Saint-Inglevert Airfield is a
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
airfield at
Saint-Inglevert,
Pas-de-Calais
The Pas-de-Calais (, ' strait of Calais'; ; ) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments of France, with 890, and is the ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. In the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
an airfield was established near Saint-Inglevert by the
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
, later passing to the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
on formation.
[for a description of some RFC/RAF operations on the field, see No. 115 Squadron RAF]
In 1920, a civil airfield was established on a different site which was a designated customs airfield. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Saint-Inglevert was occupied by the Royal Air Force and the ''
Armée de l'Air
The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...
''. The airfield was captured by the Germans towards the end of the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
and occupied by the
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
. It was abandoned in 1941, but in 1943 field artillery units were based around the airfield as part of the
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall () was an extensive system of coastal defence and fortification, coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense (military), d ...
. Although civil flying returned to Saint-Inglevert post-war, the airfield was abandoned in 1957 and returned to agriculture. It was reopened by ''l'Aéroclub du
Boulonnais'' () in 1986.
Location
Saint-Inglevert airfield is located on a hill to the north west of the village of
Saint-Inglevert, and east of
Hervelinghen. It lies south west of
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
.
History
First World War
There was a
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
airfield at Saint-Inglevert during the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, but not on the site of the current airfield. In April 1918,
No. 21 Squadron Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF) were based at Saint-Inglevert, flying
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 aircraft. From 29 June to 23 October,
No. 214 Squadron RAF
No. 214 Squadron is a former unit of the Royal Air Force.
History
World War I
No 214 Squadron was formed from No. 14 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), itself formerly ''No. 7A Squadron RNAS'' only taking on the new number on 9 December ...
were based there flying
Handley Page O/400s, and in November, they were replaced by
No. 115 Squadron RAF, who were flying the same type of aircraft. Two more squadrons,
No. 97 Squadron RAF and
No. 100 Squadron RAF, were based there from 17 November, to be joined by two squadrons of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
in 1918, flying
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the b ...
s. All Royal Air Force squadrons departed from Saint-Inglevert on 4 March 1919.
[
]
Between the wars
In 1920, an airfield was established at Saint-Inglevert on a different site to the former military airfield. Facilities developed over the years to include two hangars, customs facilities and ultra short wave radio.[ In March 1920, a Notice to Airmen was issued stating that Saint-Inglevert was open and fuel, oil and water were available, but there were no hangars or repair facilities.] A proposal to designate Saint-Inglevert as a customs airfield in order to relieve Le Bourget
Le Bourget () is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
The commune features Le Bourget Airport, which in turn hosts the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Air and Space Museum). A very ...
of some of its workload was made in April 1920. Facilities then in existence included hangars, repair facilities and a radio station. Later that month, it was notified that an aerial lighthouse had been installed at the airfield, flashing the Morse letter A, and Saint-Inglevert became a customs airport on 20 May. By July, the provision of ground signals at Saint-Inglevert had begun. A arrow was displayed indicating the wind direction. In August, it was reported that Saint-Inglevert was sending weather report by radio seven times a day to Le Bourget. By October, aids available included a windsock and a landing T. Requirements for aircraft to perform clockwise or anticlockwise circuits when landing were indicated by the flying of a red or white flag respectively. The aerial lighthouse was reported to be out of action in November 1920.
It was notified that the road forming the eastern boundary of the airfield was to be marked by a series of posts high, surmounted by vertical white discs in diameter, in January 1921, and the following month, a Notice to Airmen issued in the United Kingdom stated that radio communication with Saint-Inglevert was to be in French. As part of a series of trials to assess the viability of civil aviation in France, a Farman F.60 Goliath flew a test flight carrying of cargo on 1 May. Three laps of a circuit Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
– Orléans
Orléans (,["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...]
– Saint-Inglevert – Metz
Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...
– Dijon
Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...
– Paris were flown. Saint-Inglevert was one of the designated landing places for the 1921 ''Coupe Michelin
The Michelin Cup refers to a number of competitions sponsored by the French tyre manufacturer Michelin for long-distance flight made in aeroplanes.
The first Michelin prize was announced in March 1908. The principal prize, to be awarded annually f ...
'', an aerial circuit of France with a ₣20,000 prize. In November, a Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes
''Compagnie des messageries aériennes'' was a pioneering France, French airline which was in operation from 1919–23, when it was merged with Grands Express Aériens to form Air Union.
History
Compagnie des messageries aériennes was establishe ...
aircraft called at Saint-Inglevert to collect a cargo of six 18-pounder and three 4.5–inch live shells for onward transmission to Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was the UK's only international airport during the interwar period. It opened in 1920, located near Croydon, then part of Surrey. Built in a Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical style, it was developed as Britain's main airp ...
in Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, United Kingdom. In a paper read to the Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest Aeronautics, aeronautical society in the world. Memb ...
on 17 November, Colonel Frank Searle, managing director of Daimler Airway, criticized the organization of Saint-Inglevert and Le Bourget.
