News and Events

An event not to be missed.

10 January Casa Wings arrive.

At 2.00 pm today, Welch's Specialised Movements arrived at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge with the wings from our recently acquired CASA 2.111B / Heinkel He 111H-16.

As soon as the CASA 2.111B / Heinkel He 111H-16 wings arrived, Phil Gibson, the driver from Welch's Specialised Movements, positioned the lorry as close as he could to the Stuart-Buttle Memorial Hangar at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge and set about skilfully offloading the port wing, assisted by his colleague Neil and the team of volunteers from the Museum.

With the port wing from the CASA 2.111B / Heinkel He 111H-16 carefully off loaded and safely in the Stuart-Buttle Memorial Hangar at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge, it left the starboard wing to be off loaded.

The starboard wing was the correct way up on the lorry but with our schedule of work, we needed to work on the underside first, but this wasn't a problem to Phil Gibson and Neil from Welch's Specialised Movements, who carefully off loaded the wing in the car park and rolled her over without any damage to the wing.

Once the wing was upside down, the strops were quickly re-positioned and the wing was swung carefully and skilfully into the Stuart-Buttle Hangar, helped by our brilliant volunteers. Once Phil had lowered the wing onto the skates, it was an easy job to push the wing into the hangar and into place.

The most important photograph of the lot!

The amazing team of volunteers at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge, with Phil Gibson and Neil from Welch's Specialised Movements.

11 December Casa starting to arrive at the museum.

Wednesday 11th December 2019, Christmas came early for the Volunteers at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge this week when we had a very special delivery via Borley Brothers and the Imperial War Museum, Duxford!

It was the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, heads from the second engine, engine bearers, cowlings, exhausts, spinners etc from the CASA 2111.B / Heinkel He 111H-16.

Tony, the Borley Brothers driver, soon had everything off loaded as the Volunteers were itching to get into the storage boxes to see how complete the engines were and what condition everything else was in. We were not disappointed!.

Earlier in the week Dave Brocklehurst MBE, Julian Richardson and Tom Dolezal were up at Aircraft Restorations Co at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford collecting the tail of the CASA 2.111B / Heinkel He 111H-16.

The tail was dropped to the Museum the same day, courtesy of Julian and his van, and the Volunteers are already hard at work cleaning, repairing and prep'ing the tail section for painting.

18 November Casa on its way.

Monday 18th November 2019, the CASA 2.111B / Heinkel He 111H-16 was moved from the Conservation Hangar at the Imperial War Museum Duxford to the other end of the airfield and to Aircraft Restorations Co.

This clips shows the Heinkel being towed out of the hangar and seeing daylight for the first time in many years!

This aircraft is being prepared by Aircraft Restoration Co for her journey by road to the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge in late November or early December 2019.

14 November 2020 Winter maintenance - Day 10

Only 10 days since we closed for winter, but the enhancements in Luftwaffe section in the Armoury are well underway for its new look for 2020.

Come back to visit this page to see how we are progressing and we look forward to seeing you at the Museum in 2020.

6 November Putting our Hurricanes to bed for the winter.

Our three Hurricanes were originally RAF Gate Guardian Hurricanes. Since being acquired by the museum they are on dislay in the museum grounds during our opening season, but for winter we move them into our hangars. Today was that day and many of the museum volunteers were on hand to help with this annual task!

4 November Closed for winter.......but we already have 2020 improvements underway

2019 was another excellent year for the museum. It has been the busiest and most successful Season in the fifty-five year history of the Museum, with a record-breaking number of visitors coming from all around the world to visit us to see the World's largest collection of Battle of Britain artefacts and exhibits and learn more about the Battle and the men and women, Allied and Axis, who fought in it.

We have seen an increase of visitors of nearly 10%. Your admission fees and donations will allow us, the Volunteers, to expand and improve the Museum in preparation for re-opening for the 2020 season. As the Museum is run and administered purely by Volunteers, every penny of your admission fees and donations is ploughed back in each year and hence why, year on year, we expand and improve the World's largest collection of Battle of Britain artefacts and exhibits.

