During her visit to the Kenley Air Fair last Saturday, 14th August, Caterham resident, Pauline Harrison, met WWII veteran, 90 year-old Ernest Bailey, who was stationed at Kenley during the war. Pauline forwarded us this account of Ernest's memories of his time at Kenley as an item of local historic interest:

Ernest Bailey was an airman who had enlisted in the Royal Air Force at Uxbridge on 19th March, 1940, his 20th birthday. After his initial training at Morcambe his first posting was at the station HQ at Kenley from 19th April 1940 until 11th October 1940. On Sunday 18th August 1940 Ernest, whose job it was to man the lookout post, had the day off. On that day the airfield came under attack so he grabbed a rifle and went to man the slip trench as all the off duty airmen had to do. Ernest said: "The slip trench I was manning was very near to the aircraft hangers which were all destroyed that day. My lookout post where I would have been had I been on duty, had machine gun fire right the way through!"

Many of the buildings at Kenley airfield were destroyed that day. Ernest's sleeping quarters were destroyed so he was sent to sleep in a house in Anne's Walk in Caterham, taking his meals at the Mess at the airfield.

After leaving Kenley Ernest went to Melksham in Wiltshire to train as an Instrument Repairer. He was demobbed on 19th March 1946 on his 26th birthday.

Ernest is looking for any photographs or maps of Kenley airfield pre-August 1940. If you can help please contact Pauline Harrison by e-mailing her at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.