Chelwood Gate WW2
CHELWOOD GATE: Two WW2 airstrips in the Ashdown Forest
Note: This map only gives the location of the local area.
Note: All three of these pictures are from my Google Earth © derived database.
THE FIRST AIRSTRIP: EMERGENCY LANDING GROUND
This was built by the Canadian Army in early 1940 for use by British and Allied aircraft.
Location: S of the A22, N of Chelwood Gate village, about 5nm SSE of East Grinstead town centre and roughly 5.5nm W of Crowborough town centre
Period of operation: 1941 until 1944 (?)
Runway: 03/21 915 grass
NOTES: Perhaps rather oddly there has been, and still is, a walking trail available in this area called the "Old Airstrip Walk".
THE SOE AIRSTRIP
This was located over to the west, running parallel to, and just east of the A272 near to the car park. My marker is only a guesstimate of this location which was used by Westland Lysanders by the SOE (Special Operations Executive) for clandestine missions into occupied Europe.
Runway: 03/21 520 grass
MORE NOTES
I never ceases to astonish me that after twenty five years working on this project, I am still adding new flying sites pretty much every week, in this case two new locations close together. For this we need to thank Mr Graham Day who contacted me in November 2024 to relate that years ago, when visiting Hampton Court, his met a 'policeman' on duty there wearing RAF Wings on his uniform. He enquired if he would kindly tell him about his service career and flying Lysanders for the SOE out of CHELWOOD GATE was mentioned. And, looking at the 'Guide', noticed that this wasn't listed.
Will happily admit that when at first looking into this, I was rather confused. It took a bit of sorting out, delving around, to finally discover that there were two quite seperate airstrips.
Then, a bit later, having noticed the addition of this listing to the 'Guide', Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', took it upon himself to have a delve - and these are the results. The 1947 aerial photo being an absolute corker with both airstrips really standing out.
The excerpt is from Great British Life - Walks.
Martin Williams
This comment was written on: 2025-08-21 09:01:04I am really pleased to have stumbled across this wonderful site while researching a house purchase in Chelwood Gate. My father - now 96 and born in near Forest Row - has spoken about the Lysanders and secret activity during WW2 but I never knew much more. Now I, at least, know where he was speaking about. My wife and I also know the “Canadian” airstrip as we walk it each summer searching for Nightjars.
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