Established in 1917, the facility was initially a
Royal Flying Corps storage depot, situated on both sides of the railway line close to
Kidbrooke railway station. In 1917, several large storage warehouses and offices were constructed, that stretched for alongside both sides of the line, served by sidings and an extensive gauge network. In December of 1917, RFC Kidbrooke was placed under the command of
Lt. Col. William Henry Lang. The RFC became the RAF on 1 April 1918. Kidbrooke became No 1 Stores Depot which was predominantly staffed by members of the
Women's Royal Air Force. It became No 1 Equipment Depot in February 1937 and No 1 Maintenance Unit in April 1938. It was disbanded as a stores in February 1947, though its facilities remained in use but managed from elsewhere. During the
Second World War, the base was expanded to include a
barrage balloon depot, providing balloons to defend London against low-flying enemy aircraft. On adjacent land to the north of the railway line,
No. 141 Gliding School RAF for the
Air Training Corps operated from October 1942 to December 1945, After the war, the radar installation Unit transferred to
RAF West Drayton in Middlesex. RAF Kidbrooke was also the home of No 4 MT Squadron. The squadron, manned by service and civilian personnel and equipped with a variety of vehicles including heavy trucks and
Queen Mary low loaders, was responsible for the movement of equipment mainly in the south of England. It also provided vehicles such as the
Scammel Scarab in the London Docks. All RAF personnel were posted away in 1967 when the squadron civilianised. When RAF Kidbrooke closed in around 1968/69, the civilian staff and vehicles were relocated to Woolwich Arsenal.
Wartime murder During the Second World War, on 14 February 1944, Iris Miriam Deeley, a leading aircraftwoman with No 1 Balloon Centre was murdered near
Well Hall railway station as she was returning to Kidbrooke. Her murderer, Ernest Kemp, was arrested a week later. He was tried and convicted at the
Old Bailey, and, after being condemned to death, was executed at
Wandsworth Prison on 6 June 1944. ==The site today==