11 Group Stations of the the Battle of Britain

The Group pages begin with a sector map explaining the Group's structure and how the chain of command worked. The stations are split into Sector stations, Fighter stations, Chain Home and Chain Home Low RDF sites. To see the details of each station, click on its name on the map, or scroll down the list, which is arranged alphabetically in categories.

Group Headquarters

11 Group Headquarters was based at RAF Uxbridge, the administrative centre. Also within the physical area of 11 Group and close to Uxbridge is RAF Bentley Priory, the Headquarters of Fighter Command during the Battle.

Sector Airfields

RAF Biggin Hill.

RAF Biggin Hill was home to the Biggin Hill Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 32 Squadron from 4 June 1940
  • No 79 Squadron from 5 June 1940
  • No 610 Squadron from 2 July 1940
  • No 79 Squadron from 27 August 1940
  • No 72 Squadron from 31 August 1940
  • No 92 Squadron from 8 September 1940
  • No 141 Squadron from 13 September to 18 September 1940
  • No 72 Squadron from 14 September 1940
  • No 74 Squadron from 15 October 1940

RAF Debden.

RAF Debden was home to the Debden Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 85 Squadron from 22 May 1940
  • No 17 Squadron from 19 June 1940
  • No 257 Squadron from 15 August 1940
  • No 601 Squadron from 19 August 1940
  • No 111 Squadron from 19 August 1940
  • No 17 Squadron from 2 September 1940
  • No 25 Squadron from 8 October 1940

RAF Hornchurch.

RAF Hornchurch was home to the Hornchurch Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 65 Squadron from 5 June 1940
  • No 74 Squadron from 25 June 1940
  • No 54 Squadron from 24 July 1940
  • No 41 Squadron from 26 July 1940
  • No 54 Squadron from 8 August 1940
  • No 266 Squadron from 14 August 1940
  • No 600 Squadron from 22 August 1940
  • No 264 Squadron from 22 August 1940
  • No 603 Squadron from 27 August 1940
  • No 41 Squadron from 3 September 1940

RAF Kenley.

RAF Kenley was home to the Kenley Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 615 Squadron from 20 May 1940
  • No 616 Squadron from 19 August 1940
  • No 253 Squadron from 29 August 1940
  • No 66 Squadron from 3 September 1940
  • No 501 Squadron from 10 September 1940
  • No 253 Squadron from 8 May 1940

RAF Northolt.

RAF Northolt was home to the Northolt Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 609 Squadron from 19 May 1940
  • No 257 Squadron from 4 July 1940
  • No 303 Squadron from 22 July 1940
  • No 43 Squadron from 23 July 1940 to 1 August 1940
  • No 401 Squadron RCAF from Mid-August 1940
  • No 615 Squadron from 10 October 1940
  • No 302 Squadron from 11 October 1940

RAF North Weald.

RAF North Weald was home to the North Weald Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 151 Squadron from 20 May 1940
  • No 56 Squadron from 4 June 1940
  • No 25 Squadron from 1 September 1940
  • No 249 Squadron from 1 September 1940
  • No 257 Squadron from 8 October 1940

RAF Tangmere.

RAF Tangmere was home to the Tangmere Sector Operations Room and Staff, and the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 145 Squadron from 10 May 1940
  • No 43 Squadron from 31 May 1940
  • No 601 Squadron from 17 June 1940
  • No 266 Squadron from 9 August 1940
  • No 17 Squadron from 19 August 1940
  • No 607 Squadron from 1 September 1940
  • No 601 Squadron from 2 September 1940
  • No 213 Squadron from 7 September 1940
  • No 145 Squadron from 9 October 1940

Fighter Airfields

RAF Croydon.

RAF Croydon was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 111 Squadron from 4 June 1940
  • No 501 Squadron from 21 June 1940
  • No 401 Squadron RCAF from July 1940
  • No 85 Squadron from 19 August 1940
  • No 72 Squadron from 1 September 1940
  • No 111 Squadron from 3 September 1940
  • No 605 Squadron from 7 September 1940

RAF Detling.

Detling was one of the 11 Group satellite airfields used by units on a day-to-day basis as required, often flights or squadrons would detach to such an airfield in the morning and return to their main operating and maintenance base in the evening.

RAF Eastchurch.

