RAF Westhampnett
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.
RAF Westhampnett .png.webp) | |||||||||||
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| Westhampnett, West Sussex in England | |||||||||||
 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 | ||||||||||
| 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] | |||||||||||
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
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
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.
- Jefford 2001, p. 59.
- Jefford 2001, p. 61.
- Jefford 2001, p. 64.
- 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.
- Jefford 2001, p. 92.
- Jefford 2001, p. 94.
- Jefford 2001, p. 95.
- Jefford 2001, p. 98.
- Jefford 2001, p. 100.
- "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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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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