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RAF Hendon, in north-west London, occupies a special place in British air history, bridging the gap between the interwar world of public aviation displays and the wartime realities of air defence and training. By the Second World War, Hendon was already established as an important RAF site, and its location in the capital’s orbit ensured it remained valuable for communications, administration, and the many ‘behind the scenes’ flying tasks that supported Britain’s war effort.
London’s air defence system relied on fighter stations and sector controls, but it also depended on supporting nodes where aircraft could be maintained, staff could move, and training and demonstration work could continue. Hendon fitted naturally into that support layer. Wartime flying at a London-area station often involved communications aircraft, liaison flights, and instructional sorties rather than large-scale offensive operations. Even so, the environment was far from safe. The capital region experienced bombing and disruption, and aviation sites needed blackouts, camouflage and security measures, while maintaining the ability to operate when urgently required.
Hendon also represents the cultural and organisational side of the RAF in wartime. The service’s growth required administration, technical instruction and the processing of personnel. Stations close to London supported the movement of senior staff, the coordination of training and policy, and the handling of aircraft moving between depots and units. In practice, that meant a steady flow of aircraft and vehicles, and an airfield routine governed by schedules and priorities rather than ‘ops’ cycles.
Today, Hendon’s legacy is reinforced by the presence of the RAF Museum, which makes it one of the most accessible places for the public to engage with RAF history. While the museum is a post-war development, it adds meaning to Hendon’s wartime story because it preserves and interprets the wider RAF narrative that stations like Hendon supported – aircraft, people, and the organisational machinery behind combat.
- Primary wartime role: London-area RAF support, communications and administrative flying, with training and liaison functions.
- Typical activity: staff and liaison flights, aircraft movement between units, and instructional flying within the defended capital region.
- Why it mattered: helped keep RAF command and support systems functioning in the heart of the country.
RAF Hendon’s Second World War significance is therefore not mainly about a single squadron’s combat record. It is about how wartime air power was sustained through communications, organisation and continuity – work that was essential, often invisible, and rooted in places close to the capital where decisions and coordination mattered every day.
Hendon’s proximity to national institutions also meant it sat close to the RAF’s public-facing and organisational life. Even under wartime restrictions, the RAF had to manage messaging, recruiting, training standards and the constant movement of staff between commands. A London-area station with airfield facilities was a practical asset for those needs, turning Hendon into a working piece of the RAF’s administrative infrastructure.