RAF Eastchurch was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 266 Squadron from 12 August 1940

RAF Ford.

RAF Ford was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 23 Squadron from 12 September 1940

RAF Gosport.

Gosport was, along with Lee-on-Solent, one of the Royal Navy's airfields used in the defence of Southampton and Portsmouth. Royal Navy fighters were permanently based there, and occasionally RAF units were detached, using the airfield in the same way as a satellite or relief landing ground.

RAF Gravesend.

RAF Gravesend was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 610 Squadron from 26 May 1940
  • No 604 Squadron from 3 July 1940
  • No 501 Squadron from 25 July 1940
  • No 66 Squadron from 11 September 1940

RAF Hawkinge.

RAF Hawkinge was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 79 Squadron from 2 July 1940

RAF Hendon.

RAF Hendon was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 257 Squadron from 17 May 1940
  • No 504 Squadron from 5 September 1940

RAF Lee on Solent.

Lee on Solent was, along with Gosport, one of the Royal Navy's airfields used in the defence of Southampton and Portsmouth. Royal Navy fighters were permanently based there, and occasionally RAF units were detached, using the airfield in the same way as a satellite or relief landing ground.

RAF Lympne.

Lympne was one of the 11 Group satellite airfields used by units on a day-to-day basis as required, often flights or squadrons would detach to such an airfield in the morning and return to their main operating and maintenance base in the evening. Due to the extreme forward position of this site it was under constant threat of attack and was not permanently manned during the Battle by any one Squadron.

RAF Manston.

RAF Manston was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 604 Squadron from 15 May 1940
  • No 600 Squadron from 20 June 1940

RAF Martlesham.

RAF Martlesham was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 25 Squadron from 19 June 1940
  • No 257 Squadron from 5 September 1940
  • No 17 Squadron from 8 October 1940

RAF Rochford.

RAF Rochford was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 54 Squadron from 25 June 1940
  • No 264 Squadron from 27 August 1940
  • No 264 Squadron from 29 October 1940

RAF Stapleford.

RAF Stapleford was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 151 Squadron from 29 August 1940
  • No 46 Squadron from 1 September 1940

RAF Thorney Island.

RAF Thorney Island was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 236 Squadron from 4 July 1940

RAF Westhampnett.

RAF Westhampnett was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 145 Squadron from 31 July 1940
  • No 602 Squadron from 13 August 1940

RAF West Malling.

RAF West Malling was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:

  • No 141 Squadron from 12 July 1940
  • No 66 Squadron from 30 October 1940

Chain Home Stations

RAF Bawdsey.

Bawdsey provided long range early warning for the southern North Sea and the Channel approaches, as well as radar coverage for coastal convoys.

RAF Bromley.

Bromley provided long range early warning for the eastern approaches to the Thames estuary.

RAF Canewdon.

Canewdon provided long range early warning for the Thames estuary and the north eastern approaches to London.

RAF Dunkirk.

Dunkirk provided long range early warning for the Thames estuary and the south eastern approaches to London.

RAF High Street.

High Street provided long range early warning for the southern North Sea and approaches to East Anglia.

RAF Pevensey.

Pevensey provided long range early warning for the south coast and Channel, looking over the raid assembly areas in northern France.

RAF Rye.

Rye provided long range early warning for the south coast and Channel, looking over the Cap Griz Nez area of northern France.

RAF Ventnor.

Ventnor provided long range early warning for the south coast, particularly for Southampton and Portsmouth.

Chain Home Low Stations

RAF Beachy Head.

Beachy Head provided low level raid cover for the the south Channel coast between Brighton and Hastings.

RAF Dover.

Dover provided low level raid cover for the south Channel coast across the shortest crossing point of the Channel and for one of the busiest south coast ports.

RAF Dunwich.

Dunwich provided low level raid cover for the central East Anglian coast.

RAF Fairlight.

Fairlight provided low level raid cover for the south coast between Hastings and Rye.

RAF Foreness.

Foreness provided low level raid cover for the approaches to the Thames estuary and London.

RAF Poling.

Poling provided low level raid cover for the south coast between Portsmouth and Brighton.

RAF Truleigh.

Truleigh provided low level raid cover for the south coast in the Brighton area.

RAF Walton.

Walton provided low level raid cover for the northern approaches to the Thames estuary and London.