RAF Chailey
{{Short description|Former RAF station in East Sussex, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = RAF Chailey
| ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
| ensign_size = 90px
| native_name =
| partof =
| location = Chailey, East Sussex
| nearest_town =
| country = England
| image =
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| type = RAF advanced landing ground
| coordinates = {{coord|50|57|19|N|000|03|20|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = East Sussex#UK
| pushpin_map_caption = Shown within East Sussex
| pushpin_label = RAF Chailey
| pushpin_label_position =
| ownership = Air Ministry
| operator = Royal Air Force
| controlledby = RAF Second Tactical Air Force
* No. 84 Group RAF
RAF Fighter Command
No. 11 Group RAF{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=62}}
| open_to_public =
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| code = AJ{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=62}}
| built = {{Start date|1943}}
| used = June 1943 - January {{End date|1945}}
| builder = RAF Airfield Construction Service
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| battles = European theatre of World War II
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| elevation = {{Convert|32|m|0}}{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=62}}
| r1-number = 00/00
| r1-length =
| r1-surface = Sommerfeld Tracking
| r2-number = 00/00
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| r2-surface = Sommerfeld Tracking
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}}
File:Polish War Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 1509578.jpg
Royal Air Force Chailey or more simply RAF Chailey is a former Royal Air Force advanced landing ground close to the village of Chailey near Burgess Hill in East Sussex during the Second World War. It was an example of an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG),{{cite web|title=Volume 8 - Heavy Conversion & Miscellaneous Units 1939-47 amendments and additions|url=http://www.rafinfo.org.uk/BCWW2Losses/HCU-Misc.htm}} a type of simple, temporary airfield designed to support the invasion of continental Europe.
History
The airfield was on the site of Bower Farm, and was surveyed and commenced in 1942 by Fighter Command with the intention of creating a fighter station as part of the expansion following the Battle of Britain. It was not laid out until 1943, by which time the strategy was different and it was passed to the RAF Second Tactical Air Force to become an operating station for the invasion of continental Europe, codenamed Operation Overlord.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}
In order to construct the airfield, the RAF demolished the local pub, 'The Plough', which was at the end of the runway, and reconstructed it about half a mile away near Plumpton, and this is now the site of the RAF Chailey memorial.{{cite web|publisher=The Plough at Plumpton|url=http://www.theploughatplumpton.co.uk/history.html|title=History of the Plough}}
RAF Chailey hosted No. 131 Airfield RAF which became No. 131 (Polish) Wing,{{cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/chailey/ |title=Chailey |publisher=Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust|access-date=1 October 2021}} with three squadrons: 302,{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=84}} 308{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=85}} and 317.{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=86}})
The station's officer commanding was the highest ranking Pole in the RAF, Group Captain Aleksander Gabszewicz.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}
The airfield was also host to No. 1312 Mobile Wing RAF Regiment
The airfield was de-requisitioned in 1945 and returned to farm use.
References
=Citations=
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- {{cite book |last1=Falconer|first1=J|title=RAF Airfields of World War 2 |year=2012 |publisher= Ian Allan Publishing|location= UK|isbn=978-1-85780-349-5}}
- {{cite book |last1=Jefford |first1= C.G. |title= RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 |year=1988 |publisher= Airlife |location= Shrewsbury |isbn= 1-85310-053-6 }}
External links
{{Commons category|RAF Chailey}}
- [http://wikimapia.org/15651202/RAF-Chailey-Airfield Wikimapia map of RAF Chailey]
- [http://www.aviationphoto.co.uk/Chailey%20Airshow%202004.htm Pictures from Chailey Airshow 2004]
{{Royal Air Force}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chailey}}
Category:Royal Air Force stations in West Sussex
Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom