RAF Chailey
Encyclopedia
RAF Chailey was a Royal Air Force station close to the village of Chailey
near Burgess Hill
in East Sussex
during the Second World War
. It was an example of an Advanced Landing Ground
(ALG), a type of simple, temporary airfield designed to support the invasion of continental Europe.
. It was not laid out until 1943, by which time the strategy was different and it was passed to the 2nd Tactical Air Force to become an operating station for the invasion of continental Europe, codenamed Operation Overlord
.
In order to construct the airfield, the RAF demolished the local pub, 'The Plough', which was located at the end of the runway, and reconstructed it about half a mile away near Plumpton, and this is now the site of the RAF Chailey memorial.
RAF Chailey hosted 131 Polish Wing, with three squadrons, as well as No 18 Fighter Section, controlling three winds of three squadrons, five of which were also Polish (302, 306, 308, 315 and 317) as well as squadrons from Mysore (129), Natal
(222), Belgium
(349) and New Zealand
(485). The station's officer commanding was the highest ranking Pole in the RAF, Group Captain Aleksander Gabszewicz.
The airfield was de-requisitioned in 1945 and returned to farm use.
Chailey
Chailey is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It is located ten miles north of Lewes, on the A272 road from Winchester to Canterbury...
near Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill is a civil parish and a town primarily located in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England, close to the border with East Sussex, on the edge of the South Downs National Park...
in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was an example of an Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
(ALG), a type of simple, temporary airfield designed to support the invasion of continental Europe.
History
The airfield was on the site of Bower Farm, and was surveyed and commenced in 1942 by Fighter Command with the intention of creating a fighter station as part of the expansion following the Battle of BritainBattle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. It was not laid out until 1943, by which time the strategy was different and it was passed to the 2nd Tactical Air Force to become an operating station for the invasion of continental Europe, codenamed Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
.
In order to construct the airfield, the RAF demolished the local pub, 'The Plough', which was located at the end of the runway, and reconstructed it about half a mile away near Plumpton, and this is now the site of the RAF Chailey memorial.
RAF Chailey hosted 131 Polish Wing, with three squadrons, as well as No 18 Fighter Section, controlling three winds of three squadrons, five of which were also Polish (302, 306, 308, 315 and 317) as well as squadrons from Mysore (129), Natal
Natal Province
Natal, meaning "Christmas" in Portuguese, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. The Natal Province included the bantustan of KwaZulu...
(222), Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(349) and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(485). The station's officer commanding was the highest ranking Pole in the RAF, Group Captain Aleksander Gabszewicz.
The airfield was de-requisitioned in 1945 and returned to farm use.