RAF Westhampnett
Appearance
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2013) |
RAF Westhampnett | |||||||||||
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Westhampnett, West Sussex in England | |||||||||||
![]() Aerial photograph of RAF Westhampnet, the technical site is to the right, 19 April 1946 | |||||||||||
Coordinates | 50°51′40″N 000°45′33″W / 50.86111°N 0.75917°W | ||||||||||
Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||
Code | WQ | ||||||||||
Site information | |||||||||||
Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
Operator | Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces 1942 | ||||||||||
Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command 1938-42 & 1942-45 | ||||||||||
Site history | |||||||||||
Built | 1938 | & 1940||||||||||
In use | 1938-1946 | ||||||||||
Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
Airfield information | |||||||||||
Elevation | 33 metres (108 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||||
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Sources: UK AIP at NATS[2] |
Royal Air Force Westhampnett or more simply RAF Westhampnett is a former Royal Air Force satellite 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.,[3] from RAF Merston 16 December 1941, to RAF Merston 1 April 1942; operating Supermarine Spitfire Vb
- No. 43 Squadron RAF.[4]
- No. 65 Squadron RAF.[5]
- No. 91 Squadron RAF.[6]
- No. 118 Squadron RAF.[7]
- No. 124 Squadron RAF.[8]
- No. 129 Squadron RAF.[9]
- No. 130 Squadron RAF.[9]
- No. 131 Squadron RAF.[9]
- No. 145 Squadron RAF - operating Hawker Hurricane.[10]
- No. 167 Squadron RAF.[11]
- No. 174 Squadron RAF.[12]
- No. 175 Squadron RAF.[12]
- No. 184 Squadron RAF.[13]
- No. 245 Squadron RAF.[14]
- No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron.[15]
- No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron.[16]
- No. 340 Squadron RAF.[17]
- No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron.[18]
- No. 402 Squadron RCAF.[19]
- No. 416 Squadron RCAF.[20]
- No. 441 Squadron RCAF.[21]
- No. 442 Squadron RCAF.[21]
- No. 443 Squadron RCAF.[21]
- No. 485 (NZ) Squadron RAF.[22]
- No. 501 Squadron RAF.[23]
- No. 602 Squadron RAF - operating Supermarine Spitfire.[24]
- No. 610 Squadron RAF - operating Supermarine Spitfire.[25]
- No. 614 Squadron RAF.[25]
- No. 616 Squadron RAF.[25]
- 787 Naval Air Squadron.[26]
Units
- No. 83 Group Support Unit (1944-45)[26]
- No. 121 Airfield RAF[26]
- No. 144 (RCAF) Airfield RAF[26]
- No. 402 Air Stores Park[26]
- No. 1493 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight[26]
- Air Sea Rescue Flight RAF, Merston/Westhampnett (1941)[27]
United States Army Air Forces
- 31st Fighter Group between 1 August 1942 and 8 November 1942.[28]
Current use
Upon its closure by the RAF, Westhampnett airfield subsequently became the Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit and Chichester/Goodwood Airport.
See also
References
Citations
- ^ Falconer 1998, p. 90.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c Jefford 2001, p. 59.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 61.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 64.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c Jefford 2001, p. 92.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 94.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 95.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 98.
- ^ a b c Jefford 2001, p. 100.
- ^ a b c d e f "Westhampnett (Chichester) (Goodwood)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 22.
- ^ Maurer 1980, p. 85.
Bibliography
- Falconer, J (1998). RAF Fighter Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-2175-9.
- Hillier, Mark (2015). A Fighter Command Station at War: A Photographic Record of RAF Westhampnett from the Battle of Britain to D-Day and Beyond. Barnsley: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-47384-468-1.
- Jefford, C.G. 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.
- Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
- 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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