Even though we are now closed for winter maintenance and improvements until 4 April 2020, our dedicated team of volunteers have already started improvments to the museum to enhance the visitor experience for 2020 - the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. This winter will see many improvements to existing displays, together with the arrival of new exhibits, big and small. From the complete renovation of the Luftwaffe Gallery in the Armoury, to the arrival and restoration of our recently acquired CASA 211B / Heinkel He 111H-16. We will also be progressing the restorations of the Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV project and the former Clive du Cros flown replica of the prototype Spitfire. Hopefully by the Spring of next year we might even have the fuselage of the Westland Whirlwind Project on show in the Stuart-Buttle Memorial Hangar!

A short video of last winter's various maintenance projects which we undertook here.

Come back to visit this page to see how we are progressing and we look forward to seeing you at the Museum in 2020.

7 October Westland Whirlwind addition to the Museum

The Trustees and Volunteers of the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge are very pleased to announce that we are joining forces with the Whirlwind Fighter Project to build and display the Westland Whirlwind Fighter Nk.I, Serial No. P7056 'Pride of Yeovil' at the Museum.

As 'P7056' is built, each sub-assemble will be displayed in the Stuart- Buttle Memorial Hangar, and it will give us an opportunity to bring the work of the Whirlwind Fighter Project to a wider audience and we will also be helping to raise the finance to build her.

As some of you may already know, No.263 Squadron (see the photpgraphs and newspaper cuttings attached) were equipped with eight Westland Whirlwinds, together with Hurricanes, in the Battle of Britain. This is the reason why Museum Chairman and Volunteer, Dave Brocklehurst Mbe, has always been keen to display this project at the largest Battle of Britain Museum in the World.

We became aware of the Westland Whirlwind Project some years ago when they contacted us to scan the wreckage we have of this type of aircraft and close links have since been forged between the Museum and Project. Our sincere thanks to the Trustees of the Whirlwind Fighter Project and in particular, Chris Hayward.

If you can help in anyway with this project, please contact us, or the Whirlwind Fighter Project?

12 September CASA 2.111B [Heinkel He IIIH-16] addition to the Museum

The Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust are proud to announce that we have acquired a CASA 2.111B [Heinkel He 111H-16], from the Imperial War Museum.

We would like to share with you the colour scheme that our Chairman and Volunteer, Dave Brocklehurst MBE, has chosen for the Heinkel. Our sincere thanks to Clint Mitchell for his stunning profiles of this aircraft. Clint's and our research is ongoing and particularly regarding the colour of the spinners and the letter 'D'. The 'K' report differs from the 'G' report! The A.I.1 (g) report which was carried out at the crash site states: 'no markings visible.' We believe at this moment in time that they were probably green but there is a possibility that they might have been blue. This will obviously be sorted by the time Julian Richardson paints the aircraft!

7 September - Nick Oram - Book signings 29 September 2019

Another date for your diaries.

29 September Spitfire Elizabeth and the Roaring Boys

On Sunday 29th September 2019 the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge is very much looking forward to welcoming Nick Oram to the Museum for book signing of his latest book "Spitfire Elizabeth and the Roaring Boys".

5 August - Andy Long - Boulton Paul Defiant

Another date for your diaries - 28 August 2019.

Andy Long the leading expert on the Boulton Paul Defiant will be at the Museum to give a presentation on the Defiant.

31 August - 1 September Vintage Weekend

5 August - Andy Long - Boulton Paul Defiant

Another date for your diaries - 28 August 2019.

Andy Long the leading expert on the Boulton Paul Defiant will be at the Museum to give a presentation on the Defiant.

4 August

Today, Sunday 4th August 2019, the Kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge were very pleased to welcome back Lt. Co. Mike Neville and the Army Cadet Force Scotland Music Band.

The combined band played on the tarmac outside the entrance to the Museum this afternoon for visitors including another group of cadets visiting the Museum.

We were also very pleased to welcome Glyn Hibbert and his wife. Glyn is currently serving his second term as Mayor of Hawkinge.

17 July - David J. Bailey - Book signings 28 July 2019

Another date for your diaries - 28 July 2019.

On Sunday 28th July 2019 the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge is very much looking forward to welcoming David J. Bailey back to the Museum.

David is the author of the outstanding 610 (County of Chester) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron, 1936 - 1940 that was very recently released. It is a stunning piece of work on the Squadron and our Museum Chairman / Historian, Dave Brocklehurst MBE, was very pleased to help fellow historian David with areas of his research.

