CHICKERELL
(Royal Naval Air Station Portland)
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Lat/Long:50.36.46N/02.29.08W Grid ref SY657793 .

RUNWAYS:Grass 2400ft.Heading unknown

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Map showing location of Chickerell Aerodrome,now built on.A reminder is the road name "Cobham Drive"
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The aerodrome at Chickerell first opened in 1918 as RNAS Portland for use by aircraft operating anti-U-boat patrols .There was one grass runway and one hangar.Some US Navy pilots were sent to RNAS Portland for trianing.
One notable event occurred on March 25th 1918 when US Navy pilot Ensign John F. McNamara, flying out of RNAS Portland,made the first attack on an enemy submarine by a U.S. Naval Aviator. For his attack, reported by Admiral Sims as "apparently successful," Ensign McNamara was commended by the Secretary of the(US) Navy for his "valiant and earnest efforts on this particular occasion."
Its use by the Navy was short-lived, ,the military units being disbanded very early in 1919.
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Following the end of WW1,the aerodrome was used for a short time for airline services to Cricklewood.Operated by Handley Page Air Transport,using ex RAF HP 0-400 aircraft ,the service did not last long.Subsequently the aerodrome was used on an occasional basis by visiting aircraft and also by Sir Alan Cobham's Flying Circus.A road on the site is named after him(see map above).
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With the prospect of a future war in Europe,the aerodrome was once more taken over by the military in October 1936 as Forward Landing Aerodrome for aircraft using the Bombing Range at Chesil Beach,and also as a satellite field for RAF Warmwell.
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Military use of the aerodrome continued after WW2 by Fleet Air Arm aircraft from Gosport and Lee-on-Solent until August 1955.After a period of disuse,the land was returned to civilian use in 1959 and subsequently built on .
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An interesting insight into the living conditions on this little known airfield in the 50s is given in a letter I received from Harold Tokins ,ex RN, who was stationed there with a Royal Navy detachment for a few months.The substance of his letter is reproduced below,with his kind permission.
 Now I spent a few months there(Chickerell) with a S51 Dragonfly.  I cannot remember which year 
but it was 1951 - 53 and was before
and after the Christmas period.  Our airfield was a Sports Field that was fitted 
up with a canvas hangar and three narrow strips of concrete to allow us to push our
 Chopper into this hangar,  that's if it was possible to get it onto the concrete strips 
out of the mud. This small Sports Field was the home of a group of RAF Bombing Range
 staff.  There were three huts joined together to form a letter 'E' One leg was our
 living quarters, middle was the galley (cookhouse) and then the last was a recreational
 area.  for we had a Christmas dance in it.  The RAF staff numbered about 10 men. Mainly
 Armourers, a couple of Radio bods and a couple of GD and a Cook. There was a Flight
 Lieutenant in charge and he lived in a caravan away from the hut site. We ,the Naval 
detachment down from Gosport, were with our Pilot Lt. Cmd. Hank Phillips. An Observer ,
 Photographer and 6 of us to maintain the chopper one of each trade. Engine, Airframe,
 Electrical and Radio along with two Supervisors. So for just one little helicopter we
 were nearly as many as the full contingent of the RAF.  The bombing range that they were
 doing the siting and recording on was CHESIL Beach
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RAF and FAA Units
513 Flt:DH.6:1918.
241Sq:DH.6:formed from 416/417/513 Flts August 1918,Formally disbanded 18-6-1919
705 Sq Dragonfly HR1/HR3,detachment from Lee-on-Solent arr 1-53,dep 3-53
771FRU:Martinet:Detachments from Gosport 9/45 to 8/55
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