Editing RAF Kenley (section)

==Postwar==
[[File:Officer's Mess Kenley Aerodrome 1979 - geograph.org.uk - 658040.jpg|thumb|Former RAF Officer's Mess at RAF Kenley Aerodrome in 1979]]
Although few of the remaining buildings survive and the [[control tower]] was demolished after a fire in 1978 along with the remaining hangar, Kenley is thought{{who|date=December 2024}} to be the best preserved of all Second World War RAF fighter stations, with the runway still in its original configuration. English Heritage (in 2000) identified Kenley as "The most complete fighter airfield associated with the Battle of Britain to have survived".{{cn|date=December 2024}} The respective councils of [[Croydon]] and [[Tandridge (district)|Tandridge]] have designated the airfield site as a [[conservation area (United Kingdom)|conservation area]] (2006).

The south-west corner, previously occupied by married quarters, has been redeveloped with modern high-density housing directly abutting the airfield (the area was excluded from the Green Belt as part of the Tandridge District Local Plan{{cn|date=December 2024}} and thus not included within the conservation area). In December 2005, the Grade II Listed former officers' mess building and surrounding land was sold to residential building developer, Comer Homes,{{cn|date=December 2024}} and having more recently suffered a fire and vandalism, its future is uncertain as is that of the [[Royal Air Forces Association]] (RAFA) Portcullis Club.

Eleven of the original 12 E-shaped [[blast pen]]s remain in part or whole, as well as the shelters for the servicing personnel. One in particular – forming the background to the RAF memorial – has been fully restored. Since 2004 these structures are protected as [[scheduled monument]]s.

Part of the former air station is preserved as a tribute to the service personnel of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] and [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] fighter squadrons who shared the honours with the RAF. In a former aircraft parking area in one of the blast pens a memorial was unveiled on 19 August 2000. Dedicated to the Royal Air Force and allied air forces, the inscription reads "RAF Kenley Tribute in Honour of All Personnel Who Served Here 1917–1959".<ref>{{cite web |title=War Memorials Register / RAF Kenley |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/38916 |website=Imperial War Museum |access-date=5 March 2025}}</ref>

The aerodrome was used as a location in ''[[Angels One Five]]'' (1952) and ''[[Reach for the Sky]]'' (1956),<ref>{{cite web |title=Angels One-Five / Reach for the Sky |url=https://www.reelstreets.com/films/angels-one-five/ |website=ReelStreets.com |access-date=5 March 2025}}</ref> the latter about [[Douglas Bader]] who was posted to RAF Kenley in 1930 [[No. 23 Squadron RAF]] shortly before his accident in 1931.