David J. Bailey will be on hand during the day to meet visitors, sign copies of his excellent book (his first signing event) and discuss all things relating to No.610 Squadron, who flew heavily from RAF Hawkinge during the Battle of Britain and spent several summer camps on the airfield pre-war.

We are also expecting several families of 'The Few' to attend the event and all whom forefathers served with the Squadron during the summer of 1940.

Copies of the book are already available from the Museum Shop and David will be on hand should you wish a personally signed copy.

9 July - Capel le Ferne Primary School Educational Visit 2019

One of many school educational visits during the year from not only UK schools but schools across Europe. Their enjoyment and the educational value of their visit can be seen in the photographs.

Photos posted with the permission of the Parents and the School.

30 June - Spit Nuts visit

With the incediably high temperatures yesterday we were expecting a quiet day at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge with people heading to the sea side.

Therefore we were very pleased that we saw well over 100 visitors despite the temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.

Amongst the visitors were our very good and dear friends from the Spit Nuts Facebook Page on a tour of not only but also our friends Jules and team Battle of Britain Memorial, Michelle and Graham at The Jackdaw at Denton and Marcus at the Spitfire and Hurricane Museum at Manston.

Shortly after 9am this morning, Sunday 30th June 2019, one of their number, Chris Doherty, is due to take to the skies over Hawkinge and Capel when he has a flight in Elizabeth, a two-seater Spitfire owned and operated by our friends Aero Legends out of Headcorn Airfield.

23 June - Motorbike club visits

On Saturday, 22nd June 2019, we were pleased to welcome a Honda Turbo motorbike club that included members from various countries across Europe.

On Sunday, 23rd June 2019, several other motorbike clubs called in to visit the Museum and / or visit our excellent No.25 Squadron Mess and Tea Rooms.

23 May - Dilip Sarkar MBE - Book signings 18 August 2019

Another date for your diaries - 18 August 2019.

Dilip Sarkar MBE will be signing copies of both his new books 'Spitfire!' and 'Arnhem 1944' at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum on Sunday 18 August 2019 – an appropriate date, being the 79th anniversary of the Battle of Britain's 'Hardest Day'.

He will be at the Museum all day, 10:00 hrs – 16:00 hrs, and looking forward to meeting visitors, fellow enthusiasts, friends old and new.

Copies of both books will be available on the day from the Museum shop, and happy to sign copies of my other titles should any readers wish to bring theirs along.

21 May - John Vasco

A date for your diaries - 10 August 2019.

On Saturday 10th August 2019, the Kent Battle of Britain Museum is pleased to welcome back John Vasco. John is one of the leading experts on the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and on Erprobungsgruppe 210 (a German precision fighter bomber unit). There will be at least three presentations held by John throughout the day.

John Vasco will be showing a 16mm colour film of the examination of a 2nd Staffel, Erprobungsgruppe 210 Messerschmitt Bf 110, by the Vultee Aircraft Corporation in America. This very rare film came to light less than twenty years ago in America and has rarely been shown to the general public, the first time being shown at the Museum on 11th August 2002. The Messerschmitt Bf 110 took part in the attack on Hawkinge on the 12th August 1940, which was the first major attack on the airfield, and was shot down in combat three days later. Items acquired at the time of the crash are also on show within the Museum.

John Vasco will be giving talks on the film and also on the attack on Hawkinge during the day and will happily answer any other questions that visitors may wish to ask. John will also be available to sign several books he has written on the subject, and all the money raised by this, will go to expansion and improvement of the Museum.

The raid on Hawkinge was carried out without loss to Erprobungsgruppe 210 and the Hawkinge Operations Record Book recorded the raid as follows:

