Monument record TR 34 SW 2923 - The site of the First World War Royal Flying Corps airfield of Swingate Down.

WW1 airfield. Airfield destroyed but some hut bases still extant. Swingate WW2 radar station, E of A258. Condition, largely destroyed. (1)

The site of the First World Airfield of Swingate Down. On the site of an earlier private airfield, Swingate was originally opened in 1914 as a final landing-ground before crossing over to France. The airfield was then used by training and Home Defence units until it was de-requisitioned in 1920.
In 1915 the airfield consisted of a few wooden hangars and huts, however it was developed in 1917 and five large hangars, a General Service Aircraft Repair Shed and various other buildings were built.
Number 2, 3 and 4 front line RFC Squadrons passed through Swingate in 1914 on the way to France. After this, Swingate airfield became a training and Home Defence site. The main training unit was the Number 13 Reserve Squadron which operated various aircraft including Avro 504s and BE2s. This was replaced in 1917 by the Number 62 Training (Ex-reserve) Squadron. For six months Swingate was the home of the Home Defence unit, Number 50 Squadron. However, in 1918 the airfield became the Number 53 Training Depot Station with 24 Avro 504Ks and 24 Sopwith Camels based there. In autumn 1918 Swingate changed again and became the School for Marine Operational Pilots, training on DH9s. This school closed in early 1919 and the base was closed in 1920. The site was to be used later in the Second World War for a Chain Home radar station. (2)

Customer comment received May 2018: Lt Terence Langrishe learned to fly at Dover Aerodrome with RFC 65 Training Squadron 12/02/1918 to 15/05/1918 flying AVROs, Sopwith Camels and Pups. (3)

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 2002, Defence of Britain Project (Digital archive). SKE32029.

<2> CBA Defence of Britain Project, 1994, Defence of Britain Site Report (Bibliographic reference). SKE6447.

<3> Ken Delve, 2005, The Military airfields of Britain; Southern England, Kent, Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex (Monograph). SKE31935.