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| RAF Bognor | |
|---|---|
| Name | RAF Bognor |
| Location | Near Bognor Regis, West Sussex |
| Country | England |
| Type | Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground |
| Pushpin label | RAF Bognor |
| Ownership | Air Ministry |
| Operator | Royal Air Force |
| Built | 1942 |
| Used | 1942–1945 |
| Battles | Second World War |
RAF Bognor was a Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground established during the Second World War near Bognor Regis, West Sussex. Constructed to support Allied invasion of Normandy operations and tactical air activity, the site hosted a succession of RAF fighter and fighter-bomber units. Postwar, the airfield saw diverse civilian and military uses before closure and subsequent redevelopment.
RAF Bognor was developed as part of the rapid expansion of Royal Air Force facilities in southern England following the Battle of Britain and in preparation for Operation Overlord. The airfield's wartime role tied it to strategic planning by the Air Ministry, coordination with Royal Navy coastal forces, and liaison with United States Army Air Forces and British Army formations poised for the Normandy landings. Units rotated through RAF Bognor during 1943–1944 under the auspices of RAF Second Tactical Air Force and No. 11 Group RAF for short-range escort, ground-attack, and reconnaissance missions supporting 21st Army Group operations. The site’s wartime narrative intersects with broader campaigns including the Falaise Pocket and the push across the Somme and Seine river lines.
Situated on farmland near Bognor Regis and adjacent to transport links such as the A27 road and the Bognor Regis railway station, RAF Bognor occupied a rural parcel in Chichester District of West Sussex. The layout featured pierced steel planking runways, Sommerfeld tracking, temporary dispersals, and perimeter tracks consistent with Advanced Landing Ground designs inspired by experiences at RAF Tangmere, RAF Ford, and RAF Thorney Island. Support structures included Nissen huts, blast pens, fuel storage, and maintenance hardstands akin to those at RAF Manston and RAF Northolt. The proximity to the English Channel placed the airfield within range sectors coordinated with No. 11 Group RAF fighter control stations and Chain Home radar coverage centers such as RAF Bawdsey.
RAF Bognor hosted an array of squadrons drawn from formations including Royal Air Force Regiment elements, RAF Fighter Command units, and temporary detachments from Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force squadrons. Typical aircraft types operated from the airfield included the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, Hawker Typhoon, and the North American P-51 Mustang when serving escort and ground-attack roles similar to those flown by units at RAF Dunsfold and RAF Fowlmere. Units assigned for strike and interdiction undertook sorties that supported Operation Market Garden planning and interdicted V-weapon sites and transport nodes linked to Nazi Germany logistics. Maintenance and repair tasks mirrored practices at Royal Aircraft Establishment satellite sites, and operational control often involved coordination with RAF Middle East Command intelligence officers and Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder-influenced tactical doctrine.
Following the cessation of hostilities in Europe in 1945, RAF Bognor underwent rapid decommissioning typical of temporary Advanced Landing Grounds, with equipment, fuels, and reusable materials redistributed to depots such as RAF Sealand and RAF St Athan. The site briefly accommodated surplus aircraft storage and demobilization activities connected to the National Service drawdown and to logistics managed from Ministry of Aircraft Production facilities. As with other wartime airfields including RAF Carew Cheriton and RAF Westhampnett, the land returned to agricultural use or was sold to private owners, prompting official closure procedures overseen by the Air Ministry.
In ensuing decades the former airfield landscape experienced progressive redevelopment influenced by regional planning authorities like West Sussex County Council and local government bodies in Arun District. Portions were converted back to arable fields, while other sectors saw residential and commercial development comparable to transformations at RAF Upavon and RAF Henlow. Heritage groups and aviation historians from organizations such as the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust and local history societies have documented remnants—memorial markers, wartime building footings, and aerial evidence—linking the site to the broader Second World War aviation heritage trail that includes Imperial War Museums records. Current landowners and developers continue to balance conservation interests with planning frameworks established under the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 and subsequent regional plans.
Category:Royal Air Force stations in West Sussex Category:Airfields of the United Kingdom in World War II