'Bombing attack by Ju 88's against the Station was carried out at 1730 hours and lasted approximately 10 minutes. One hangar, No. 3, was almost completely wrecked whilst one other, No. 5, was partially wrecked. A number of bombs of heavy calibre, including incendiary, were dropped. The aerodrome and buildings were machine-gunned during the attack. The main stores were partly damaged by fire, the clothing store almost completely. The fire was quickly brought under control by RAF personnel aided by local AFS. The Station Workshops were wrecked. Two houses in the Airmen's Married Quarters, occupied by airmen, were destroyed. Twenty-eight craters were made on the aerodrome, the longest being 76' x 72' x 28' deep and the smallest 10' x 10' x 8' deep, but the aerodrome was not rendered completely unserviceable. Repairs to the surface were immediately commenced by the RE's already attached for such work. Ground defences were surprised and no guns, except two Hispano, were fired. The altitude of the attacking aircraft was such that it was impracticable for the PACU to be brought into action. Two civilians employed by contractors of the Works Directorate were killed, and three airmen were killed. Six airmen received severe injuries and were admitted to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury. The Casualties occurred to personnel employed in No. 3 Hangar. Two Spitfire aircraft, under repair, were damaged, whilst one or two others were struck by splinters. Two non-operational aircraft on charge were damaged but repairable.

After the attack, seven men were left dead, within feet of where the Museum now stands. No. 3 Hangar received several direct hits and the towering Iron Belfast Hangar doors came off their top runners and crushed to death an airman and two civilian employees, Mr. Brisley and Mr. McCaister. Within the hangar Corporal McColl and three more airmen were killed. The site of this death and destruction, for many years after the war was the Hawkinge Parish Council's football pitch and has now been redeveloped with housing.

28 April - Visitors from HAC

The Volunteers at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge were very pleased to see our friend Derek Rusling (right) and to meet Dave 'Harvs' Harvey (left) from the Historic Aircraft Collection.

To many 'Harvs' will need no introduction but for those that do not know, he is the pilot of the Historic Aircraft Collection's Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Nimrod II. He has been associated with HAC since 2007 and formerly served with the RAF for over thirty-five years (serving for part of this with No.25 Squadron), where he amassed over 7,800 hours on F4 Phantoms, Tornado F3's, Hawks and Tutors. He was the RAF solo Hawk display pilot for three seasons and flew the Duxford T33 Silver Star and F86A Sabre. 'Harvs' is also a part-time civilian flying instructor and flew the HAC's Hurricane for the recent filming of the No.303 Squadron motion film. Dave Brocklehurst MBE also had the opportunity to thank 'Harvs' for his recent and excellent flypast he gave in the HACs Hurricane at the excavation of 'Paddy' Hemingway's Hurricane at Fobbing in Essex back in March of this year.

Interestingly the Hawker Nimrod II, K3661, that 'Harvs' flies (amongst many other aircraft) was discovered in 1972 on a rubbish tip at Ashford, Kent, by the volunteers from the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust! It was recovered and donated by the Museum to the RAF Museum, who held it in store at RAF Henlow. The fuselage only was sold off by the museum when the Henlow storage facility was closed, to Mike Cookman, who was constructing a Hawker Typhoon at the time, from relic parts. Aero Vintage Ltd. bought the Nimrod fuselage from him in August 1991, and later that year, the wings (including the wings from a second Nimrod that Aero Vintage acquired, but a Nimrod I) and tail unit, which by now had re-appeared at the RAF Museum's Cosford 'deep' storage facility. The engine remains with the RAF Museum.

During a conversation with the late Mike Llewellyn MBE (the founder and Curator of the Museum) and Guy Black (of the Historic Aircraft Collection) about this project, Mike was able to advise Guy that we had a display in the entrance to the Museum that included the control column, instrument panel, map box, ammunition chutes and most importantly the original cockpit data plates from the Nimrod confirming its identity as Serial No 41H 59890 and RAF Serial No. K3991. These had been kept by the Museum following our recovery back in 1972. These items were subsequently made available to aid the aircraft's rebirth!

It sure is a small world!

7 April - New Meeting Room

Our expansion to the No 25 Sqn Mess and Tea Rooms means that the Museum is now able to offer an all year round Meeting Room for your group or club gatherings.

Refreshments and snacks available.

Find out more by talking to us about how we can help you, please contact - Jenny on 078 777 18942.

26 February - What a difference a week makes

Monday 18th February 2019, the No.25 Squadron Mess and Tea Room at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge became the No.25 Squadron Mess and Tea Rooms! Yes rooms!

First thing that morning, Museum Chairman and Volunteer, Dave Brocklehurst MBE, met Darren Scott of Scotts Transport at Sheerness to collect a secondhand portable office unit recently acquired by the Museum. There the unit was on loaded onto the back of Darren's truck, and brought back to the Museum.

