Marking the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain

This year marks the 80^th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which took place between July and October 1940. 15 September 1940 was officially declared Battle of Britain Day as it was the day when RAF Fighter Command claimed a decisive victory over the German Luftwaffe.

To commemorate the anniversary this year, Mayor of Ashford Cllr John Link will be taking part in brief services at Great Chart and Egerton on Sunday 13 September to pay tribute to those who lost their lives defending Britain. Coverage from both commemorations will be available online the following week, as the visits will unfortunately be closed events due to the current coronavirus restrictions.

The Ashford borough was home to several temporary airfields, including ones in Egerton, Great Chart, High Halden, Kingsnorth, and Woodchurch. Interestingly, the Egerton airfield was named RAF Headcorn, to confuse the enemy, while Headcorn’s airfield was known as RAF Lashenden.

As with the 75^th anniversary celebrations for VE and VJ Day further information about Ashford’s role in the Battle of Britain and the national picture can be read online. This includes links to Winston Churchill’s famous speeches such as the one he gave to the House of Commons on 20 August 1940, when paying tribute to the RAF, he coined one of his most famous lines stating that “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

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