RAF Friston and RAF Merston

M

Motormouse

SOH-CM-2024
RAf Friston

Another long abandoned airfield used in WW2; on the clifftops of East Sussex, was used as an emergency landing ground and forward operating base throughout ww2, as well as home to an ASR (Air Sea Rescue) flight.
Officially it was a satellite to Kenley, built in 1940 around an earlier civil landing field; accommodations were rudimentary for those not accommodated at Gayles Farm, being tents and huts , only 2 blister hangars, no control tower, I would think one of the huts would be 'watch office', it has been reported that at times there were nearly 100 aircraft of all types to be seen here , it being a popular 'drop in' for aircraft limping home from ops, besides the resident ASR Spitfires . Still a bit of a WIP..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Friston

https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1395535&resourceID=19191


Friston_1.jpg

it's above the Spit in screenie

ttfn

Pete
 
The last episodes of the TV series "a piece of cake" were recorded at Friston (see below) and the Seven Sisters were acting as the Cliffs of Dover.

Cheers,
Huub

NI8qvKF.jpg
 
RAF Merston

Satellite to Tangmere 2.5 miles away , built 1940, and completed in 1941,consisted of a 30ft wide peri track, a control tower, and 6 blister hangars plus numerous assorted huts.
Runways were originally grass, but due to problems with waterlogging (strange for an airfield that was built on the site of Marsh Farm) were relaid in metal tracking in late 1942

The large buildings in centre picture are not part of the airfield, but the pre war refrigerator factory.

Merston_1.jpg

Was used by Spitfires from both RAF, then USAAF when it became station 351

Still got a bit of finishing up to do, with this one and Friston

ttfn

Pete
 
Last edited:
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A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category FS 2004 Scenery

Description: Ez Scenery / AFCAD of 2 more long gone RAF airfields


Royal Air Force Friston or more simply RAF Friston is a former Royal Air Force satellite station and Emergency Landing Ground located in East Sussex, England;
built in 1940, closed 1946,Friston on the scenic South Downs had one of Britain's slightly more unusual airfield histories, though one no less effective or noteworthy. Its early beginnings are vague: certainly there existed a pre-war civil landing ground at Gayles Farm which first saw confirmed RAF use during 1936 for an exercise. Four years later the military officially arrived by declaring this place as an Emergency Landing Ground, further but still limited use occurring during 1941 when Friston became a forward airfield for Kenley, though the ELG requirement largely remained. Friston was briefly re-used in the filming of " Piece of Cake" TV series


and


RAF Merston was built during 1939 as a grass satellite airfield to RAF Tangmere,
and was sited West of Merston, North, North East of Runcton Village, and 2 miles South East of Chichester. but problems with waterlogging of the grass runways (unusual that!; It was built on Marsh Farm ) meant it wasn't fully utilised until 1941, with 17 hard standings, 12 double pens for fighters and 6 blister hangers. Runways relaid in metal 1942-43, Closed 1946
The large buildings are not part of airfield and are there to represent the pre war refrigerator factory


As usual; built to align with the UK VFR photoscenery, exclude file included, but no ground poly for default / GW3 users as Sbuilder won't run on my system
Objects from usual suspects ; Ted Andrews, UKVFR Scenery library, Sid Schwartz, Al Simms and Michael Carr

To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit RAF Friston and RAF Merston
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.
 
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