Refurbishment work started that afternoon, and continued by volunteers during that week.

With new windows, door and flooring already on order, all is on schedule for it to be completed intime for when we re-open on 2 April 2019.

9 February - Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV update

The donation of the Defiant by the Boulton Paul Association to the Museum Trust, in 2017, was the start of a deep friendship, built on mutual admiration of the work undertaken by the volunteers at both organisations.

With the acquisition of the Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV project in December 2017 our friends at the BPA wanted to get involved and share some of the work in restoring her back to her former glory.

Over the last year Jack, Cyril, Terry, Harold, Bob and Mick, all volunteers of the Boulton Paul Association at Wolverhampton, have been meticulously restoring the tail unit from the Blenheim and it is now nearing completion. The attached photographs, kindly supplied by Terry Harrington, show the fin and rudder all together for the first time, and the tailplane and elevators fully assembled. The control surfaces will be fabric'd in the next few weeks, and then the tail unit will be ready for a team from the Museum to collect, paint and attach to the rest of the project.

On behalf of Dave, Richard, Tony, Del and Ed (the Trustees) and all the Volunteers of the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust, we would like to say a massive thank you to our dear friends at the Boulton Paul Association. Your work as always, is outstanding.

2018-19 Winter Refurbishment - Uniforms.

February - Rick has been continuing with feeding and re-colouring some of the Irving flying jackets.

and also spit, polish and TLC to various boot sets which will be on display in the Armoury.

January 2019 - Whilst the Armoury cabinet rebuild has been mainly featured so far in our winter maintenance schedule, other of our voluteers have also been on site for other maintenance roles. Here, Daff, Rick and Linda have been giving their attention to the Museums reserve collection of uniforms and flying equipment.

Daff checking and assembling uniform sets and preparing those which will be sent away for dry-cleaning, at Johnsons Dry Cleaners, Folkestone.

Rick cleaning, treating, re-colouring and polishing the leather Irvin jackets, boots and flying caps;

while Linda applies her legendary seemstress skills to start repairing seveteen sets uniforms prior to their dry-cleaning.

11 December - Come and see our progress.

2 December - An event not to be missed.

2018-19 Winter Refurbishment - Armoury Display Cabinet replacement.

After many years in service, the uniform cabinet in the RAF Gallery in the Armoury needed replacement and is one of our projects this Winter.

9 February 2019 the bookcase has also be re-sited in the Armoury.

4 January 2019 After the Christmas and New Year break, the volunteers are soon back to add uniform exhibits to the central display cabinet, while Derek screeds over a floor section.

29 December Starting to put exhibits back into the display cabinet.

19 December Volunteers today, fitting and polishing the glass panels (kindly donated by On Time Windows) to the central display cabinet.

12 December Dave and Derek working on the upper studding for the new display cabinets

8 December Painting now complete in the central display cabinet.

7 December Bryan continues to wire in the new lighting system while Derek works on the new central display cabinet.

30 November - Day twenty-six of our winter maintenance period, saw Peter spend the majority of the day painting display stands, and the uprights and glazing beads on the wall cabinet in the Armoury. Bryan finished installing and wiring up all the spot lights in the new display cabinet. While Dave and Derek Widdows continued building the new display cabinets in the RAF Gallery in the Armoury.

25 November - Dave started early and filled in all the screw heads and filled the joints with paintersmate in the newly installed roof to the wall cabinet in the RAF Gallery in the Armoury. As soon as it was dry, Dave sanded the area and then painted the ceiling with primer / undercoat.

23 November - Dave, Bryan and Derek were constructing the 9mtr long roof to the new wall cabinet in the RAF Gallery in the Armoury.

20 November - Day sixteen of our winter refurbishment saw three volunteers; Dave, Ian and David Hertz concentrating on the construction of the new display cabinets.

17 November - Today Dave constructed the back joists and noggings to the floor of the cabinet and then sheeted in the front skirt and cabinet floor.

17 November - Volunteers, Dave, Bryan, Del, Rick and Peter, were batterning and erecting the back wall of the new wall cabinet in the RAF Gallery.

