RAF Manston, Royal Air Force station in Kent, England
RAF Manston is a former Royal Air Force airfield in north-east Kent with sprawling grounds covering around 600 acres. The site now houses a firefighter training centre and two aviation museums within its perimeter.
The Royal Air Force opened this airfield in 1916 as an emergency landing site for aircraft during the First World War. During the Second World War it served as a key fighter station and later as a diversion airfield for damaged planes needing safe landing.
Two museums on the former base grounds, the RAF Manston History Museum and Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, present military aviation exhibits.
The site can be explored on foot, and the two museums are easily reached across the grounds. It is wise to wear comfortable shoes, as there is considerable walking involved across the open airfield.
The airfield was known for accepting crashed and damaged aircraft that were too disabled to reach other airfields. This made it a critical rescue facility, particularly for British fighter pilots returning from combat.
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