The Historic Croydon Airport Trust has just received a National Lottery grant of £9,200 and will be putting it to good use.

The ‘Fighting for Air: The First World War Origins of Croydon Airport’ project will promote understanding of London Croydon Airport’s role in the Nation’s air defences during the First World War.

The project will commemorate the 1918 opening of Croydon’s airport which was developed from two aerodromes at Beddington and Waddon.

Chair of Historic Croydon Airport Trust Ian Walker said: “We are thrilled to receive the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund for this project, thanks to National Lottery players, and look forward to making an important aspect of local, national and international history better known.”

To mark the centenary of the First World War, the project will enable volunteers to research and interpret information on the war in the air, the implementation of air defences and the long-term impact of the aviation industry on parts of Croydon and Sutton.

Training and sharing of information will take place over approximately six evenings and two Saturdays from late October 2017 to March 2018.

Contact Debbie Challis (volcordcas@gmail.com) for further information.