In or about March 1922, the wireless
Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information (''telecommunication'') between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided transm ...
station at Saint-Inglevert was destroyed in a fire. A meeting of airlines and the British Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
in April following the 1922 Picardie mid-air collision on 7 April at Thieuloy-Saint-Antoine, Oise
Oise ( ; ; ) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,419 in 2019.< ...
resulted in a number of resolutions being passed with the intention of improving the safety of aviation, one of which was that the Saint-Inglevert wireless station should be replaced. The aerial lighthouse at Saint-Inglevert was in operation again by 11 April, when a test flight was flown at night on the British part of the London – Paris air route. The aircraft flew as far as Saint-Inglevert before turning back and landing at Lympne
Lympne (), formerly also Lymne, is a village on the former shallow-gradient sea cliffs above the expansive agricultural plain of Romney Marsh in Kent. The settlement forms an L shape stretching from Port Lympne Zoo via Lympne Castle facing Ly ...
, Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
. In December, a Notice to Airmen stated that a portable searchlight was in operation at Saint-Inglevert by prior arrangement for aircraft landing at night, and that the "T" was illuminated at night.
In April 1923, a ₣25,000 prize (then worth £360) was offered by the daily newspaper ''Le Matin'' for the first French aviator to fly from Saint-Inglevert to Lympne and back in one day in an aircraft of French design and construction, with an engine capacity of less than . Georges Barbot won the prize when he completed the journey during the evening of 6 May in a Dewoitine
Constructions Aéronautiques Émile Dewoitine was a French aircraft manufacturer established in Toulouse by Émile Dewoitine in October 1920. The company's initial products were a range of metal parasol-wing fighters, which were largely ignored by ...
aircraft fitted with a Clerget engine. It took him 2 hours and 25 minutes, including a 40-minute stop at Lympne while one of the struts supporting the undercarriage was repaired.
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was an early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...
were operating cross-channel services using Armstrong Whitworth Argosy aircraft in 1924, with the first stop in France at Saint-Inglevert. When an aircraft departed from Lympne for St Inglevert, the destination airfield was advised, and if arrival was not notified within two hours, the British coastguard was informed. Communication between the airfields used Carmichael Microway UHF
Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter ...
transmitters. A new system was introduced for non-radio aircraft crossing the English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
in August. Aircraft crossing from Lympne to Ostend
Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...
, Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
had to make a circuit of the airfield at an altitude of , while two circuits were made if departing for Saint-Inglevert. The destination was then informed by radio of the departure. Arrival was confirmed by the aircraft flying another circuit, and was then reported back to Lympne by radio. If the aircraft had not arrived within an hour of departure, it would be considered as missing. A similar arrangement applied for aircraft flying in the reverse direction. In September, Saint-Inglevert was one of the landing points for an aerial "Tour de France", in which a specified route had to be flown on a course. Sixteen aircraft competed in four classes.
The airfield has been involved in several aviation records. On 18 September 1928, Juan de la Cierva
Juan de la Cierva y Codorníu, 1st Count of la Cierva (; 21 September 1895 – 9 December 1936), was a Spanish civil engineer, pilot and a self-taught aeronautical engineer. His most famous accomplishment was the invention in 1920 of a rotorcr ...
completed the first cross-Channel flight in an autogyro
An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), gyroscope, gyrocopter or gyroplane, is a class of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. A gyroplane "means a rotorcraft whose rotors are not engine-d ...
when he landed there after departing from Lympne in a Cierva C.8. Lissant Beardmore completed the first cross-Channel flight in a glider on 19 June 1931. He took off from Lympne and was towed by an aircraft to an altitude of , landing at Saint-Inglevert after a flight of one and a half hours to the surprise of the airfield manager. The first double crossing of the Channel in a glider was made by Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n Robert Kronfeld on 20 June. In a glider called ''Wien'',
p576
he took off from Saint-Inglevert by means of an aero-tow to an altitude of , and landed at the former RAF Swingfield airfield near Dover
Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
, Kent. From Swingfield, another aero-tow to an altitude of enabled him to return to Saint-Inglevert. Kronfeld received a £1,000 prize from the ''Daily Mail
The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...
'' for his flights, which were verified by the British Gliding Association.[ On 10 September 1929, Charles Fauvel departed from Saint-Inglevert in a Mauboussin aircraft fitted with an ABC Scorpion engine. The flight to Pau set a new ]Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The World Air Sports Federation (; FAI) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintains worl ...
world record for distance flown by a single seat aircraft weighing less than .
