Friston

**P Bellamy** · 03-06-2010, 20:14

1940s aerial view:

All the best,
PB

**PNK** · 03-06-2010, 22:30

Odd shaped airfield. Oven mit to my mind.

The NE-SW runway I have seen labelled as the emergency runway whilst the N-S was called the fighter one. Not sure if that is accurate though. Must try to find the source.

**PJH** · 04-06-2010, 14:25

It is an odd shape but it's driven by the local topography. The bottom left of the photo is the top of the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs. The landing strips were on the only sensibly level bits of ground in these parts. I guess it's a classic case of operational necessity above ideal location.

Peter

**avion ancien** · 17-06-2010, 22:06

Originally Posted by PNK

Odd shaped airfield. Oven mit to my mind.

Nooooooooooooo. Definitely whale shaped -or, at least, infant school drawing whale shaped. But on a serious note, can someone give the runway dimensions? Action Stations simply says that it was "a dog leg shaped piece of fairly level grassland with a maximum NE/SW landing run of 5,020 ft (1,532 m)". It seems that every inch (or centimetre) of that was required for some of its unplanned visitors - "lame duck" heavy bombers making for the first place, on your side of the channel, into which they could scrape on a wing and a prayer. I've heard tales of many a crippled bomber ringing the perimeter at Friston, having made it in but having no chance of leaving under its own steam, presumably awaiting a spot of TLC or, more likely, a visit from the nearest MU and a non-aerial future. I'd love to see photos of these at Friston - but I never have and, in all likelihood, never will.

**bvs** · 19-06-2010, 07:28

Willis/Hollis say...
NE/SW was 1675 yds
N/S was 950 yds

**bvs** · 19-06-2010, 07:44

There is a thumbnail photo here and you can definitely see the old airfield layout,being still in use at that time by Southdowns gliding club

http://www.lakesgc.co.uk/news0002/ne...Glider%20Pilot

**Graham Holder** · 24-05-2011, 15:16

Tried to find your photo but the link appears broken.
Here are some of my images of Friston.
IMG_1010.jpg
Hard standing with large mound around the sides. The farm building looks like a hangar at the base? Any ideas.

IMG_1012.jpg
Half way up the mound with the Gayles sign. I believe Gayles was used as the Officers Mess.

IMG_1005.jpg
Me next to one of several pillboxes with firing holes onto the airfield.

IMG_1009.jpg
Track facing almost due west across the strip.

IMG_1004.jpg
Airfield from the entrance to Gayles.

**DutchFox** · 23-09-2012, 11:56

Nice pics, Graham. I wish I had seen them before we visited this former airfield this summer.

Here are some of mine.

Shows some kind of big hole. Could this be a bomb crater? There are several of those in this area.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1020952...19882475125362

This just a bit south of where the two strips would have met. Photo taken to the east. Gayles can be seen here.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1020952...19898182377394

Photo is just a bit further north where the two strips joined. Taken about south.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1020952...19917710861698

We spoke to an elderly gentleman. He said that there were Polish pilots here in the war.

**PETERTHEEATER** · 26-09-2012, 09:00

Shows some kind of big hole. Could this be a bomb crater? There are several of those in this area.

Probably dew ponds.

**Carnaby** · 28-09-2012, 09:58

Originally Posted by PNK

The NE-SW runway I have seen labelled as the emergency runway whilst the N-S was called the fighter one. Not sure if that is accurate though. Must try to find the source.

I note that SD161 (1942) has the shorter emergency runway as 200' wide. The longer 'fighter' strip was was 150' wide.

Night Landing Facilities are described as:
'Standard Flarepath Equipment - (Per Letter 11G/S. 1/11/Night Ops. 12.9.41)' I have no idea what that's all about.