Site Records

(RAF) West Malling, Kent

By David Mapley

Semi-sunk operations room bunker built to a standard design in 1940 as part of airfield building program. Blast protection mainly limited to earthen blast walls: primarily the bunker was designed to survive an attack using chemical weapons. In use throughout the 1950s and early 1960s when West Malling was Britain's premier night fighter station.

When the US Navy left the airfield in 1966 the whole site was put on care and maintenance and the domestic site eventually sold to Kent County Council in 1971. The airfield was retained and maintained for emergency use. Tonbridge and Malling District Council moved onto the site in the late 1970s and took over the former officer's mess. Tonbridge Council originally planned to use the former operations centre, but this plan was dropped and new accomodation was built. The present status of the operations room is unknown.

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Last updated 19th January 1997