page_title: Walmer
section_title: Walmer Aerodrome
hierarchical_section_title: Walmer / History / Walmer Aerodrome
caption_attribution_description: English: A modern monument marking the site of the former World War I and II airfield located near the Kentish coastal town of Walmer.
context_page_description: Walmer is a town in the district of Dover, Kent in England: located on the coast, the parish of Walmer is six miles south-east of Sandwich, Kent. Largely residential, its coastline and castle attract many visitors. It has a population of 6,693, increasing to 8,178 at the 2011 Census.
  Walmer is closely associated with its adjoining neighbour, the town of Deal - sharing many amenities and services and benefiting from Deal's High Street shopping area.
  Walmer railway station is on the Kent Coast Line.
context_section_description: The flat grassy plateau at Hawkshill Freedown on the southern edge of Walmer parish, adjacent to Walmer Castle, was  requisitioned in April 1917 by the War Office for use as an aerodrome to increase capability for the defence of shipping in the English Channel. Wing Captain C. L. Lambe, Officer Commanding Royal Naval Air Service Dover and Dunkirk posted six pilots from different squadrons who had been involved in intense fighting on the Western Front to Walmer. These pilots were:
  Flight Lieutenant Theo Vernon who became Flight Commander
  Flight Sub Lieutenant Arthur.R. Brown
  Flight Sub Lieutenant J.A. Shaw
  Flight Lieutenant Stanley Kemball
  Flight Sub Lieutenant William Lusby
  Flight Sub Lieutenant Harry Chisam.
  Once operational the airmen were kept busy fighting German bomber offensives with many victories recorded. Pilots from the Royal Flying Corps were also stationed at the Aerodrome as the RNAS and RFC often flew together on operations over the Western Front.
  September 1917 saw the first death of an Officer who had been stationed at Walmer - Squadron Commander T. C. Vernon of 9 Naval Squadron. He had been the Commanding Officer of the Walmer Defence Flight until July 1917.
  In November 1917, 3 Naval Squadron was relocated to Walmer from the Western Front. 4 Naval Squadron arrived 2 January 1918 to take over, then in March 1918, it became the home station of 8 Naval Squadron which was absorbed into the Royal Air Force on its creation on 1 April 1918. 
  After a few weeks of reduced activity on base a new Fighter Defence Flight was established in May 1918 with a primary mission to engage enemy fighters originating from Belgium and by 20 October 1918, the Belgium Coast was completely re-occupied by Allied Forces.
  On 31 August 1918,  Major Ronald Graham a WW1 ace took command of the newly formed No.233 Squadron RAF this incorporated the Fighter Defence Flight of Camels at RAF Walmer which was then under the command of Captain W. M. Alexander, another Flight (491)at Dover (Guston Road) and the Seaplane flight (407) Dover, Marine Parade. Flight 491 flying DH9s moved to RAF Walmer in January 1919 and in March 1919 the Squadron moved its headquarters to RAF Walmer. 233 Squadron RAF was disbanded in May 1919 but service records show it took a few months for all planes and pilots to leave. 
  Walmer remained on the emergency landing list of aerodromes.
  RAF Walmer (also known as Hawkshill Down) was reopened during the Second World War as a strategic location for the defence of the UK. It was not used operationally for aircraft, but for some of the most important radar tracking and jamming systems used in the Second World War. 
  In 1941 Chain Home Low was installed at Walmer by the Army to increase the coverage of coastal radar systems in the South East. During 1942 an outstation of No. 80 (Signals) Wing RAF was opened which operated under the control of Bomber Command. In December 1942 A.M.E. type 9000 radar (Oboe) became fully operational which allowed precision bombing using Mosquito aircraft of 109 Squadron RAF. The Oboe system at Walmer worked jointly with a sister station in Norfolk, RAF Trimingham. They were known as cat and mouse stations. Target-finding aircraft controlled by Walmer were used extensively during the Battle of the Ruhr in March 1943. Oboe was one of the most precise navigational systems employed by any Air Force in the Second World War.
  Large numbers of personnel were based at Walmer during this period including many from the WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force). In October 1943 a detachment from 2752 Squadron RAF Regiment (anti-aircraft) was deployed to Walmer followed by the full squadron in June 1944. Servicemen from both 2852 and 2844 Squadrons RAF Regiments were recorded as serving at Walmer. From December 1943 until October 1944 Walmer was the site for the second station for an RAF jammer system (Grocer) which was used against German Air Force airborne interception radar (Lichtenstein). The transmitters and monitor were placed strategically at Walmer and further south at Kingsdown so as to not interfere with 
caption: A modern monument marking the site of the former World War I and II airfield located near the Kentish coastal town of Walmer.
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