RAF Tangmere and Secret Flights Into Occupied Europe

Location and Identity

RAF Tangmere is a former Royal Air Force station located on the flat coastal plain of West Sussex, England, approximately three miles east of Chichester [1]. Originally opened as a training field by the Royal Flying Corps on September 25, 1917, the site had a varied early history, including a period of use by the United States Aviation Section of the Signal Corps between 1918 and 1919 [1]. During the inter-war years, it established itself as a fighter aerodrome on the south coast [1].

Wartime Function and the Battle of Britain

By 1940, RAF Tangmere had become a Sector Station of No. 11 Group, Fighter Command [1]. In this capacity, it was responsible for controlling the airspace over the Solent and the western approaches to London, operating alongside satellite fields at Merston and Westhampnett [1]. The station is widely remembered for its pivotal role during the Battle of Britain, utilizing Supermarine Spitfires and Hurricanes to defend the English coast [1, 2, 4].

The Secret Role: SOE and Clandestine Operations

Beyond its public role as a fighter base, RAF Tangmere served a more clandestine purpose as a hub for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) [4]. While the day-to-day operations involved the defense of the UK, the nights—particularly those coinciding with a full moon—saw the departure of aircraft that were neither traditional fighters nor bombers [4].

The Westland Lysander

The primary aircraft used for these secretive sorties was the Westland Lysander [4]. Although originally designed as a spotter plane and a transport for high-ranking officers, the Lysander’s short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities made it ideal for the hazardous requirements of the SOE [4]. These aircraft could land and take off from small, unprepared fields in occupied Europe, allowing for the discrete delivery of agents and the extraction of personnel and intelligence [4].

Operational Logistics

The flights from Tangmere were part of a broader effort by the RAF and the Air Ministry to support SOE’s directives from the Chiefs of Staff [3]. These “Special Duty” operations required extreme precision and secrecy to avoid detection by Axis forces [4]. Agents were flown into occupied territories to organize resistance movements, conduct sabotage, and gather intelligence, while the return flights brought back recovered agents or high-value targets [3, 4].

Historical Significance and Legacy

The operations at RAF Tangmere represent the intersection of conventional military defense and the “ungentlemanly warfare” practiced by the SOE [4]. By utilizing a functioning Sector Station as a cover, the Allied forces could blend clandestine departures into the general noise of wartime aviation, although the specific timing and nature of the Lysander flights remained a closely guarded secret [4].

The bravery of the pilots and the SOE agents who passed through Tangmere was often unrecognized for many years after the war, reflecting the inherent secrecy of the Special Duties operations [4]. Today, the site is remembered not only for its contribution to the Battle of Britain but as a vital link in the chain of resistance across occupied Europe [2, 4].