Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary, Headcorn, Kent - September 2020

Douglas C-47 (Dakota) in RAF livery and Invasion markings

This months blog comes from Headcorn Airfield in Kent where the Battle of Britains 80th anniversary was being celebrated over 3 days. We chose the Saturday which was probably the worst of the 3 days with near horizontal rain as my wife and I took up our positions on the flight line. I have not tried ariel photography before so don’t be too harsh. The longest reach lens I had with me was the 70-200 Nikkor f2.8 mounted on my Nikon D800 which are not exactly made for this type of photography. Most of the photographs here are therefore heavily cropped.

Headcorn Aerodrome is now a private airfield and is located 32 miles to the southeast of London. The airfield opened in 1943 during the Second World War when it was known as RAF Lashenden. The airfield was used by the Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and United States Army Air Forces before closing in September 1945 after which it reverted to farmland until the present private grass airfield was opened in the late 1960s.

Supermarine Spitfire

Messerschmitt Bf 109

Spitfire in hot pursuit of the Bf109 with its distinctive yellow nose cone.

Hawker Hurricane - Whilst the Spitfire gets the glory the Hurricane inflicted 60 percent of the losses sustained by the Luftwaffe.

Dakota in flight over Headcorn in its distinctive invasion white markings.

Dakota in US livery.

Unusual Company - 3 Spitfires escort a Bf 109

Tiger Moth trainer in civilian clothes.