Editing RAF Kenley (section)

===Second World War===
[[File:The Battle of Britain HU70268.jpg|thumb|left|RAF aircraftmen guard the remains of a ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' [[Dornier 17]] that was  shot down during a low-level attack on RAF Kenley on 18 August 1940.]]
RAF Kenley was one of the three main fighter stations (Kenley, [[Croydon Airport|Croydon]] and [[RAF Biggin Hill|Biggin Hill]]) responsible for the air defence of [[London]] during the [[Battle of Britain]] in 1940. 

RAF Kenley suffered its worst damage in an attack on 18 August 1940. While 15&nbsp;September is considered by many to be the climax of the Battle of Britain, 18&nbsp;August is often cited as the costliest or hardest day – the British lost 68&nbsp;aircraft and the Germans lost 69. At Kenley, two of the remaining three hangars (three had been removed in 1939), other buildings and ten aircraft, including six Hurricanes, were destroyed, while six more, including a Spitfire and two Hurricanes, were damaged. The runways were also heavily cratered by the bombing. The Sector Operations Room had to be moved to an emergency location away from the airfield.

[[Hammond Innes]]' book ''[[Attack Alarm]]'', published in 1941, was based on his experiences as a [[Royal Artillery]] anti-aircraft gunner at RAF Kenley during the [[Battle of Britain]]. Innes' novels are marked by attention to accurate detail and the book contains graphic descriptions of the station and attacks on it in 1940.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kenleyrevival.org/content/history/significant-dates/attack-alarm-hammond-inness-portrait-of-kenleys-hardest-day|title=ATTACK ALARM – Hammond Innes's portrait of Kenley's Hardest Day|website=Kenley Revival|access-date=23 September 2020}}</ref>