RAF Friston

Military Decommissioning. RAF Friston was a temporary wartime airfield constructed for a specific purpose. With the end of World War II in 1945, the strategic need for a forward fighter base on this location ceased to exist. The airfield was declared surplus to requirements and the land was returned to its original agricultural use.

The site has been completely returned to agricultural land and open downland, and is now part of the South Downs National Park. There are no remaining runways or significant buildings. However, some evidence of its past can still be found. Faint outlines of the perimeter track and dispersal pans are sometimes visible in aerial photographs, especially in dry weather. A memorial stone, dedicated in 1982, stands at the site to commemorate the personnel who served there. The area is popular with walkers and historians visiting the memorial.

RAF Friston was a critically important frontline fighter station during World War II.

- **Establishment (1940):** It was initially established as an Emergency Landing Ground (ELG) during the height of the Battle of Britain. Its strategic location on the cliffs of the South Coast, between Eastbourne and Seaford, made it an ideal forward base for RAF fighters to refuel and re-arm quickly, extending their patrol time over the English Channel.

- **Operations (1941-1944):** It was soon upgraded to a full satellite fighter station, operating under the control of RAF Tangmere and later RAF Ford. It hosted numerous famous squadrons, including those flying Spitfires and Hurricanes. Notable units included Polish (e.g., No. 302, 317) and Belgian (No. 350) squadrons. The airfield was also a key base for Air-Sea Rescue operations, with squadrons flying Lysanders and Walruses to spot and rescue downed airmen from the Channel.

- **'Diver' Patrols (1944):** The airfield played a crucial role in 'Operation Diver', the Allied effort to counter the V-1 flying bomb (Doodlebug) attacks on London. Squadrons equipped with high-speed aircraft like the Hawker Tempest and late-mark Spitfires were based at Friston to intercept the V-1s as they crossed the coast.

- **D-Day Support:** In the lead-up to and during the Normandy Landings (D-Day), RAF Friston was used by fighter-bomber squadrons to support the invasion forces. Its proximity to France made it invaluable for providing air cover and conducting ground-attack missions.

None. There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Friston as an airfield. The land is privately owned farmland and is located within the highly protected South Downs National Park, where any new development, especially an airfield, would be prohibited by strict planning and environmental regulations. There is no modern strategic or commercial need for an aviation facility at this location.