Kent Battle of Britain Museum
Aerodrome Road
Hawkinge, Folkestone
Kent CT18 7AG
Tuestday to Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 h (summer)
Admission £10
www.kbobm.org
Tel. +44 1303 893 140

As part of the autumn trip, the author visited the Kent Battle of Britain Museum in Hawkinge. Urs Schnyder's enquiries revealed that photography was not permitted in the museum. On site, this was confirmed by the nature of the artefacts on display. The individual fates of British and German pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain and often lost their lives for their country were meticulously documented. Parts of the downed aircraft and uniforms are on display and bear witness to the lives and deaths of the pilots. For reasons of respect, photography is therefore prohibited in the halls, as the pilots' personal equipment is also on display.
The photos in this report were taken under the supervision of the museum staff and were only possible in the open space between the halls.

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

The museum is divided into several areas. The Stuart-Buttle Hangar is dedicated to the memory of Squadron Leader Stuart-Buttle. In the hangar are replicas of Hurricane, Spitfire which was made for the 1968 film "The Battle of Britain". Parts of the film were shot on the former RAF Hawkinge which was operated by the RAF until January 1962. The RAF Hawkinge is identical to the present museum.

The Lord Dowding Memorial Hangar commemorates the former commander-in-chief of the Air Chief Marshal Lord Hugh Dowding. In this hangar there is a replica of a Messerschmitt Bf 109E. The aircraft is displayed in a diorama depicting the shooting down of First Lieutenant Franz, Baron von Werra. The story of Franz, Baron von Werra was made into the film "The One That Got Away" with the German actor Hardy Krüger.

The Operations Block, which was built in 1937, contains many items from over 700 aircraft from the Battle of Britain. Many were excavated by the museum's salvage team in the late 1960s and 1970s. The museum received others from private individuals. After each excavation, the details of the crash were fully researched and the recovered artefacts cleaned and sorted to be displayed in a display case. Each display case is part of a large jigsaw puzzle that helps to tell the story of the battle. As well as British and German airmen, American, Australian, Belgian, Canadian, Czech, French, New Zealand, South African and Polish pilots are also represented.

The Spirit of the Few Monument

The Spirit of the Few Monument is a memorial at the Museum which commemorates the 2,938 aircrew of the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm who took part in the Battle of Britain during the Second World War. The monument, unveiled on 29. July 2022, is in the form of bronze sculptures of seven pilots of the RAF.

The inspiration for the monument was a photograph, taken at RAF Hawkinge on 29. July 1940, of seven pilots of No. 32 Squadron relaxing on the grass in front of a Hawker Hurricane fighter in between sorties. The pilots in the photograph are Flying Officer Rupert Smythe, Flight Lieutenant John Proctor, Pilot Officer Keith Gillman, Flight Lieutenant Peter Brothers, Flight Lieutenant Peter Gardner, Flying Officer Douglas Grice and Flying Officer Alan Eckford, all but Gillman surviving the war.

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Bristol Blenheim & Junkers Ju-52

One aircraft of the Battle of Britain that is often seen is the Bristol Blenheim. The Blenheim was flown not only with Fighter Command but also Bomber, Coastal and Training Commands during 1940. In 1937 it became the RAF's first all-metal monocoque monoplane and was the fastest aircraft on the inventory. It remained as the Service's fastest bomber at the outbreak of the Second World War. A specimen was acquired by the museum in November 2017. This are the essential remains of four Bristol Bolingbrokes (Blenheims built in Canada), which will be assembled into a single original airframe to be exhibited as the Bristol Blenheim Mk. IV.

The CASA served the Ejército del Aire (EdA, Spanish Air Force) as T.2B-272 (c/n 163), and was displayed in the RAF Museum Cosford in the colours of G-AFAP, a Junkers that was flown as an airliner by British Airways. In November 2022 the plane was handed over to the Kent Battle of Britain Museum. The aircraft has been repainted and is said to resemble a Ju 52/3m of the 6th/KGzbV 1 - one of the units that was to lead Operation Sealion, the planned invasion of Britain.

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Heinkel He-111

The Heinkel He-111H-16 which was later converted into a CASA 2.111.B is now painted as A1+DA of Kampfgeschwader 53. This aircraft was shot down on 15. September 1940 during an attack on the Becton Gas Works, East London by Sgt Bohumír Fürst of No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron or by F/O Blair D. Russell of No. 1 (RCAF) Squadron. It is planned to refit and complete the aircraft with Jumo 211 engines.

Inside dte He-111H-16 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

last update 24. December 2023

Written 26. September 2023

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