RAF Westhampnett

RAF Westhampnett
Name	RAF Westhampnett
Location	Westhampnett, West Sussex
Country	England
Type	Royal Air Force station
Used	1936–1947
Ownership	Air Ministry

RAF Westhampnett

RAF Westhampnett was a Royal Air Force satellite aerodrome near Chichester in West Sussex, England, established in the 1930s and active through World War II before postwar redevelopment. The station supported RAF Tangmere, RAF Ford, RAF Thorney Island, RAF Middle Wallop, and RAF Kenley operations, hosting fighter, night-fighter, and aircraft maintenance units. Personnel included members of the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm, United States Army Air Forces, and Allied squadrons from Poland, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand, and Canada.

History

Westhampnett opened as a civil aerodrome before transfer to the Royal Air Force in the mid-1930s, paralleling development at RAF Tangmere, RAF Dunsfold, RAF Kenley, RAF Biggin Hill, and RAF Hornchurch. During the prewar rearmament decade it hosted No. 43 Squadron RAF, No. 54 Squadron RAF, No. 54 Squadron RAF's replacements and visiting units from RAF Fighter Command, RAF Coastal Command, and the Fleet Air Arm. With the outbreak of World War II, Westhampnett became a focal point for aircraft dispersal, repairs by No. 10 Repair and Salvage Unit, and staging for Operation Overlord preparations alongside RAF West Malling, RAF Uxbridge, and RAF Northolt. The station saw American use by the Eighth Air Force and Ninth Air Force liaison flights, and hosted detachments during the Battle of Britain and the Battle of Britain Day commemorations. Postwar, the airfield's military role wound down with closures across Air Ministry holdings and land returned to civil use, including conversion into Goodwood Circuit and Chichester/Goodwood Airport.

Layout and Facilities

The site featured grass runways typical of prewar Royal Air Force satellite fields, with dispersal pens, blister hangars, and technical sites similar to RAF Tangmere and RAF Ford. Facilities included a control tower influenced by Air Ministry Type designs, maintenance sheds used by No. 1 Aircraft Depot, accommodations patterned after Service Family Accommodation near RAF Tangmere, and fuel storage linked to regional pipelines used by RAF Maintenance Command. Groundworks connected to the London-Brighton railway corridor and nearby A27 road allowed rapid movement of personnel from Chichester railway station, Goodwood racecourse, and Portsmouth. The perimeter track and hard standings were adapted during wartime to support Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire operations and later reconstructed for civil aviation use at Chichester/Goodwood Airport.

Units and Operations

Westhampnett hosted regular rotations from No. 92 Squadron RAF, No. 501 Squadron RAF, No. 602 Squadron RAF, and No. 145 Squadron RAF, alongside international squadrons such as No. 303 Squadron RAF (Polish), No. 310 Squadron RAF (Czech), No. 485 Squadron RNZAF (New Zealand), and No. 401 Squadron RCAF (Canadian). Training and conversion units included detachments from No. 6 Operational Training Unit RAF and No. 53 Operational Training Unit RAF, while maintenance tasks were carried out by No. 11 Maintenance Unit RAF and mobile units from RAF Maintenance Command. Liaison and communication flights attached to RAF Transport Command and RAF Army Cooperation Command used Westhampnett for courier missions linked to Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force planning. The airfield also supported Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm units operating from HMS Daedalus and cooperating with HMS Illustrious for deck-landing practice.

Aircraft and Equipment

Aircraft types based or operating from the station included the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, Bristol Blenheim, Fairey Battle, Gloster Gladiator, and later single-seat fighters like the North American P-51 Mustang and twin-engined de Havilland Mosquito. American types such as the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and Douglas C-47 Skytrain appeared during joint training and evacuation tasks connected to Operation Market Garden logistics and D-Day buildup. Ground equipment comprised Bren Gun armaments for airfield defence, Vickers machine gun spares in maintenance stores, and radio navigation sets including Gee and AI Mk.IV radar components forwarded from Bawdsey Manor and RAF Bawdsey development sites. Rescue and recovery vehicles mirrored those at Air Sea Rescue stations along the English Channel.

Role in WWII and Notable Events

During the Battle of Britain period Westhampnett served as a satellite dispersal and quick-reaction base for RAF Fighter Command squadrons operating over the English Channel and the South Coast. The airfield supported counter-attacks against Luftwaffe raids from bases in Northern France, Belgium, and The Netherlands, and provided staging for Operation Overlord sorties and escort missions linked to Eighth Air Force strategic operations. Westhampnett figures in accounts of notable pilots who flew from nearby fields including Douglas Bader, Johnnie Johnson, Stanley Goble, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (as a visitor), and commanders from No. 11 Group RAF such as Keith Park and Sholto Douglas. The station also hosted ceremonies and visits by VIPs tied to Winston Churchill and Allied leadership during 1943–1944 diplomatic exchanges.

Postwar Use and Redevelopment

After 1945 the airfield's operational tempo declined with the demobilisation overseen by Air Ministry planners and closures mirrored at RAF Ford and RAF Tangmere. Portions of the site were sold and repurposed, enabling development of Goodwood Circuit for Motor Racing, conversion into Chichester/Goodwood Airport for civil aviation, and agricultural return to local landowners in the Chichester District. Former technical areas became industrial and commercial estates linked to Adur District supply chains, while memorials and museums nearby at Tangmere Military Aviation Museum and Goodwood Motor Circuit preserve the station's heritage. The legacy of the airfield survives through historical works by the Air Historical Branch, regimental associations, and commemorations involving Battle of Britain Memorial events.

Category:Royal Air Force stations in West Sussex Category:Military history of West Sussex Category:World War II airfields in England