RAF Selsey
Notes: Some years ago I made this comment: "I have looked at several maps, but still feel uncertain that I have this location sorted. For example, the location given in Military Airfields in the British Isles 1939-1945 by Steve Willis and Barry Hollis and that shown on the Airfield of Britain Conservation Trust website, show the airfield on opposite sides of Pagham harbour. And, both of these sources I have generally found to be invaluable."
If anybody can be kind enough to confirm that I have the position correct or, if not, can provide a more exact location, this advice will be most welcome.
In June 2019 I was kindly contacted by Martin Humphry, and he confirms that the location given by the Airfield of Britain Conservation Trust is correct. As a young lad he lived in the area during WW2 and his grandmother lived in a cottage at the western end of runway 04/22. He loved to go to an upstairs window to watch what was going on. And indeed, at some point this cottage was considered a hazard and was demolished.
SELSEY see also CHURCH NORTON
SELSEY see also SELSEY
RAF SELSEY: Military Advanced Landing Ground
Note: This great picture, an aerial reconnaissance photograph taken by 544 Sqdn on the 25th September 1945, was kindly provided by Martin Humphry. WW2 ended on the 8th May 1945, and this picture was taken from a DH Mosquito XXXIV, not long before the Squadron was disbanded.
The yellow circle shows the position of his grandmothers cottage, from which Martin used to watch the activity on the airfield.
Military user: WW1: Army RFC or RNAS base?
WW2: RAF Fighter Command (Was this in 11 or 10 Group?)
222 & 485 Sqdns (Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
US First Army ‘VII’ Corps 183rd Field Artillery Battalion
Note: Were these aircraft actually based here, or at the airfield listed as SELSEY?
Location: WW2: Roughly N of Pagham Harbour, NNW of Pagham and NW Nyetimber villages, 5nm S of Chichester
Period of operation: WW2: 1943 to 1945
Runways: All-over grass airfield in WW1?
WW2: Steel matting 04/22 1280 grass 13/31 1143 grass
NOTES: It appears that four Piper L-4 Grasshoppers were based here, presumably in the run up to the D-Day invasion.
In an article in the February 2019 edition of Light Aviation magazine, it was reported that: "Austers of 652 Air O P Squadron RAF, piloted by Royal Artillery officers and used for reconnaissance and artillery 'spotting' were the first Allied aircraft to fly sorties from strips in France. They flew across the Channel from Selsey in Sussex, accompanied by a Walrus amphibian, on D+2 (8 June) and were in action that afternoon."
But, where they really based here or at the SELSEY airfield I also have listed?
It might be wondered why this airfield was called SELSEY? One explanation is that in WW2 airfields were named after the nearest village that had a post office capable of receiving telegrams.
Martin HUMPHRY
This comment was written on: 2019-04-26 07:07:28I left a comment about Selsey ALG but I don't know if it got to you. I have plenty of info about it if you would care to reply. I lived less than a mile away in 1943/45.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Martin, I will be most interested to learn more. Could you kindly e-mail the info. Best regards, Dick
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