Login
Login

RAF Westhampnett

{{Short description|Former Royal Air Force station in West Sussex, England (1940–1946)}}

{{For|the current civilian use of this facility and airport information|Chichester/Goodwood Airport}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}

{{more citations needed|date=February 2013}}

{{Infobox military installation

| name = RAF Westhampnett
USAAF Station AAF-352

| ensign=90px60px

| native_name =

| partof =

| location = Westhampnett, West Sussex

| nearest_town =

| country = England

| image = RAF Westhampnett - 19 Apr 1946 Airphoto.jpg

| caption = Aerial photograph of RAF Westhampnet, the technical site is to the right, 19 April 1946

| coordinates = {{Coord|50|51|40|N|000|45|33|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}}

| type = Royal Air Force station

| pushpin_map = West Sussex

| pushpin_map_caption = Shown within West Sussex

| pushpin_label =RAF Westhampnett

| ownership = Air Ministry

| operator = Royal Air Force
United States Army Air Forces 1942

| controlledby = RAF Fighter Command
* No. 11 Group RAF
1938-42 & 1942-45
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
* No. 83 Group RAF

| code = WQ{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=209}}

| site_area =

| built = {{Start date|1938}} & 1940

| used = July 1940 - {{End date|1946}}

| builder =

| materials =

| height =

| fate =

| condition =

| battles = European theatre of World War II

| events =

| past_commanders =

| garrison =

| open_to_public =

| occupants =

| website =

| IATA =

| ICAO =

| GPS =

| elevation = {{Convert|33|m|0}}{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=209}}

| WMO =

| r1-number = 06/24

| r1-length = {{Convert|855|m|0}}

| r1-surface = Grass

| r2-number = 10/28

| r2-length = {{Convert|613|m|0}}

| r2-surface = Grass

| r3-number = 14/32

| r3-length = {{Convert|1300|m|0}}

| r3-surface = Grass

| footnotes = Sources: UK AIP at NATS[http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=44&Itemid=93.html Chichester/Goodwood - EGHR]

}}

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==

==Units==

  • No. 83 Group Support Unit during November 1944{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=161}}
  • No. 121 Airfield RAF between October 1943 and April 1944{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=46}}
  • No. 144 (RCAF) Airfield RAF during April 1944{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=46}}
  • No. 402 Air Stores Park between October 1943 and January 1944{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=58}}
  • Detachment of No. 1493 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight between June and July 1943{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=125}}
  • Air Sea Rescue Flight RAF, Merston/Westhampnett during November 1941{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=53}}

=United States Army Air Forces=

  • 31st Fighter Group between 1 August 1942 and 8 November 1942.{{Harvnb|Maurer|1980|p=85.}}

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=

{{Reflist|33em}}

=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| last = Hillier | first = Mark | year = 2015 | title = A Fighter Command Station at War: A Photographic Record of RAF Westhampnett from the Battle of Britain to D-Day and Beyond | publisher = Frontline Books | location = Barnsley | isbn = 978-1-47384-468-1 }}
  • {{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 }}
  • {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Maurer|1980}}|reference=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}}.}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Sturtivant|first1=R.|last2=Ballance|first2=T.|title=The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm |year=1994 |publisher=Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd |location=Tonbridge, Kent, UK |isbn=0-85130-223-8 }}
  • {{cite book |last1=Sturtivant|first1=R.|last2=Hamlin|first2=J.|title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912 |year=2007 |publisher= Air-Britain (Historians)|location= UK|isbn=978-0851-3036-59}}

External links

{{commons category|RAF Westhampnett}}

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20080206222846/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/11group.html Royal Air Force - Battle of Britain 11 Group page]
  • [http://worldwar2airfields.fotopic.net/c464320.html Gallery of images of RAF Westhampnett]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20071016212210/http://wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/westhampnett.html The Wartime Memories Project - RAF Westhampnett]

{{Royal Air Force}}

{{USAAF 8th Air Force UK}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Westhampnett}}

Category:Military units and formations established in 1940

Category:Royal Air Force stations in West Sussex

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1946

Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom