RAF Westhampnett
RAF Westhampnett .png) | |||||||||||
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| Near Westhampnett, West Sussex in England | |||||||||||
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Aerial photograph of RAF Westhampnet, the technical site is to the right, 19 April 1946 | |||||||||||
  RAF Westhampnett Shown within West Sussex | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 50°51′40″N 000°45′33″W / 50.86111°N 0.75917°WCoordinates: 50°51′40″N 000°45′33″W / 50.86111°N 0.75917°W | ||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Operator |
Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1938 | ||||||||||
| In use | 1938-1946 | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | Second World War | ||||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||||
| Garrison | 31st Fighter Group | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 31 metres (102 ft) AMSL | ||||||||||
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| Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1] | |||||||||||
RAF Westhampnett was a Royal Air Force station, located in the village of Westhampnett near Chichester, in the English County of West Sussex.
It was built as an emergency landing airfield for fighter aircraft, as a satellite station to RAF Tangmere. Built on land belonging to the Goodwood Estate, the then landowner, the Duke of Richmond, Frederick Gordon-Lennox retained the Title Deed to the land.
History
Royal Air Force use
Squadrons
- No. 41 Squadron RAF.,[2] from RAF Mertson 16 December 1941, to RAF Merston 1 April 1942; operating Supermarine Spitfire Vb
- No. 43 Squadron RAF.[3]
- No. 65 Squadron RAF.[4]
- No. 91 Squadron RAF.[5]
- No. 118 Squadron RAF.[6]
- No. 124 Squadron RAF.[7]
- No. 129 Squadron RAF.[8]
- No. 130 Squadron RAF.[8]
- No. 131 Squadron RAF.[8]
- No. 145 Squadron RAF - operating Hawker Hurricane.[9]
- No. 167 Squadron RAF.[10]
- No. 174 Squadron RAF.[11]
- No. 175 Squadron RAF.[11]
- No. 184 Squadron RAF.[12]
- No. 245 Squadron RAF.[13]
- No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron.[14]
- No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron.[15]
- No. 340 Squadron RAF.[16]
- No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron.[17]
- No. 402 Squadron RCAF.[18]
- No. 416 Squadron RCAF.[19]
- No. 441 Fighter Squadron.[20]
- No. 442 Squadron RCAF.[20]
- No. 443 Squadron RCAF.[20]
- No. 485 (NZ) Squadron RAF.[21]
- No. 501 Squadron RAF.[22]
- No. 602 Squadron RAF - operating Supermarine Spitfire.[23]
- No. 610 Squadron RAF - operating Supermarine Spitfire.[24]
- No. 614 Squadron RAF.[24]
- No. 616 Squadron RAF.[24]
- No. 787 Squadron RAF.[25]
Units
- No. 83 Group Support Unit.[25]
- No. 121 Airfield.[25]
- No. 144 (RCAF) Airfield.[25]
- No. 402 Air Stores Park.[25]
- No. 1493 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight.[25]
United States Army Air Forces
- 31st Fighter Group between 1 August 1942 and 8 November 1942.[26]
Current use
Upon its closure by the RAF, Westhampnett airfield subsequently became the now world famous Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit and Chichester/Goodwood Airport.
See also
- List of former Royal Air Force stations
- List of former Royal Air Force stations
- List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
- List of aircraft of the RAF
- Goodwood Circuit
References
Citations
- ↑ Chichester/Goodwood - EGHR
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 38.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 39.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 45.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 52.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 57.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 58.
- 1 2 3 Jefford 2001, p. 59.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 61.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 64.
- 1 2 Jefford 2001, p. 65.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 66.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 77.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 84.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 85.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 87.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 88.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 89.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 90.
- 1 2 3 Jefford 2001, p. 92.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 94.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 95.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 98.
- 1 2 3 Jefford 2001, p. 100.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Westhampnett (Chichester) (Goodwood)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
- ↑ Maurer 1980, p. 85.
Bibliography
- Jefford, C.G, MBE, BA, RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
- Maurer, M. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. USAF Historical Division. Washington D.C., USA: Zenger Publishing Co., Inc, 1980. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to RAF Westhampnett. |
- Royal Air Force - Battle of Britain 11 Group page
- Gallery of images of RAF Westhampnett
- The Wartime Memories Project - RAF Westhampnett
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This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, March 24, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.