… home of RAF’s Fighter Command from its establishment in 1936 to its final dissolution in 1968.
Tags: Bentley Priory shotOnIphone architecture museum building ACM Sir Hugh Dowding RAF Headquarters Fighter Command UK HA7 London Mansion House Drive Stanmore
… ACM Sir Hugh Dowding designed and implemented the integrated defence system that saved Britain from invasion in 1940 from his modest and rather pleasant ground floor office, with a nice view onto the Italianate gardens.
Tags: Bentley Priory shotOnIphone museum building architecture faux vintage monochrome ACM Sir Hugh Dowding RAF Fighter Command Headquarters UK HA7 London Stanmore Mansion House Drive
… all the air operations in preparation and support of D-Day were planned from Hillingdon House and the surrounding buildings. The underground Operations Room, down the road from the headquarters building, has been preserved and makes for a fascinating visit.
Tags: AVM Sir Keith Park shotOnIphone vintage monochrome architecture Victorian RAF 2nd TAF 11 Group Headquarters UK UB10 London Uxbridge Hillingdon House
… before serving as headquarters 2nd Tactical Air Force for the invasion of Europe, Hillingdon House served as the home of RAF’s 11 Group, who took on the defence of the whole South East, including London, during the Battle of Britain.
11 Group’s CO, AVM Sir Keith Park, lived in a cottage down Wren Road, a minute walk from the entrance of the underground OPS room – practically in his front garden – and 5 minutes walk from his office in Hillingdon House. Sir Keith had to take a 10 mn drive to Northolt though, when he needed to fly his Hawker Hurricane :-)
Tags: shotOnIphone landscape architecture Victorian UK London UB10 Uxbridge Dowding Park Wren Avenue Hillingdon House
Tags: Hendon Aerodrome shotOnIphone building architecture contemporary UK NW9 London Colindale Beaufort Square Aviation Drive Griffin House