RNAS Lee-on-Solent

RNAS Lee-on-Solent
Name	Lee-on-Solent Naval Air Station
Native name	HMS Daedalus
Location	Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire
Country	England
Type	Royal Naval Air Station
Coordinates	50.7875°N 1.1700°W
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Controlled by	Royal Navy
Used	1917–1996
Battles	First World War, Second World War, Falklands War

RNAS Lee-on-Solent was a principal Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Navy aviation base on the Hampshire coast, commissioned in 1917 and operating under the station name HMS Daedalus. The air station supported seaplane operations, flying training, experimental aviation, and maintenance, interacting with organisations including the Fleet Air Arm, Air Ministry, Royal Air Force, Admiralty, and later civilian and industrial operators such as British Aerospace and the Defence Aviation Repair Agency.

History

Established during the First World War near Gosport and Fareham, the station opened to host Seaplane squadrons and to work alongside HMS Vernon and HMS Excellent. After wartime expansion, interwar developments connected the site with figures such as Sir Charles Douglas, Sir Wilfrid Reid, and institutions including the Royal Aero Club and the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment. During the Second World War, the base operated alongside RAF Coastal Command, hosted detachments from Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and worked on anti-submarine initiatives related to the Battle of the Atlantic. Postwar reorganisation saw administration transfer to the Fleet Air Arm and links with the Airwork Services and Westland Aircraft for helicopter development.

The Cold War era brought integration with national defence bodies such as the Ministry of Defence and research collaboration with the Royal Aircraft Establishment and the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment. The site was central to rotary-wing advancement involving companies like Sikorsky Aircraft, Boeing Vertol, Westland Helicopters, and research programmes tied to NATO exercises and Royal Navy carrier trials. The station closed as a naval establishment in the 1990s amid defence reviews such as the Options for Change defence review and the post-Cold War restructuring led by the UK Government.

Facilities and infrastructure

The air station featured multiple hangars, concrete runways, slipways, and maintenance sheds, laid out adjacent to the Solent shoreline and connected by road to Portsmouth and Southampton. Key infrastructure included a Grade II listed control tower, B-type and Bellman hangars, workshops used by firms like De Havilland, Fairey Aviation Company, and later British Aerospace. Naval workshops supported avionics and torpedo maintenance linked to HMS Ark Royal, HMS Illustrious, and carrier-based squadrons. The site incorporated accommodation blocks, barracks, helipads, fuel farms, and a boatyard aligned with Admiralty logistics networks and the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors.

Technical test facilities hosted experimental aircraft and rotary-wing prototypes from manufacturers such as Saunders-Roe, Gloster Aircraft Company, Avro, and Supermarine, facilitating trials associated with the Seaplane heritage and the transition to helicopters like the Westland Wessex and Westland Lynx. The proximity to research centres such as the National Physical Laboratory and universities including University of Southampton supported aerodynamic and structural testing. Post-closure the airfield infrastructure became home to business parks, aviation preservation groups, and organisations like the Daedalus Trust.

Operational units and aircraft

Over its operational life the station accommodated squadrons from the Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force, and Fleet Air Arm, plus Commonwealth units from Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force. Aircraft types included Short 184, Supermarine Seagull, Fairey Swordfish, Blackburn Beverley, De Havilland Dragon Rapide, Gloster Gladiator, Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, and postwar types such as Westland Wessex, Westland Sea King, Westland Wasp, Westland Lynx, and training types supplied by Airwork Services.

Training and operational conversion units such as No. 1 Naval Air Squadron, No. 2 Flying Training School, and rotary-wing training flights prepared aircrew for carrier operations on ships including HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible. Test and evaluation units worked with prototypes from Fairey Delta projects and liaison with the Royal Aircraft Establishment and Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment. Maintenance units collaborated with contractors like Sikorsky Aircraft and the Defence Aviation Repair Agency to sustain front-line units participating in deployments from the NATO area to the South Atlantic.

Role in conflicts and notable events

During the First World War the station supported anti-submarine patrols and fleet reconnaissance, engaging with campaigns in the English Channel and the approaches to Portsmouth Harbour. In the Second World War Lee-on-Solent contributed to Battle of Britain support roles, coastal patrols during the Battle of the Atlantic, and training for Operation Overlord air elements. The base hosted air-sea rescue operations associated with King George V-class battleship escorts and collaborated on convoy protection with HMS Belfast and escort carriers.

Postwar, the station contributed to helicopter operations during the Falklands War through maintenance and training pipelines supporting squadrons embarked on HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible. The site featured in trials for shipborne helicopter operations that influenced Sea King and Lynx doctrine used in conflicts such as the Gulf War. Notable visits included dignitaries from the Royal Family and inspections by Chiefs of the Naval Staff, Admirals involved in carrier aviation, and aircraft displays during international airshows attended by delegations from United States Navy, French Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and other allied services.

Administration and later use

Administratively HMS Daedalus fell under commands including the Admiralty, Fleet Air Arm, and later the Ministry of Defence before decommissioning. After closure as a naval base the property transferred to civil authorities and developers; parts hosted the Solent Enterprise Zone, aerospace companies such as Vectair Systems, heritage organisations like the Daedalus Trust, and preservation groups operating historic types such as Supermarine Spitfire replicas and Fairey Swordfish restorations. Aviation education and community initiatives linked to University of Portsmouth and Solent University used former facilities for research and training.

The site’s redevelopment included housing projects, business parks, and retained aviation activity through a civilian airfield operated by local councils, while preservation of listed buildings ensured continuity with its heritage connected to the Royal Naval Air Service, Fleet Air Arm, and British aerospace history. Category:Royal Navy air stations