buildiNG 27

History on our doorstep

The Historic Sir Keith Park Sector Operations building, ‘Building 27’, at RAF Northolt

Sqn Ldr Andy Reeve

Right under your nose as you travel to work every day, is a magnificent piece of RAF and national history being restored to its 1940, Battle of Britain, glory.

did you know that the unremarkable little building, sitting just opposite the qCS parade square made a vital contribution to the development of tactics which facilitated the Battle of Britain victory in September 1940? Little did they know at the time, but the men and women working there were to play such a telling part in one of the most decisive moments in British history. The Early History

Building 27 was constructed in 1929 as a standardised sector operations building, and was allocated the code letter ‘Z’, thereafter becoming the Z-Sector Operations Building within 11 Group.

Being the closest fighter station to Fighter Command Headquarters at RAF Bentley Priory, Building 27 was heavily involved in exercises between 1936 to 1939. under the direction of Air Marshall Sir Hugh dowding (Commander-in-Chief Fighter Command) the exercises produced standardise sector operational procedures, which would later become a template for all fighter bases throughout World War ii. This became known as ‘The dowding System’ of groundcontrolled interception networks, and in fact, some of the procedures are still used today. Building 27 is considered by many to be the birthplace of the integrated Air defence System.

The Building got its official name from Air Vice Marshall Sir Keith Park ,who commanded RAF Northolt from 1931-1932. The connection strengthened when AVM Park, a New Zealander by birth, served as Air Officer Commanding 11 Group during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Fittingly on 15 September 2010, the building was officially re-opened by the Chief of the RNZAF, AVM Graham Lintott beginning its final service as a place to remember, celebrate and learn about the pivotal work of the men and women who served there 80+ years ago. Since then, it’s been visited by all serving RAF Chiefs, as well as a smattering of celebrities including James May and Alexei Sayle. The Post-War Journey

After the war, Building 27 led a much less glamourous life, serving its time as British European Airways marketing department, followed by spells as the Station’s education centre & library, and Support Engineering Squadron offices. Latterly 32 Squadron used it in support of its fleet of communication aircraft, and its final official use before retirement in 2007 was the station accounts department. Rescued from the threat of demolition during the Project MOdEL restructure of RAF Northolt,

the building was granted Grade 2 listed status and restoration was soon under way. Since then and under the guidance of the Project Team Leader, Mr Phillip dawe MBE, the building has been slowly and painstakingly returned to its 1940’s glory through meticulous research and utter dedication from Phil, who has personally invested more than 40,000 hours over 15 years. indeed, Phil received formal recognition in this year’s New year’s Honours List with his very well-deserved MBE. The Now and the Future

The remarkable result of Phil’s passion marks the building out as something of national historical value, as we sadly edge ever closer to the point when there will be no survivors of the era to tell the story first-hand. The next stage in this evolution is the transition to charitable status, which i expect to achieve in the first half of 2022. The project is entirely funded by donations, and this new status will provide the platform from which we can expand our media and fund-raising profile. With charitable status in place, not only will we be able to secure the resources to complete the final few rooms of the restoration, but we will also be able to look to reach out much more widely as a centre of force development interest. Visit, and Get Involved

Come and visit! Phil is always welcoming and has a wealth of knowledge to take you on the journey of not just the building, but also the people, squadrons and operations that made such a crucial contribution to our ‘finest hour’. i would love to see all section from our Whole Force RAF Northolt come and visit, so that we can all share in the rich history on our doorstep. if you’d like to organise a visit, just drop me a line and we’ll find a time for you and your team. Once you’ve been, you’ll see there’s a huge amount still to do, and there are all sorts of ways to contribute. We’re always on the lookout for enthusiastic and willing volunteers to expand our small but dedicated team, so if you are interested in getting involved, you are welcome to get in touch – i’d love to hear from you.

As i leave you to look through the photos and plan your visit, do check out our Facebook page by searching ‘SiR KEiTH PARK OPERATiONS BuiLdiNG RAF NORTHOLT. We do rely solely on donations to fund the £5,000 + per year it takes to keep the work going, so if you would like to contribute via our JustGiving page, search the web site searching under ‘The Sir Keith Park Building’ – and don’t forget to leave us a message!

i look forward to seeing you all soon.