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RAF Merston 
Summary
Royal Air Force Merston or more simply RAF Merston is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located in West Sussex, England.
RAF Merston | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chichester, West Sussex in England | |||||||||
 Aerial photograph of RAF Merston on 21 September 1946 | |||||||||
  RAF Merston Shown within West Sussex | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 50°49′13″N 0°44′37″W / 50.8203°N 0.7435°W | ||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force Satellite Station | ||||||||
| Code | XM | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces | ||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command 1941-42 & 1943-45 | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1940/41 | ||||||||
| In use | April 1941 - November 1945 | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 15 metres (49 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||
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History edit
RAF Merston was built In May 1941, as a grass airfield satellite to the neighbouring RAF Tangmere. The site was used by RAF fighter squadrons from May 1941 to August 1942. The site briefly closed for redevelopment in from August 1942 until its reopening in May 1943 as an RAF fighter station. It was used by the Royal Navy as a storage site for surplus war equipment until it closed on 13 November 1945.[2][3]
Units edit
The following squadrons were here at some point:[3]
- No. 41 Squadron RAF (1941 & 1942)[4]
- No. 80 Squadron RAF (1944)
- No. 118 Squadron RAF (1943)
- No. 130 Squadron RAF (1944)
- No. 131 Squadron RAF (1942)
- No. 145 Squadron RAF (1941)
- No. 174 Squadron RAF (1943)
- No. 181 Squadron RAF (1943 & 1944)
- No. 182 Squadron RAF (1943 & 1944)
- No. 184 Squadron RAF (1943)
- No. 229 Squadron RAF (1944)
- No. 232 Squadron RAF
- No. 247 Squadron RAF (1943 & 1944)
- No. 274 Squadron RAF (1944)
- No. 303 Squadron RAF (1944)
- No. 329 Squadron RAF (1944)
- No. 340 Squadron RAF (1944)
- No. 341 Squadron RAF (1944)
- No. 402 Squadron RCAF (1943 & 1944)
- No. 412 Squadron RCAF (1942)
- No. 416 Squadron RCAF (1943)
- No. 485 Squadron RNZAF (1943)
- 307th Fighter Squadron
Units;
- No. 124 Airfield
- No. 145 (French) Airfield became No. 145 (French) (Fighter) Wing RAF
- No. 421 Repair & Salvage Unit
- No. 2701 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2703 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2720 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2723 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2742 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2757 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2761 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2762 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2765 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2766 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2767 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2790 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2795 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2803 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2813 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2956 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 4001 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment
- No. 4016 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment
- Air Sea Rescue Flight RAF, Merston/Westhampnett (1941) [5]
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ Falconer 1998, p. 63.
- ^ "Merston". American Air Museum. Imperial War Museum. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Merston". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 38.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 22.
Bibliography edit
- Falconer, J (1998). RAF Fighter Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-2175-9.
- Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
- Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.