Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

RAF Manston began in 1916 as a Naval Air Station on the ground now covered by the passenger terminal. During the First World War the site was expanded to include four hangers, a barracks and its own railway. During the interwar period the airfield was used as a School for Technical Training. During the Battle of Britain Manston was attacked regularly but remained a key front-line station. It was later used as a base for the tests of the famous 'bouncing bomb' used by the Dambusters, for Typhoons and, towards the end of the war, for jet planes. After the war, the US Air Force were based at the site for 8 years. In 1960 the airfield returned to the RAF to be used as an emergency airfield. In 1999 RAF Manston closed and the airfield is now a civilian airfield.

Monument Types

• AIRFIELD (Modern to Unknown - 1916 AD)

Full description

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RAF Manston began in 1916 as a Naval Air Station on the ground now covered by the passenger terminal. During the First World War the site was expanded to include four hangers, a barracks and its own railway. During the interwar period the airfield was used as a School for Technical Training. During the Battle of Britain Manston was attacked regularly but remained a key front-line station. It was later used as a base for the tests of the famous 'bouncing bomb' used by the Dambusters, for Typhoons and, towards the end of the war, for jet planes. After the war, the US Air Force were based at the site for 8 years. In 1960 the airfield returned to the RAF to be used as an emergency airfield. In 1999 RAF Manston closed and the airfield is now a civilian airfield. (1)

Numerous components of the First World War and Second World War station were mapped as part of the Historic England Isle of Thanet project in 2024. These include structures dating from approximately 1918 onwards, including the railway, RAF Manston's semi-sunken aircraft hangars and substantial elements of both the western technical area and eastern 'War Flight' area of the First World War and inter-war years. A short-lived, early Second World War arrangement of anti-landing obstacles, laid out across the grass airfield in two phases of contrasting orientation, was also recorded.

Mapped evidence for the mid-Second World War development of the station includes the construction of the crash runway and installation of FIDO system during 1943-44. This was associated with the removal of numerous earlier features including fighter pens, slit trenches, huts and other buildings. Significant defence features surrounding the station including extensive barbed wire entanglements, anti-aircraft gun batteries and numerous pillboxes, gun emplacements and slit trenches were also mapped. Evidence for range finding/direction finding facilities to the east, west and north of the airfield were also recorded.

Whilst many of these features were extant and in use beyond the end of the Second World War (and some still remain at the time of this amendment to this record), mid- and late-20th century developments that are recorded on post-War Ordnance Survey maps were not mapped as part of this project. (2-5)

<2> Joe Bamford, John Williams, 2013, A Detailed History of RAF Manston, 1916-1930. The Men Who Made Manston (Bibliographic reference). SKE58346.

<3> Joe Bamford, John Williams, 2015, A Detailed History of RAF Manston 1931-1940. Arise to Protect (Bibliographic reference). SKE58377.

<4> Joe Bamford, John Williams, Peter Gallagher, 2016, A Detailed History of RAF Manston 1941-1945. Invicta - The Undefeated (Bibliographic reference). SKE58205.

<5> Rocky Stockman, 1986, The History of RAF Manston 1916-1986 (Bibliographic reference). SKE58359.

Sources and further reading

Related records

Related thematic articles

• Aviation in Kent (Thematic Essay)
• The Defence of Kent (Thematic Essay)