15 November - The main job of the day for Dave and new volunteer Rick was marking out the walls, cutting batterns.

11 November - Work commenced late morning to demolish the old uniform cabinet, in preparation for the new replacement.

3 September - Vintage Weekend

Well that was certainly a spectacular 'Vintage Weekend' at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge! The event was a major success and saw takings in the pay desk up by over 25% from last years Vintage Weekend. It also saw the car park full to capacity on several occasions over the weekend. (Thanks to our friends Kev and Clare at the Hawkinge Vehicle Services for allowing us to use their car park for all the volunteers, re-enactors, exhibitors cars for the weekend).

Many thanks to all those who displayed, and particular thanks to Dafydd Thomas for organising all the re-enactors and RAF encampment.

And of course a Massive Thanks to all those who visited, supported, shared, publicised, put up posters and support the hard work of all the volunteers.

We are planning two major 'Vintage Weekends' for the 2019 Season so watch this space for the dates which will be published very soon.

19 August

30 July - Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV cockpit update

Massive progress with our Bristol Blenheim Mk IV project today with the arrival today of our cockpit section from Canada. Unexpectedly, it was air-freighted over and quickly cleared through UK Customs, thank you.

BBC South-East news covered the arrival with two live broadcasts by Robin Gibson during the day.

Now our Blenheim is starting to look more like an aircraft

19 July - Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV update

We are very happy to report fantastic progress on the Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV project.

Last Thursday we had it confirmed that our Blenheim Mk.IV cockpit section was boxed in Canada and was awaiting for collection. We are happy to advise that the cockpit section is now on her way and should be with us within a matter of a few weeks.

26 June - We, the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge, were very pleased to welcome Paul McNicolls back from Canada over the weekend and to see the display we have created with the Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park, GCB, KBE, MC and Bar, DFC personal effects he kindly presented to us in September 2017.

The artefacts were for many years in the possession of a former neighbour and friend of Sir Keith's in New Zealand, Marjorie and Don Lobban. They consist of photographs from Park's collection, and therefore not previously published, various documents, and, perhaps most interestingly, several books from Park's library. Don Lobban asked his friend Paul McNicholls for input and assistance in finding a permanent home for the Keith Park artefacts. Luckily for us, Paul had visited and seen the work we undertake and thus made us one of favourite recipients amongst museum's from around the world. Quoting Paul: 'I travel a lot in pursuit of my historical interests and am in the UK most years. There are of course other good air museums, but none that I have seen that are, in my opinion, quite in your league.'

We are pleased to report that Paul was very pleased with the display of personal effects that the Volunteers had arranged in the Armoury.

17 June - Amongst the visitors yesterday were seventeen Bond Bugs on a club run to the Museum and No.25 Squadron Mess and Tea Room.

One had even driven all the way from Liverpool to attend their weekend event!

30 May - a famous and attractive young lady arrived at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge the other day and can now be seen in the Stuart-Buttle Memorial Hangar.

Well a life size cardboard cut out of the famous Amy Johnson and kindly presented to the Museum by Jane Priston of the Amy Johnson Project.

Amy Johnson (1903-1941), CBE, was one of the most influential and inspirational women of the twentieth century. In 1940 she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary, an organisation set up to ferry planes around the country for the Royal Air Force. On 5th January 1941 she left Blackpool in an Airspeed Oxford, which she had been ordered to deliver to RAF Kidlington, near Oxford. Amy went off course in adverse weather conditions. Reportedly out of fuel, she bailed out as her aircraft crashed into the Thames Estuary near Herne Bay.

'Amy' can now be seen in front of a replica of 'Jason' a DH.60 Gipsy Moth G-AAAH, that was formerly suspended from the ceiling of the booking in hall at Croydon Airfield. (It was from Croydon that Amy left on her record breaking solo flight from England to Australia on 5th May 1930).

We are also very pleased to announce that the Museum is now assisting Jane Priston and the Amy Johnson Project.

For further details on the Amy Johnson Project please visit their website.

22 May - it has been a busy few days for the Volunteers at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge and not only during the day when we are of course open to visitors.

Friday night, 18th May 2018, Dave Brocklehurst MBE and Ian Douglas, were joined by Dave Hammond, at Lydd-on-Sea to collect a yet unidentified propeller assembly which was recently trawled up in fishing nets off of Bexhill-on-Sea in Sussex.