In November 1932, it was reported that new radio equipment was to be installed at Lympne and St Inglevert operating on the 15 centimetre waveband at 2,000 MHz, which would be used for the announcement of departures of non-radio aircraft across the Channel. Messages sent by radio were also printed out by a teleprinter
A teleprinter (teletypewriter, teletype or TTY) is an electromechanical device that can be used to send and receive typed messages through various communications channels, in both point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point and point- ...
, providing a record of the communication. The British Air Ministry and the French ''Ministère de l'Air'' co-operated in the arrangements for setting up the system, which was scheduled to come into operation in Spring 1933.[ It proved its effectiveness on 7 March 1933, when a non-radio de Havilland DH.60 Moth of British Air Transport failed to arrive at Lympne. The aircraft had ditched in the Channel and both occupants were rescued by a ]steamship
A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
bound for Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
, the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. A new short-wave radio system came into operation on 16 January 1934, using equipment manufactured by '' Le Matériel Téléphonique'', Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
.
p96
In the mid-1930s, a number of notable people used Saint-Inglevert Airfield. King Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...
made three visits, the first on 4 February 1935, while still the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
, when he arrived from Fort Belvedere, Surrey on the first part of a journey to take a holiday at Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel (, also: ; ) is a town rights, medieval town situated in the Kitzbühel Alps along the river Kitzbüheler Ache in Tyrol (state), Tyrol, Austria, about east of the state capital Innsbruck and is the administrative centre of the Kitzbüh ...
, Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. As king, he departed on 26 July 1936 to RAF Hendon on his return from the ceremony to unveil the Canadian National Vimy Memorial
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a war memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the Military history of Canada during World War I, First World War. It also serves as the place o ...
, and flew in from the Great West Aerodrome, Harmondsworth, UK on 8 August, in order to catch the ''Orient Express
The ''Orient Express'' was a long-distance passenger luxury train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company ''Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits'' (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe, w ...
'' at Calais, as part of a holiday in Yugoslavia
, common_name = Yugoslavia
, life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation
, p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia
, flag_p ...
. Henri Mignet
Henri Mignet (19 October 1893 – 31 August 1965) was a French radio engineer who became well known as an aircraft designer and builder.Ellis & Jones (1990)Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', page 142. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Mon ...
flew from Saint-Inglevert to Lympne on 13 August 1935, in his Flying Flea, then the world's smallest aircraft.
Second World War
Following the outbreak of the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Saint-Inglevert was taken over by the ''Armée de l'Air
The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...
'' in December 1939. ''Groupe Aérien d'Observation 516'' (GAO 516) of the ''16ème Corps d'Armée'' () were based here, operating five Potez 63-11 and five Breguet 27 aircraft, and carrying out air reconnaissance over the Nord-Pas de Calais
Nord-Pas-de-Calais (; ; West Flemish: ''Nôord-Nauw van Kales'') was a former regions of France, administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new Regions of France, region Hauts-de-France. It consisted of the ...
region.[ "B" Flight, No. 615 Squadron RAF was stationed at Saint-Inglevert in the early months of 1940,][ equipped with Gloster Gladiator II aircraft.] Following the discovery of a dismantled Morane-Saulnier MS.138 in one of the hangars, a wager was made between the British and French as to whether or not the aircraft could be returned to the air. With the aid of materials supplied by the French, the aircraft was made flyable, but when 615 Squadron received orders to relocate to Vitry-en-Artois
Vitry-en-Artois (; literally "Vitry in Artois"; or ) is a Communes of France, commune and in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.
Geography
Vitry-en-Artois is situated some northeast of A ...
, an attempt to fly the aircraft to the new base was unsuccessful, and a forced landing had to be made in a field. On 10 May 1940, the airfield was attacked by the Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
, with over 110 bombs being dropped, resulting in a Breguet being destroyed, another Breguet and a Potez being severely damaged and the radio facilities being temporarily put out of action.[
During April 1940, No. 607 Squadron RAF was based at Saint-Inglevert, flying Gloster Gladiator Mk II HR aircraft. The military commander General ]Maxime Weygand
Maxime Weygand (; 21 January 1867 – 28 January 1965) was a French military commander in World War I and World War II, as well as a high ranking member of the Vichy France, Vichy regime.
Born in Belgium, Weygand was raised in France and educate ...
visited the airfield on 21 May, and ordered 516 GAO to prepare to evacuate as the Germans were in the neighbouring Somme __NOTOC__
Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places
*Somme (department), a department of France
* Somme, Queensland, Australia
* Canal de la Somme, a canal in France
*Somme (river), a river in France
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Somme'' (book), ...
