Editing Croydon Airport (section)

===Second World War===

When the [[World War II|Second World War]] started in September 1939, Croydon Airport was closed to civil aviation but played a vital role as a fighter station during the [[Battle of Britain]]. [[No. 92 Squadron RAF|No. 92 Squadron]] flew [[Supermarine Spitfires]] from RAF Croydon during the early part of the Second World War and the Battle of Britain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cambridgemilitaryhistory.com/2015/05/13/mk1-supermarine-spitfire-to-be-sold-to-benefit-raf-veterans-and-wildlife-charity/|title=MK1 Supermarine Spitfire to be sold to benefit RAF Veterans and Wildlife Charity|work=Cambridge Military History|date=13 May 2015}}</ref>

The following units were here at some point:<ref name="ABCT"/>
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
* [[No. 1 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 1 Squadron RCAF]]
* [[No. 2 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 3 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 10 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 17 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 22 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 32 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 39 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 41 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 72 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 83 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 84 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 85 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 92 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 93 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 111 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 116 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 145 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 147 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 167 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 207 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 271 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 285 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 287 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron]]
* [[No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron]]
* [[No. 414 Squadron RCAF]]
* [[435 Transport and Rescue Squadron|No. 435 Squadron RCAF]]
* [[437 Transport Squadron|No. 437 Squadron RCAF]]
* [[No. 501 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 605 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 607 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 615 Squadron RAF]]
}}
;Units:
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* [[No. 1 Aircraft Delivery Flight RAF]] (January 1942 - July 1944){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=47}}
* [[No. 110 Wing RAF|No. 110 (Transport) Wing RAF]] (July 1944 - February 1946){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=321}}
* [[No. 143 Gliding School RAF]] (May 1945 - December 1946){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=166}}
* No. 405 Aircraft Repair Flight
* No. 405 Repair & Salvage Unit
* No. 409 Repair & Salvage Unit
* No. 3202 Servicing Commando
* [[List of RAF Regiment units#Flights|No. 4007 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment]]
}}

====Battle of Britain====
On 15 August 1940, Croydon Airport was attacked in the first major air raid on the London area. At around 6.20 pm 22 [[Messerschmitt Bf 110]] and [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]] fighter-bombers of ''Erpr.Gr.210'' mounted a final raid of the day, intended for [[RAF Kenley]] nearby, but attacked Croydon (four miles further north) in error. The armoury was destroyed, the civilian airport terminal building was badly damaged, and a hangar was damaged by cannon fire and blast. Another hangar and about forty training aircraft in it went up in flames. Six airfield personnel died (four airmen from [[No. 111 Squadron RAF|No. 111 Squadron]], an officer of [[No. 401 Squadron RCAF|No. 1 Squadron RCAF]], and a female telephonist from Station HQ). Factories next to Croydon Airport took the worst of the bombing. The British NSF factory (making electrical components) was almost entirely destroyed, and the [[Bourjois]] perfume factory gutted. The [[Rollason Aircraft and Engines|Rollason Aircraft]] factory also received bomb hits and accounted for many of the 62 civilians (including five women) killed and 192 injured. Eight of the attacking aircraft were shot down by the Hurricanes of [[No. 32 Squadron RAF#Second World War|32]] and 111 Squadrons.<ref>Ramsey, "After the Battle"{{clarify|date=September 2022}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Citation is to [[After the Battle]] magazine but no issue number so impossible to verify (there are 195 issues)|date=September 2022}}