Once a small village on the south bank of the River Thames, for over a thousand years Greenwich has been associated with all three of Britain’s military services: the navy, army and air force. As Greenwich grew, it encompassed the townships of nearby Deptford, Woolwich, Blackheath, Kidbrooke and Eltham, becoming a London borough in 1965. Greenwich was home to the Royal Naval College, and the Royal Dockyards of Deptford and Woolwich built vessels for the Royal Navy, with armaments factories and army training establishments also in Woolwich. During the First World War the Royal Flying Corps opened a station in Kidbrooke which remained an RAF station until 1965. Although Britain’s armed forces have moved out of many of these locations today, the heritage remains. Greenwich’s Military Heritage will be of interest to all those who would like to know more about the area’s remarkable military history.
