Abridged History of Kings Hill

We are often asked by visitors to this area what used to be here before the village was built.so here is an abridged history:

In 1930 this area was a private landing ground for Maidstone School of Flying, nicknamed Kingshill. At that stage all that existed was the airfield strip, a wooden clubhouse and a temporary hanger, which the Sportsman Inn backed on to. The name of the airstrip was later changed to West Malling Airfield, and by 1932 it had been named Maidstone Airport .

On 4 June 1932 HRH The Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) landed at the airstrip in his own aircraft before visiting the British Legion poppy factory at Preston Hall. He was apparently pleased with the site and facilities at the aerodrome. By December of the same year, however, the airfield was in serious financial difficulties and the airport was sold to Land, Air and Water Services. Under their ownership numerous events were organised at the site and in 1933 Alan Cobham's flying circus attracted crowds with aerobatics, wing-walking and other novelties.

In June 1933 Maidstone Airport was officially opened by Squadron Leader the Marquis of Douglas and Clydesdale, MP, AAF, who was chief pilot for the Houston Mount Everest Flights. Later in that year a journalist for the Kent Messenger reported that West Malling could become the commercial airport of the world due to its ideal transport links- but this did not come to pass. At Christmas that year Santa abandoned Rudolph and his sleigh and delivered his presents using a Gypsy Moth from West Malling.

In 1939 the airstrip was inspected by the Ministry of Defence who decided that the area would become an RAF fighter aerodrome. On 8^th June No 51 Wing moved in under the administration of Fighter Commander No 26 (Army Cooperation) Squadron. The latter flew the Westland Lysander which undertook reconnaissance and photographic sorties in conjunction with anti-aircraft batteries and searchlight units.

In July No 141 Squadron arrived at West Malling and was virtually wiped out during a conflict with the enemy when 6 of its planes were shot down. This unit was promptly posted back to Prestwick .

However, a successor at the airfield, 322 squadron, was very successful in intercepting the "doodlebug". The standard method of battle was to fly almost wing to tip next to the doodlebug as the turbulent airflow between the two aircraft would cause the doodlebug to keel over.

Possibly the strangest incident to have occurred at the airfield took place on 16 April 1943. An aircraft with a single engine approached the airstrip, circled it twice and then landed. Those on the ground assumed that it was one of their own planes which was short on fuel and so approached it, but soon realised that it was an enemy Focke Wulf 190. The pilot soon realised that he was on enemy soil and surrendered. A second plane followed in to land but attempted to take off when the pilot realised that he was not landing in friendly territory. Gunfire shots from the ground hit the oxy bottles on the pilot's cockpit and it exploded, injuring the pilot. He was taken to hospital as a third plane overshot the runway and crashed into a cherry orchard. It transpired that the pilots had become lost because of heavy mist and thought that they were flying over France!

In 1961 it appeared that the military use of the airfield had come to an end, until the US Navy, under NATO, used it as a naval airbase, flying Neptunes, Convairs, Dakotas and Hercules from the airfield.

In 1970 Kent County Council purchased the airfield. Subsequently, London Weekend Television filmed the wartime series "We'll Meet Again" from there and brought the only airworthy B17 Flying Fortress in Britain to West Malling.

By the mid 1990's, planning consent had been granted and the developers had started preparing their sites. The rest, as they say, is history.

With thanks to the residents of Kings Hill for the useful information supplied for our abridged history.