History of Manston Airfield 100 years of flight

406th Fighter Interceptor Wing / F-86D Sabre / Featured / On this day / USAF

May 20, 2022

by History of Manston Airfield · Published May 20, 2022

USAF F-86D from Manston ordered to fire on UFO – May 20th 1957

Secret files are released In October 2008, a number of previously secret UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) files concerning UFO (Unidentified Flying Objects) were released to the public. They had...
617 Sqn / Avro Lancaster / de Havilland Mosquito / Featured / World War II

April 13, 2022

by History of Manston Airfield · Published April 13, 2022 · Last modified May 20, 2022

Dambuster Bouncing Bomb Tests at Reculver and Manston

In May 1943, a top secret weapon was used against dams in the German Ruhr valley in an attempt to cause catastrophic damage to the enemy war machine. It was...
600 Sqn / Bristol Blenheim / On this day / World War II

March 11, 2022

by History of Manston Airfield · Published March 11, 2022 · Last modified March 5, 2022

No.600 Sqn Bristol Blenheim I crashes at Manston – 11th March 1940

No.600 Sqn’s Blenheim L6682 piloted by F/O Anthony Henry Hamilton Tollemache took off from Manston for a searchlight co-operation exercise. On completion, while approaching the flare-path at 2320hrs, the aircraft...
22 Sqn ASR / Air Sea Rescue / Featured / On this day

March 6, 2022

by History of Manston Airfield · Published March 6, 2022 · Last modified March 5, 2022

Herald of Free Enterprise Disaster, 6th March 1987

RAF Search and Rescue teams in helicopters from No.22 Sqn at Manston were part of the rescue operation for the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry which had capsized shortly after...

August 29, 2018

Manston: 100 Years of Flight Project

As part of the RAF Manston Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum’s first ever Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) project, they aimed to celebrate, commemorate and promote RAF Manston’s unique history. As...

406th Fighter Interceptor Wing / F-86D Sabre / Featured / On this day / USAF

May 20, 2022

USAF F-86D from Manston ordered to fire on UFO – May 20th 1957

Secret files are released In October 2008, a number of previously secret UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) files concerning UFO (Unidentified Flying Objects) were released to the public. They had...

617 Sqn / Avro Lancaster / de Havilland Mosquito / Featured / World War II

April 13, 2022

Dambuster Bouncing Bomb Tests at Reculver and Manston

In May 1943, a top secret weapon was used against dams in the German Ruhr valley in an attempt to cause catastrophic damage to the enemy war machine. It was...

600 Sqn / Bristol Blenheim / On this day / World War II

March 11, 2022

No.600 Sqn Bristol Blenheim I crashes at Manston – 11th March 1940

No.600 Sqn’s Blenheim L6682 piloted by F/O Anthony Henry Hamilton Tollemache took off from Manston for a searchlight co-operation exercise. On completion, while approaching the flare-path at 2320hrs, the aircraft...

22 Sqn ASR / Air Sea Rescue / Featured / On this day

March 6, 2022

Herald of Free Enterprise Disaster, 6th March 1987

RAF Search and Rescue teams in helicopters from No.22 Sqn at Manston were part of the rescue operation for the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry which had capsized shortly after...

Spitfire F37/34 Prototype, K5054, ground view. © IWM (MH 5212)

On this day / Other Airfields / Supermarine Spitfire

March 5, 2022

Spitfire Prototype K5054 maiden flight from Eastleigh airfield – 5th March 1936

Not directly related to Manston at the time, but the birth of another aircraft closely linked to Manston’s later history. The first test flight of Supermarine’s Type 300 K5054 prototype...

609 Sqn / Featured / Hawker Typhoon / On this day / World War II

February 14, 2022

The Valentine’s Day ‘Battle of the MTB’ – 14th February 1943

In the channel a Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) had been disabled near the French coast between Dover and Cap Griz-Nez after carrying out operations overnight around the French ports. The...