Chattis Hill
CHATTIS HILL: Military aerodrome in WW1. Later private company airfield in WW2 - Vickers-Supermarine
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth ©
From 2005 private airstrip in one corner of the site
Military users: WW1: RFC/RAF Training Squadron Station and Flying School
No.43 Training Depot Station
Formed from 34 & 43 TS [Training Squadron] (Avro 504K, Sopwith Camel)
91 Sqdn (Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c)
92 Sqdn (Avro 504K, Spad, Sopwith Pup)
93 Sqdn (Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5A)
School of Wireless Telegraphy
Location: Just N of the A30, 2.5nm W of Stockbridge
Manufacturing: WW2: Vickers-Supermarine
Period of operation: WW1: 1917 to 1919
WW2: 1941 to 1945 (site closed in May 1948)
Site area: WW1: 150 acres 1006 x 777
Runways: WW2: Grass, possibly ‘all-over’ landing area? Other sources simply refer to an airstrip being available.
NOTES: Some years ago I had this: CHATTIS HILL is actually two adjacent airfields the centre of the WW1 field being immediately NE of Chattis Hill House. It has been noted that some permanent buildings under construction when WW1 ended were never completed. So what does this mean? Did the personnel at this station live under canvas mostly for two years? Or was some form of early caravan/pre-fab/garden shed type accommodation employed?
In June 2022 I was very kindly contacted by Daniel Williamson (Lieutenant Colonel - retired) from the U.S.A. He had been reading Bogart Rogers' book 'A Yankee in the RAF' and on page 65 it says that they were billited in Stockbridge. So, it appears that at least officers and flying cadets had, presumably, fairly decent quarters. My note: Down the hill and roughly 2.5nm to the ESE on the A30.
THE SPITFIRE ERA
In WW2 after the Supermarine factory at WOOLSTON was bombed it was decided to disperse Spitfire production and assembly sheds were built to the N of the WW1 aerodrome and a new airfield laid out with its centre NW of Chattis Hill House. It is reported that the WW2 site was well camouflaged and although the airfield was closed in 1945 it seems the assembly plant stayed in operation until May 1948.
Other final assembly and flight testing locations, opened after the Supermarine factory in Woolston (Southampton) was bombed, were, apart from EASTLEIGH of course: WORTHY DOWN and CHILBOLTON in HAMPSHIRE, HIGH POST, KEEVIL and SALISBURY (Presumably OLD SARUM?) in WILTSHIRE. To the north-east HENLY and ALDERMASTON near Reading were used.
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