RNAS Ford

RNAS Ford
Name	RNAS Ford
Location	Ford, West Sussex
Country	England
Caption	Airfield layout (wartime)
Type	Royal Naval Air Station
Used	1939–1960
Battles	Second World War
Occupants	Fleet Air Arm

RNAS Ford was a Royal Navy air station near Ford, West Sussex on the south coast of England that operated as a key Fleet Air Arm base during the Second World War and the early Cold War. Established on an existing civil airfield, the station hosted carrier air groups, torpedo and fighter squadrons, and trials units linked to HMS Eagle (95), HMS Illustrious (87), and other carrier fleets. The base’s proximity to the English Channel, Portsmouth, and the Solent made it strategically important for strike, convoy protection, and night-fighting operations during pivotal campaigns such as the Battle of Britain aftermath and the Dieppe Raid aftermath.

History

Ford airfield originated as a civil aerodrome in the 1930s before being requisitioned by the Royal Air Force in 1939 and transferred to the Royal Navy for Fleet Air Arm use in 1940. During the early Second World War years, the station expanded rapidly with runways, hangars, and technical sites to accommodate squadrons operating aircraft including the Fairey Swordfish, Supermarine Seafire, and Grumman F6F Hellcat. The base supported operations linked to the Western Approaches Command and coordinated with naval bases at Portsmouth Naval Base and Chatham Dockyard. In 1942–1943 Ford was involved in training and operational sorties in preparation for combined operations associated with the Allied invasion of Normandy planning. Post-war, Ford became a centre for trials, instrument training, and anti-submarine aviation as the Fleet Air Arm reorganised during the early Cold War under influences from Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound-era reforms and later naval aviation doctrines.

Station Infrastructure and Facilities

Facilities at the station included multiple concrete runways, Type T2 hangars, technical and repair workshops, and accommodation for aircrew and maintenance personnel. The layout incorporated control towers modelled on HMS Daedalus designs, a sick quarters, and fuel storage consistent with standards used across Royal Navy air stations such as HMS Heron (RNAS Yeovilton). Ordnance parks serviced torpedo and bomb loads compatible with weapons like the 18-inch torpedo and the Mark XII depth charge. A dedicated photographic reconnaissance processing block supported work on aircraft such as the Supermarine Spitfire PR variants and carrier-adapted reconnaissance types. The station’s proximity to rail links facilitated logistics with Arundel and Chichester and enabled rapid transfer of personnel to HMS Victory-area establishments in Portsmouth.

Units and Aircraft Assigned

Throughout its operational life, the base hosted a wide range of Fleet Air Arm squadrons and training units. Squadrons included torpedo-bomber units flying the Fairey Barracuda, fighter squadrons in Seafire and Hellcat types, and night fighter and radar training units operating De Havilland Mosquito and Blackburn Firebrand aircraft. Maintenance units such as the Fleet Air Arm Maintenance Unit detachments conducted overhauls on airframes and engines like the Rolls-Royce Merlin and Griffon series. Notable squadrons that spent time at the station included carrier air groups preparing to embark on HMS Victorious (38), HMS Indomitable (92), and HMS Ark Royal (91). Demonstration and trials flights hosted aircraft manufacturers including Supermarine, Fairey Aviation Company, and Gloster Aircraft Company for deck-landing trials and armament testing.

Operational Roles and Notable Operations

The station’s operational roles encompassed convoy air cover over the English Channel, torpedo attack training against surface targets, night-fighter interceptions, coastal strike missions, and carrier deck-landing practice. Ford squadrons contributed aircrew and aircraft to operations supporting Operation Overlord preparations and anti-shipping sweeps in the Bay of Biscay and North Atlantic, integrating with forces from Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet. The location was used for accelerated deck-landing training ahead of deployments to fleet carriers engaged in the Battle of the Atlantic and Pacific theatre transitions. Ford also hosted special trials for radar-equipped night fighters and airborne interception units working with radar pioneers from Royal Aircraft Establishment researchers and technicians from Telecommunications Research Establishment.

Post-war Use and Closure

After the Second World War, the station transitioned to peacetime roles including aircraft storage, conversion training, and experimental work for post-war naval aviation. In the late 1940s and 1950s, Ford supported anti-submarine aviation developments linked to HMS Theseus (R64) and doctrinal shifts driven by Cold War exigencies involving NATO naval planning. Economic pressures and rationalisation of Royal Navy airfields led to progressive rundown; flying activity declined as operations concentrated at RNAS Yeovilton and RNAS Culdrose. The station was decommissioned for naval flying in 1959–1960 and the site was eventually returned to civilian ownership, with portions repurposed for light industry and private aviation use, intersecting with local planning authorities in West Sussex County Council.

Accidents and Incidents

The airfield’s intensive wartime tempo produced several serious accidents and incidents involving operational aircraft and training sorties. Crashes included deck-landing mishaps during carrier qualification practice, night-fighter accidents in poor visibility involving De Havilland Mosquito airframes, and ground incidents during ordnance handling with Fairey Barracuda and Grumman types. Each accident prompted investigations by Fleet Air Arm boards of inquiry and influenced subsequent safety directives promulgated across stations including HMS Wagtail-era units. Memorials and local records in Arundel and Ford, West Sussex document aircrew casualties and highlight the station’s role in broader Fleet Air Arm sacrifice during the Second World War.

Category:Royal Naval Air Stations in England Category:Military history of West Sussex