September 1940. Work commenced on the construction of three
concrete runways, one at 1600 yards, two at 1100 yards with accommodation for
1400 personnel.
Me109 displayed in the foyer at the State Cinema (now a Bingo Hall), used to promote National Savings.
Fairlop Station and the adjacent AA Battery on land known locally as the 'Prairie', strafed by machine gun by an unidentified German aircraft.
August 1941. work complete
Black/white aerial photography © Aerofilms Limited.
1st September 1941.
Official records show that Group Captain Harry Broadhurst C.O. from
Hornchurch was the first to land at Fairlop. According to John Wilkinson, that
unique honour fell to an unknown pilot flying a small-unidentified aircraft
carrying small boxes which landed at Fairlop prior to the runways being
completed.
It hit first a scaffold pole and crashed into a steamroller with
disastrous consequences.
10th September 1941. RAF Fairlop declared operational.
The sports grounds north of Forest Road, sown with wheat for the war effort,
had deep anti-tank/glider trenches excavated across them.
9 April 1941 Direct hit on the Prince of Wales public House during a darts
match
Memorial plaque erected on the site
when the Prince
of Wales was demolished and replaced by flats.
Concrete obstructions as part of the GHQ defence line along
western side of airfield adjacent to the railway embankment.
These tank
traps can still be seen today, between Fairlop and Newbury Park Underground
Stations
November 1941. O/C Squadron Leader H G P Ovendon
603 Squadron City of Edinburgh flying Spitfire VB until they moved to Dyce, Scotland in mid December
You can reach me by e-mail at: david@smartin67.freeserve.co.uk