The Volunteers are busily trying to establish the identity of the aircraft this propeller assembly might originate from. Dave has spent the last few nights cleaning off the crustaceans and corrosion to preserve the assembly for future display.

The Trustees and Volunteers would like to extend our sincere thanks to Scott and father Graeme (seen here) Possnicker for kindly donating this exhibit to the Museum.

8 May - back in February of this year, we, the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust, were contacted by Llyn Shirley in Canada enquiring if we had any information on her mother, Gwyneth Mary Roberts, who served at RAF Hawkinge between 1943 and 1946.

It turned out that Gwyneth served as an electrician and worked on the Link Trainer at RAF Hawkinge, but what Llyn did not realise until contacting us was the Link Trainer Building is one of the buildings that now houses some of the Museum Collection!

Llyn's mum is thankfully still with us and will be celebrating her 100th birthday in June. As Llyn told us, what can you buy an 100 year old lady?! Well Llyn came up with the idea of visiting the Museum from her home in Canada and taking photographs of the Link Trainer Building, where her mum had worked all those years before, and making a book of her trip to give her mum on her 'special birthday.'

Well on Friday last week, 4th May 2018, we were very pleased to welcome Llyn and her friend to the Museum and took photographs of her with our Link Trainer (the original flight simulator), in the Link Trainer Building, outside the Link Trainer Building and with the three Gate Guardian Hurricanes in the Museum Grounds.

Llyn supplied us with a few photographs of her mum and she actually got married in St. Michael's Church, Hawkinge (known as either old Hawkinge or Uphill these days). Gwyneth married John Thorning Shirley, a Canadian soldier, on 7th July 1945 and hence why she emigrated to Canada after the end of the Second World War.

Happy 100th Birthday from all the Volunteers and Supporters of the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust to Gwyneth Mary Shirley in June!

4th May - amongst the visitors to the museum we were very pleased to welcome Dr. Jaromír Marek, UK correspondent for Czech National Radio (Ceský rozhlas - Radiožurnál).

Jaromír, and two other Czech visitors, were guided round the collection by museum chairman and volunteer Dave Brocklehurst MBE and shown artefacts relating to some of the eighty-eight Czechoslovakian airmen that flew and fought with the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. Many with No. 310 and No. 312 Czechoslovak Squadrons.

Jaromír interviewed Dave alongside the remains of the Hurricane engine of Czechoslovak Battle of Britain pilot Josef Koukal who had been shot down and badly burnt on 31 August 1940. In addition to the engine, the Museum recovered numerous other items from the crashsite at Capel Fleet, Kent and are on display in the Operations Block.

The interview, in Czech, here.

On Saturday 14th April 2018, we welcomed 'Red 10' an Aston Martin Vanquish S Red Arrows car, which was carrying the RAF Centenary Baton, and had an honour guard of eight other Aston Martins.

Actually forty-five Aston Martins accompanied 'Red 10' and the RAF Centenary Baton to the Museum!

The RAF Centenary Baton is being carried in a relay which sees the specially designed baton visit 100 sites associated with the RAF in 100 days, to commemorate the RAF's 100th Birthday year. To coincide with the birthday of the RAF the relay started on 1st April 2018 from the Royal Courts of Justice and will end 100 days later on 10th July (the seventy-eight anniversary of the start of the Battle of Britain) at Horse Guards Parade. It was flagged off by Chief of Air Staff Sir Stephen Hillier and Wing Commander Paul Farnes, a former Battle of Britain veteran who flew with No.501 Squadron and who often flew from RAF Hawkinge.

We are very pleased and honoured that the RAF have chosen to recognise the Museum and the proud history of RAF Hawkinge by including us within the 100 sites.

Just after 12.00 noon, lots of visitors and museum supporters, our volunteers, representatives of the Royal British Legion, RAF re-enactors were at Museum to welcome 'Red 10', driven by Lt/Col Humphrey Bradley, the RAF relay team, led by SAC Luke Moore, RAF Regional Organiser, and the forty-five accompanying Aston Martins.

When they arrived we recreated a Red Arrows Formation with nine Aston Martins (in part red, white and blue) led by 'Red 10' and the RAF Centenary Baton, re-enactors and guests, in front of the three Gate Guardian Hurricanes.

After a visit around the Museum they departed, half an hour later than planned, for their next stop at the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne.

