Place Name
Named after the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina and the second-brightest star in the night sky. The star itself was named after Canopus, the pilot of Menelaus’ ship on his quest to retrieve Helen of Troy after she was taken by Paris, or from a ruined ancient Egyptian port that lay near the mouth of the Nile, site of the Battle of the Nile. It is speculated that its name is derived from the Egyptian Coptic Kahi Nub (“Golden Earth”). It is one of a cluster of streets around Eastbury Park Northwood named after stars to represent the area’s association with the Royal Air Force. The Ministry of Defence website explains this “was the home of The Headquarters of Coastal Command, Royal Air Force from 1939 to 1969 and is now the home of its successor HQ 3 Group. It was in fact the RAF who started going underground to build their Headquarters. In 1953 the Headquarters of the NATO Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic Area was established at Northwood.” Today the site is the base of the Permanent Joint Headquarters, which plans and directs all joint military operations abroad.
