A wooden hut used by Battle of Britain heroes during the Second World War has been demolished by Biggin Hill airport bosses.
The 1940s building, known as the Dispersal Hut, was knocked down despite Bromley council refusing permission.
Parts of the structure were arranged to be exported to the United States.
Prof Jeremy Black, author of World War Two in 100 Maps, described the demolition as "deeply depressing".
A wooden hut used by Battle of Britain heroes during the Second World War has been demolished by Biggin Hill airport bosses
London Biggin Hill Airport
He said: "It is a valuable and valued testimony to our nation's greatest moment of bravery and fortitude in the face of deadly peril.
"That this happens when that heroic generation is passing away casts a dark shadow over our present."
The Dispersal Hut was thought to be one of just two original structures at the airport dating back to the Battle of Britain.
The airport was a front-line Royal Air Force station during the Second World War.
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The airport, about 15 miles south-east of London, was a front-line Royal Air Force station during the Second World War
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Fighter aces such as Group Captain Brian Kingcome used the hut to unwind between sorties defending London against German bombers.
The demolition took place during Armistice Week in November, ahead of the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Bromley Borough Council has threatened to evict Biggin Hill's bosses following the demolition.
High Court filings revealed that Biggin Hill Airport Ltd filed a legal challenge against eviction in March.
The council owns the airport's freehold, with a 125-year lease granted to the company in 1994
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The council owns the airport's freehold, with a 125-year lease granted to the company in 1994.
Airport bosses have pledged to rebuild the hut by "reusing materials from the dismantled structures".
A spokesman for the airport said parts were to be "sympathetically restored and displayed" at RAF Biggin Hill Museum and a US heritage foundation.
The spokesman added that "legal proceedings could have easily been avoided" if the council had responded to the airport's proposals.
Biggin Hill was a major headquarters for RAF Fighter Command's 11 Group during the Battle of Britain.
Those who fought in the summer of 1940 battle are known as "The Few", after Sir Winston Churchill's famous phrase.
The last surviving member of The Few, Group Captain John "Paddy" Hemingway, DFC, passed away in March this year.
