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	50.8203°N 0.7435°W / 50.8203; -0.7435
Type	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 (1940)/41
In use	April 1941 - November 1945 (1945)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	15 metres (49 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Sommerfeld Tracking 00/00  Sommerfeld Tracking

History

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

The following squadrons were here at some point:[3]

Units;

References

Citations

Bibliography

• 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.