And that is how we celebrated the 100th Birthday of the Royal Air Force.

The Trustees and Volunteers of the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust are Very Pleased and Honoured to announce that Yvonne Malan, who is a descendent of the one and only Sailor Malan, is running three races in South Africa this year raising much need funds for the Museum!

The first race, The Peninsula Marathon will be this coming weekend on 18th February 2018. The race finishes in Simon Town where Sailor Malan was a cadet on board SATS General Botha and the source of the 'Sailor' nickname (his family members called him John).

In May Yvonne will be running the Wellington Half Marathon, where Sailor was born.

In September Yvonne will be running the Cape Town Marathon, the city where Sailor led the Torch Commando meetings.

Yvonne said :

Sailor was erased from from South African history after his death, so I hope to raise awareness in South Africa about his life and legacy. Even if I weren't related to Sailor, I'd still feel strongly about promoting the legacy of 'The Few.' As I mention in the MyDonate Page, their courage made the future possible. Regardless of where you where born or where you come from. If The Few had failed, the global consequences would have been horrific. We owe them so much.

If you would like to support Yvonne over these three races and thus support the work of the volunteers at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust please click on the MyDonate button below.

Not only will we receive 100% of your donation but MyDonate will add Gift Aid to qualifying donations giving us an extra 25% at no extra cost to you

Presentation by John Vasco.

On Saturday 11th August 2018, the Kent Battle of Britain Museum is pleased to welcome back John Vasco. John is one of the leading experts on the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and on Erprobungsgruppe 210 (a German precision fighter bomber unit). There will be at least three presentations held by John throughout the day.

John Vasco will be showing a 16mm colour film of the examination of a 2nd Staffel, Erprobungsgruppe 210 Messerschmitt Bf 110, by the Vultee Aircraft Corporation in America. This very rare film came to light less than twenty years ago in America and has rarely been shown to the general public, the first time being shown at the Museum on 11th August 2002. The Messerschmitt Bf 110 took part in the attack on Hawkinge on the 12th August 1940, which was the first major attack on the airfield, and was shot down in combat three days later. Items acquired at the time of the crash are also on show within the Museum.

John Vasco will be giving talks on the film and also on the attack on Hawkinge during the day and will happily answer any other questions that visitors may wish to ask. John will also be available to sign several books he has written on the subject, and all the money raised by this, will go to expansion and improvement of the Museum.

The raid on Hawkinge was carried out without loss to Erprobungsgruppe 210 and the Hawkinge Operations Record Book recorded the raid as follows:

'Bombing attack by Ju 88's against the Station was carried out at 1730 hours and lasted approximately 10 minutes. One hangar, No. 3, was almost completely wrecked whilst one other, No. 5, was partially wrecked. A number of bombs of heavy calibre, including incendiary, were dropped. The aerodrome and buildings were machine-gunned during the attack. The main stores were partly damaged by fire, the clothing store almost completely. The fire was quickly brought under control by RAF personnel aided by local AFS. The Station Workshops were wrecked. Two houses in the Airmen's Married Quarters, occupied by airmen, were destroyed. Twenty-eight craters were made on the aerodrome, the longest being 76' x 72' x 28' deep and the smallest 10' x 10' x 8' deep, but the aerodrome was not rendered completely unserviceable. Repairs to the surface were immediately commenced by the RE's already attached for such work. Ground defences were surprised and no guns, except two Hispano, were fired. The altitude of the attacking aircraft was such that it was impracticable for the PACU to be brought into action. Two civilians employed by contractors of the Works Directorate were killed, and three airmen were killed. Six airmen received severe injuries and were admitted to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury. The Casualties occurred to personnel employed in No. 3 Hangar. Two Spitfire aircraft, under repair, were damaged, whilst one or two others were struck by splinters. Two non-operational aircraft on charge were damaged but repairable.

After the attack, seven men were left dead, within feet of where the Museum now stands. No. 3 Hangar received several direct hits and the towering Iron Belfast Hangar doors came off their top runners and crushed to death an airman and two civilian employees, Mr. Brisley and Mr. McCaister. Within the hangar Corporal McColl and three more airmen were killed. The site of this death and destruction, for many years after the war was the Hawkinge Parish Council's football pitch and has now been redeveloped with housing.