RAF Ford

RAF Ford
Name	Ford
Location	West Sussex, England
Coordinates	50.881°N 0.622°W
Type	Airfield
Used	1939–1960s
Owner	Air Ministry
Occupants	Royal Air Force

RAF Ford was a Royal Air Force station located near Arundel, West Sussex, England. Opened on the eve of World War II, the airfield served as a fighter and bomber satellite, later accommodating Royal Navy units and United States Army Air Forces elements. Its runways, hangars, and technical sites supported operations across the Battle of Britain period and into the early Cold War, before postwar reductions led to closure and redevelopment.

History

Ford airfield originated from agricultural land near the medieval town of Arundel and the River Arun. Initially requisitioned by the Air Ministry in 1939, the site was developed rapidly with grass runways, technical buildings, and accommodation to support expanding Royal Air Force operations. During early World War II years the station hosted a succession of squadrons rotating in response to threats along the English Channel and the south coast. Post-1945, changing defence priorities under the United Kingdom government and reorganization of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force led to shifting control, eventual run-down of military functions, and transfer of some land to civilian use.

Operations and Units

Throughout its life Ford hosted a diverse roster of units. During 1940–1941 the airfield accommodated RAF fighter squadrons such as those operating the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane within the framework of No. 11 Group RAF air defence. Bomber and reconnaissance units including Vickers Wellington squadrons also used Ford as a satellite to larger bases like RAF Tangmere and RAF Ford (satellite)—(note: station variants avoided here). Later, the base supported Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm units flying types such as the Fairey Barracuda and de Havilland Mosquito, reflecting closer inter-service cooperation. For a time during the war and immediately after, USAAF personnel and equipment transited Ford in support of cross-Channel operations and logistical movements associated with Operation Overlord. In the 1950s Cold War era, reserve and auxiliary squadrons, as well as experimental and target-towing flights, used the facilities before numbers dwindled under defence cuts of successive British Government ministries.

Infrastructure and Facilities

Ford’s layout comprised a perimeter track, multiple hangars, technical sites, and communal accommodation linked by access roads to nearby villages such as Walberton and Ford, West Sussex. Hangar types included wartime-standard B1 and Blister structures, with maintenance workshops equipped for aircraft like the Gloster Meteor and Avro Anson. Air traffic control and operations rooms coordinated sorties for coastal patrol and interception missions within the No. 10 Group RAF and adjacent group sectors. Ancillary installations included fuel storage, bomb stores, and ordnance sheds managed under the aegis of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and civilian contractors. After military use declined, parts of the technical site were adapted for industrial enterprises and small manufacturing linked to the South Coast economy.

Role in World War II

Ford played a tactical role during the south-coast campaign phases of World War II. Squadrons based at Ford contributed to defensive counter-air sorties during the Battle of Britain and offensive operations over occupied France and the Low Countries. The airfield’s proximity to the English Channel made it a staging point for reconnaissance patrols monitoring German Navy and Luftwaffe movements, as well as for cooperative missions with Coastal Command units hunting E-boat and U-boat activity. Aircraft departing Ford participated in fighter sweeps, bomber escort duties linked to RAF Bomber Command raids, and local air defence tasked by RAF Fighter Command. Damage from Luftwaffe raids and the operational tempo tested Ford’s repair and recovery capabilities, overseen by groundcrew drawn from associations such as the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

Postwar Use and Decline

Following Victory in Europe Day and the gradual demobilisation of wartime forces, Ford’s operational tempo decreased. The station saw intermittent squadrons, training flights, and conversion units through the late 1940s and 1950s, including jet-era transitions involving the Gloster Meteor. Defence rationalisation under the 1947 Royal Air Force reorganisation and later Options for Change-style economies led to phased closures across similar installations. Airfield land was progressively sold or leased for light industry, civil aviation enthusiasts’ clubs, and agricultural return. By the 1960s most operational flying ceased; some infrastructure was demolished while other sections found new life as business parks and vehicle testing sites linked to companies in West Sussex.

Heritage and Commemoration

Local history groups, veterans’ associations, and organisations such as the Imperial War Museum network have documented Ford’s legacy through oral histories, photographic archives, and preservation projects. Memorials and plaques in nearby Arundel and at surviving sites commemorate aircrew and ground personnel who served, particularly those lost during World War II operations. Aviation enthusiasts and researchers consult records at repositories including the National Archives (United Kingdom) and unit museums for squadron diaries, operational records books, and technical manuals related to aircraft types flown from Ford. Adaptive reuse of hangars and industrial conversion has preserved elements of the wartime landscape, while community-led heritage trails highlight the airfield’s role in regional and national aviation history.

Category:Royal Air Force stations in West Sussex Category:World War II sites in England