RAF Redhill

51.2133, -0.1407 — view on OpenStreetMap ↗

About

RAF Redhill was a grass airfield in Surrey, used in the war as a fighter satellite of nearby Kenley. A great many squadrons — British, Canadian, Australian, Polish, Czech and Belgian — flew Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes from it on defensive patrols and cross-Channel sweeps, especially in the build-up to D-Day. It returned to civil flying after the war and remains an active general-aviation aerodrome, long associated with helicopter operations.

Sources: This page was compiled from publicly available historical sources, including RAF Redhill (Redhill Aerodrome) — Wikipedia and Redhill — Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. The text is original and has been written from factual source material; no source text has been copied unless specifically quoted and attributed.

Photographs

Royal Air Force- 2nd Tactical Air Force, 1943-1945. Armourers preparing belts of 20mm cannon shells at No. 83 Group Support Unit at Redhill, Surrey. Behind them Supermarine Spitfire Mark IXs, including two ex-squadron aircraft, have been amassed as replacements for 2 TAF units.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force-_2nd_Tactical_Air_Force,_1943-1945._CH13319.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945. Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB, of No 457 Squadron RAAF returning to Redhill, Surrey, after a sweep over northen France, whilst another Squadron aircraft stands at its dispersal point, plugged into a trolley accumulator at readiness.
ⓘ licence & creditDaventry B J (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Fighter_Command,_1939-1945._CH5251.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945. Squadron Leader P M Brothers (left) Commanding Officer of No. 457 Squadron RAAF, describing a sweep over northern France to the Squadron Intelligence Officer at Redhill, Surrey. Brothers was a Battle of Britain veteran who flew with Nos. 32 and 257 Squadrons RAF during the Battle of Britain. He was given the task of forming No. 457 Squadron in January 1941 and led them until May 1942. He later commanded No. 602 squadron RAF and led the Tangmere, Milfield, Exeter and Culmhead Wings in succession. HIs final victory score was 15.
ⓘ licence & creditDaventry B J (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Fighter_Command,_1939-1945._CH5247.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945. Squadron Leader K W "Bluey" Truscott, Commanding Officer of No. 452 Squadron RAAF at Redhill, Surrey. He began his operational flying with the Squadron in August 1941, rising to its command in January 1942. When this photograph was taken, he had just received notice of his posting back to Australia, having shot down 16 enemy aircraft. He later commanded No 76 Squadron RAAF in the South-West Pacific area, and was killed in a flying accident on 28 March 1943.
ⓘ licence & creditBrown L A (P/O), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Fighter_Command,_1939-1945._CH5112.jpgView source & full licence →
Australian War Memorial image SUK15004. Group photo of No. 457 Squadron's pilots at RAF Station Redhill in 1942
ⓘ licence & creditNot stated / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:457_Sqn_RAAF_pilots_1942.jpgView source & full licence →

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