Selsey (Church Norton)

15th January 2007

Norton Airfield pre-war hangar circa 1930's (via M. Foley collection)	Another scene at Norton Airfield in the 1930's, note the hangar in the background (via M. Foley collection)	Aerial photo of RAF Selsey in 1944. The cruciform runway configuration can just be discerned in the top right hand section of the image (Crown Copyright)	USAAF aerial photo of RAF Selsey taken February 10th 1944 during the build up to D-Day (© United States Military via M. Foley collection)
Pilots at Selsey returning from a sortie in June 1944 (© Maurice Mayston collection)	© M. Foley collection	Sergeant Pilots of 485 Squadron resting between sorties at RAF Selsey June 1944 (© New Zealand Government via M. Foley collection)	A scene from Selsey Beach circa 1948, note the coastal invasion defences still present
Aerial view of Selsey ALG with overlay showing runway configuration	RAF Selsey memorial stone & plaque	This is believed to be the original pre-war Church Norton aerodrome hangar, later used by the RAF	A close-up of the hangar. The structural steel beam over the side opening is massively over-engineered

RAF Selsey ALG Chronological Summary

1930’s - Fields, which became north-east section of Selsey ALG, used as a private aerodrome. Private airstrip part of a country estate owned by Major Norman Holden. Known locally as Norton Field (also known as Church Norton Aerodrome), a local resident has confirmed that the RAF used the field during the inter-war period for training purposes.
Early 1942 - Site surveyed.
July 1942 - Land requisitioned.
October 1942 - Complete survey of land carried out. Positions of runways established. Barn and adjacent outbuildings listed for demolition, and trees for felling. Buildings earmarked for use as RAF accommodation. Pre-war aircraft hangar listed for use by RAF.
December 1942 - Authority for construction of ALG given.
16th February 1943 - Final site plan issued, work begun immediately by RAF Airfield Construction Unit.
Between February and end May 1943 - Field boundaries removed. Sommerfeld track runways laid.
End May 1943 - Arrival of RAF.
June 1943 - RAF leave.
Autumn 1943 - Four 'Extra Over Blister' hangars and more metal tracking added. Temporary PSP hard-standings laid.
1st April 1944 - Site re-opened.
9th April 1944 - Site re-occupied by RAF.
19th August 1944 - RAF depart. Site retained as 'back-up' field.
March 1945 - Permission for farmers to graze animals on ALG given.
Shortly after end of war - Land de-requisitioned. Road into Church Norton re-opened. Metal tracking and 'Blister' hangars removed.
2008 - Surviving pre-war hangar under threat of demolition.

The squadrons based at Selsey, their aircraft and operational roles are recorded below:

End May 1943 - end June 1943, 65 Squadron RAF, Spitfire V, bomber escort.
End May 1943 - end June 1943, 245 Squadron RAF, Typhoon, air firing and tactical training. (These two squadrons made up No. 121 Airfield of the Tactical Air Force).
9th April 1944 - end June 1944, 485 Squadron RNZAF, Spitfire IX, dive-bombing, armed reconnaissance over the continent and bomber escort.
April 1944 - end June 1944, 222 Squadron RAF, Spitfire IX, roles as 485 Squadron.
April 1944 - end June 1944, 349 (Belgian) Squadron RAF, Spitfire IX, roles as 485 Squadron. (These three squadrons were reorganised on 15th May 1944, they became No. 135 Wing).

No. 485 Squadron became the first unit to land in the Normandy beachhead when a section rearmed and refuelled at B2 airfield at Bazenville). Other sources claim it was aircraft from 349 Belgian Squadron who landed first in Normandy.

June / July 1944 - 6th August 1944, 329, 340 and 341 Squadrons RAF, Spitfire IX, beachhead patrols and bomber escort. (These three squadrons formed No. 145 (French Wing).
Mid July (for one week) 1944, 74 Squadron RAF, ? , ? .
Early August 1944 - 19th August 1944, 33, 222, 349 Squadrons RAF, Spitfire IX, bomber escort and ground strafing. (These three squadrons formed the revised 135 Wing).

Kenneth Wakefield has also confirmed that two separate Field Artillery Battalions of the First US Army were stationed at Selsey ALG before D-Day, these being the 183rd and 188th FA Battalions. Ken’s source for this information is the First US Army Station List for 31st May 1944 supported by the personal recollections of the late Captain Ivan 'Prop' Peller, who in 1944 was an L-4 pilot at Selsey with the 183rd FA Battalion. Each of these two FA Battalions was equipped with two Piper L-4 Cubs. I can now tell you that Captain Ivan Peller did not fly his L-4 from Selsey to Normandy, as seemed likely. A look at my 1986 correspondence with him reveals that the L-4s of his 183rd FA Battalion, and those of the 188th (both of them part of the 188th FA Group), were partly dismantled, loaded onto trucks and on 10th June transported by Navy LST from Plymouth to Utah Beach. The aircraft were then reassembled and went into action spotting for the artillery near Carentan. On 19th July 1944, Ivan had the misfortune to encounter, eight, Bf 109’s (flying in two sections of four aircraft) and was shot down near Saint-Lô. His observer was badly wounded and Ivan himself was hit in the eye and left leg, but he managed to crash land his L-4 in no man's land, where he and his observer were looked after by a French farmer until they were picked up by their unit three days later. Incidentally, Ivan wrote that when he was in Sussex he also flew from a strip at Wallburton, which he said was near Chichester, but I'm pretty sure this must be Walberton (about 1 - 2 miles east of Chichester) - I can find no-where in Sussex called Wallburton (Yankee spelling again?!).

With grateful thanks to Martin Foley, Kenneth Wakefield and Geert Beelaert.