Memorial unveiled at 'incredibly important' former Langley Airfield site

A memorial has been unveiled at the site of a former airfield in Langley which played an ‘incredibly important’ role in the Battle of Britain.

Langley Airfield was built on the village’s Parlaunt Park Farm site and became the home of Hawker Aircraft Ltd.

Almost 7000 Hawker Hurricanes were constructed there, handing the RAF a significant boost in its military campaign defending the British skies from the German Luftwaffe in 1940.

On Saturday (Oct5), the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust invited members of the public to Harvey Park, the centre of the former airfield, as a monument was unveiled in tribute to the site.

Kenneth Bannerman, from the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust (ABCT) said: “In the run-up to the unveiling it was quite noticeable how forgotten the role of Langley Airfield in the war effort had become.

“With almost 7000 Hawker Hurricanes built in Langley, it goes without saying that the airfield played an incredibly important part in securing victory in the Battle of Britain.”

In the 1950s, Langley gradually wound down with Hawker Aircraft relocating to Dunsfold Aerodrome, in Surrey.

The airfield then closed in 1955 and has now almost disappeared under housing and industrial development.

Kenneth added: “Unveiling memorials like this is one of the vital things we do to remind people of the role these airfields played.”

The Mayor of Slough Avtar Kaur Cheema and aviation historian Pete Trafford were among the guests to attend the ceremony.