The World War II history of Goodwood (RAF Westhampnett)

RAF Westhampnett’s contributions to other major wartime operations

The Channel Dash

During the night of 11-12 February 1942, the German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen left Brest under Operation Cerberus. Their goal was to move through the English Channel and Dove Strait to reach safer bases in Germany rather than leave themselves exposed to British air attacks in Western France.

Poor weather, radar failures, communication problems and missed reconnaissance opportunities allowed the German ships to travel for hours without being positively identified. In fact, a confirmed sighting wasn’t reported until around 11:10 on 12 February. By this time, they’d advanced far into the English Channel under strong Luftwaffe protection.

In response, Britain launched Operation Fuller, a combined initiative involving the Royal Navy, RAF Bomber Command, Fighter Command and Coastal Command.

Spitfire squadrons from the Tangmere area were among the fighter forces ordered to provide cover for British attacks and engage the German fighter escort. This included No. 41 Squadron, who were based at RAF Westhampnett and operated Spitfire Mk Vbs.

Unfortunately, rushed coordination prevented the British forces from delivering a single concentrated attack. So all 3 enemy ships eventually reached German-controlled waters.

But the operation did expose a serious weakness in Britain’s ability to coordinate naval and air forces against a rapidly moving target. This valuable information that went on to inform the strategy for joint operations later in the war.

The Dieppe Raid

Operation Jubilee, the Allied raid on the French port of Dieppe, took place on 19 August 1942. The landings involved more than 6,000 troops, most of them Canadian, supported by the Royal Navy and RAF.

One objective of the Dieppe Raid was to test German coastal defences and gain experience for a future invasion. But the assault ended with heavy Allied losses, and they failed to achieve most of their goals.

The recently arrived United States Army Air Forces 31st Fighter Group operated Spitfires from the surrounding Tangmere airfields during the raid, including RAF Westhampnett. This was the Group’s first official combat mission of the Second World War.

Aerial combat over Dieppe was one of the largest single-day air battles to have taken place in Western Europe at that point.

The 31st Fighter Group claimed two German aircraft destroyed, 3 probably destroyed and one damaged during the operation. But they lost 8 aircraft in doing so, making the Dieppe Raid a dark chapter in the history of the Spitfire.

The role of RAF Westhampnett in D-Day

RAF Westhampnett became part of the Second Tactical Air Force system assembled to support the Allied invasion of occupied Europe.

In April 1944, No. 144 Airfield Headquarters, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), arrived at RAF Westhampnett. They comprised No. 441 (Silver Fox) Squadron RCAF, No. 422 (Caribou) Squadron RCAF and No. 443 (Hornet) Squadron RCAF, all of whom operated Spitfire Mk IXs.

During April and May, the Canadian units trained intensively for the invasion while flying escorts, fighter sweeps and attacks against German targets in northern France.

Their pre-invasion missions formed part of the Allied effort to weaken German radar, transport and defensive systems before troops crossed the Channel. And from 13 April – 5 June 1944, No. 443 Squadron alone recorded more than 487 sorties.

On 6 June 1944, fighters from RAF Westhampnett helped protect the D-Day invasion force, covering Allied shipping and restricting the Luftwaffe’s ability to attack the landing beaches. The Squadrons also provided fighter-bomber support over Normandy, attacking road traffic, railways, defensive positions and other targets behind the German front.

The Canadian wing began transferring to airfields in Normandy as the Allies secured usable landing grounds, bringing its period at RAF Westhampnett to an end.

Westhampnett continued supporting units involved in the Battle of Normandy. And later, it hosted other RAF squadrons as air operations moved deeper into France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

What happened to RAF Westhamnett after the Second World War?

RAF Westhampnett remained in military use for a short period after Germany’s surrender in May 1945.

The station’s operational importance declined as wartime fighter units disbanded or transferred to permanent bases. And the RAD formally ended their use of the site in 1946, just 6 years after the airfield had entered frontline service.

Use of the land returned to the Goodwood Estate. But its grass runways continued to support civil flying. And it eventually became known as Goodwood Aerodrome.

Squadron Leader Tony Gaze, an Australian fighter pilot and racing driver who had flown from RAF Westhampnett, suggested that the former airfield’s perimeter road could be turned into a motor-racing circuit.

The Duke Frederick Gordon-Lennos, himself a renowned amateur racer, supported the proposal. And he developed the perimeter road into Goodwood Motor Circuit.

The circuit opened on 18 September 1948 to host Britain’s first professionally organised post-war race meeting at a permanent venue.

Approximately 85 drivers and more than 15,000 spectators attended that inaugural meeting. And the circuit became a major centre of British motor racing before contemporary competition ended there in August 1966.

Aviation continued within the circuit, today serving as Goodwood Airport. Between the central grass airfield, perimeter track and surviving military buildings, Goodwood still preserves the wartime history of RAF Westhampnett.

Immerse yourself in the history of RAF Westhampnett with a Spitfire flight experience

The history of Goodwood Aerodrome, formerly RAF Westhampnett, is a truly fascinating tale of wartime strategy and heroism that spans countries, cultures and time.

But the one thing more captivating than reading about those stories is reliving them first-hand with your very own two-seater Spitfire passenger flight experience.

The genuine wartime aircraft we operate from Goodwood Aerodrome still use the same authentic grass runways from more than 80 years ago. And you’ll have the chance to take control of a real warbird in the same English Channel skies that determined the course of world history.

Book your Spitfire flight online today and get excited for a one-in-a-lifetime experience that writes your name in British aviation history.