Battle of Barking Creek

The Battle of Barking Creek was a friendly fire incident over the East Coast of England in the earliest days of the Second World War. On 6 September 1939, aircraft from several 11 Group, RAF Fighter Command squadrons, were scrambled to intercept German aircraft detected by radar (RDF) flying towards the English coast.

RAF Fighter Command squadrons from 11 Group engaged in a friendly fire incident on 6 September 1939, near Barking Creek, London. The battle mattered as it highlighted early wartime communication and identification failures, leading to changes in RAF procedures.