Place Name
Takes it name from the American built Grumman F4F Wildcat a carrier-based fighter aircraft that entered service during the Second World War. It was used extensively by the United States Navy, and the Royal Navy where it was initially known as the Martlet. On Christmas Day 1940, a land-based Martlet destroyed a Junkers Ju 88 bomber over the Scapa Flow naval base. This was the first combat victory by a US-built fighter in British service. Nine months later six Martlets went to sea aboard the converted former German merchant vessel HMS Audacity and shot down several Luftwaffe bombers during highly effective North Atlantic convoy escort operations. These were the first of many Wildcats to engage in aerial combat at sea. The aircraft were retired at the end of the war. This is one of a small cluster of road names beginning with W – all connected to aviation – marking the Western Perimeter of Heathrow Airport the others include: Wallis Road, Walrus Road, Wasp Road, Wayfarer Road, Welland Road, Wellington Road, Wentworth Drive, Widgeon Road, Whittle Road, and Wright Way.
