 1917, the Germans were equipped with well armed, faster heavy bomber aircraft. England was again under attack by a more serious adversity. This required setting up a new Home Defence force, located to protect vulnerable…
Tag: Aircraft
Aircraft Project – Week 2
WW1 Aircraft Associated with Biggin Hill I live in Bromley and as a boy had an interest in planes, and often cycled to the Biggin Hill aerodrome to watch the RAF jets in action, and to attend Battle of Britain and other flying display days. At the aerodrome there is a Memorial Chapel which commutates all the 454 pilots and air crews who were killed in WW2 flying from the Biggin Hill sector. In 2016 this lost its funding support from the RAF/MOD and was taken over by Bromley Council.…
Aircraft Project – Week 1
MODEL MAKING – ALL AIRCRAFT TYPES THAT FLEW IN WORLD WAR 1 John Preedy About 3 and a half years ago I took on the challenge of making all the aircraft types that flew in WW1 to the scale of 1/72. These cover all those of the Countries of the Allies and the Central Powers. At the time of starting I though the total amounted to some 180 models. Since that time I have found many more and my current estimate of the full number is more than 500. Pre…
Police Sergeant David Lionel Grigg honoured
On the evening of the 9th November 1940 at 19:00hrs the sirens began to ring out over Bromley due to enemy aircraft having been spotted flying towards the area. Half an hour later disaster stuck. En route to Central London a Heinkel He 111 was hit by anti-aircraft fire. The damage was so severe that the bomber began to break up in the air, with one wing landing in the rear garden of 45 Cranmore Road in West Chislehurst. With his plane out of control, the pilot bailed out, shortly…
Heinz Ketchup boss contributes £20K to War effort
After opening its first overseas office in London in 1896, the company opened its first UK factory in Peckham, south London in 1905, followed by a factory at Harlesden, north-west London in 1919. Because of its major contribution to wartime food production, its Harlesden factory was bombed at least twice during World War Two, however production carried on regardless as Heinz was so vital to maintaining food resources. On the 4th October 1940, this article was published in the Bromley & District Times giving details of a large contribution given…
Police Sergeants Bravery During WW2
Award for Rescue of R.A.F. Pilot The King, states Tuesday’s London Gazette, has been pleased to approve the award of the Medal of the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire, for Meritorious Service to Arthur Hendon Cole, Sergeant, Kent Special Constabulary. An aircraft of the Royal Air Force taking off from Biggin Hill aerodrome crashed and turned over in the garden of the house next to that occupied by Sergeant Cole. The pilot was trapped and hanging by his harness upside down. Cole ran to his ambulance and,…
Fighter Fund for Bromley
This advert for support and volunteers for the Fighter Fund in Bromley was published in the Bromley & District Times on 23rd August 1940. Enthusiastic Support – Subscriptions Coming in – – All Classes want to help – – Volunteers will be needed – The Supermarine “Spitfire” single-seater day and night fighter, supreme among fighter aircraft throughout the world. She carries eight machine guns mounted in the wings, four each side of the fuselage. The official maximum speed is 357 m.p.h. at 18,100 ft. Picture shows formation of six spitfires…
At Least Eleven Enemy Aircraft were Shot Down
A report featured in the Bromley & District Times newspaper in July 1940. More daylight air raids have been made in various parts of Britain, with casualties to civilians. But raiders have been shot down daily. At least eleven enemy aircraft were shot down during a series of attacks on Wednesday on our coasts. In one battle it was estimated that over 100 aircraft were engaged. The R.A.F. have continued their attacks on military objectives in Germany with conspicuous success, and during the week have wrecked German barges which were…