''department''. The following day, the order came to evacuate to Boos airfield, Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
, Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
, but only four of the ten aircraft that departed from Saint-Inglevert arrived safely at Boos. All aircraft carried as many passengers as could be accommodated. Two Potez 63-11's and a Bloch MB.152 were abandoned at Saint-Inglevert, and were destroyed to prevent their use by the enemy, as were supplies of fuel. Personnel from 516 GAO were evacuated from Dunkirk
Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...
on the , although nineteen of them were killed when the ship struck a mine and sank.[
Saint-Inglevert was captured by the ]Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
towards the end of the Battle of France
The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
. ''1 Gruppe, Lehrgeschwader 2'' moved in on 20 June, equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
aircraft.[ They departed for ]Jever
Jever () is the capital of the district of Friesland (district), Friesland in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name Jever is usually associated with a major brand of beer, Jever Pilsener, which is produced there. The city is also a popular holiday res ...
, Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, on 12 July, and were replaced by ''1 Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 51'', also equipped with Bf 109s. From August until November Stab JG 51 were in occupation, and '' Aufklärungsgruppe 32(H)'' aircraft were also based at Saint-Inglevert during this period, with the unit operating Henschel Hs 126
The Henschel Hs 126 was a twin-seat parasol wing reconnaissance and observation aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Henschel.
The Hs 126 that was derived from the Henschel Hs 122. The pilot was seated in a pro ...
parasol monoplanes.[ On 30 July 1940, Saint-Inglevert was bombed by the Royal Air Force, who claimed that hangars and aircraft were damaged,] and a subsequent raid on 19 August resulted in a fire, smoke from which could be seen in Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
.
From 24 September to 5 November, ''2 Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 27'' were based there. Facilities at the airfield were improved, by erecting new hangars and constructing a new concrete runway.[ On 27 December 1940, Saint-Inglevert was again bombed by the Royal Air Force.] The airfield was largely abandoned by 1941, with occasional use by Junkers Ju 52s as a refuelling station.[
In 1943, the airfield was designated as ''Stützpunkt 134 Paderborn'', housing defence units as part of the ]Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall () was an extensive system of coastal defence and fortification, coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense (military), d ...
coastal fortifications. The units were equipped with 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzers. During the winter of 1943–44, 10.5 cm leFH 324(f) howitzers replaced the leFH 18s.[ A number of concrete bunkers were constructed to house the guns, which were still standing around the airfield in October 2007.] Following Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
at the start of the Allied invasion of western Europe, the Germans committed various acts of sabotage on departure from Saint-Inglevert.[
]
Post-war
Post-war, the airfield was restored to operational condition and civil flying returned. On 10 April 1957, a report was published which resulted in the abandonment of Saint-Inglevert in favour of an airport east of Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
. The airfield was returned to agriculture.[
In 1986, ''l'Aéroclub du Boulonnais'' took over Saint-Inglevert following closure of their previous base at ]Ambleteuse
Ambleteuse (; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Imbelteuse'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department in northern France.
History
Ambleteuse began as a hamlet of a few huts in the middle of the dunes, f ...
. Since its closure, the runway had been used as a dump for old tyres and scrap vehicles, and it took three years to restore the airfield, which reopened on 30 July 1989.[ On the night of 5–6 April 2010, a fire in a hangar at Saint-Inglevert destroyed the hangar and eight aircraft.] The destroyed aircraft were replaced by a Robin DR300, a Robin DR400, a Piel Emeraude CP3005 and a Jodel D195. A Piper PA-28 was also acquired which needed restoration to make it airworthy. The replacement aircraft were housed in a tent hangar erected on the airfield, or temporarily outstationed at Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
or Le Touquet
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (, Picard language, Picard: ''Ech Toutchet-Paris-Plache''), commonly referred to as Le Touquet (), is a Communes of France, commune near Étaples, in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, northern France. ...
. A new hangar, replacing the one destroyed by the fire,[ was officially opened on 30 March 2012, and can accommodate ten aircraft.] Following the fire, a NOTAM
A NOTAM (ICAO & FAA: Notice to Airmen, CAA: Notice to Aviation or, for the FAA from 2021 to 2025, Notice to Air Missions) is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a loca ...
was issued temporarily restricting the use of the airfield until 15 November 2010 to aircraft based there. On 26 August 2010, Saint-Inglevert was given the ICAO identifier LFIS, allowing it to be classed as a public airfield instead of a private one. This had taken ten years to achieve.
Accidents and incidents
*On 1 September 1922, A Farman F.60 Goliath on a flight from Croydon Airport to Paris, suffered a severely damaged propeller after flying through torrential rain whilst crossing the English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
. The engine was shut down and a precautionary landing was made at Saint-Inglevert where the propeller was changed in 15 minutes. The aircraft then departed for Le Bourget, where arrival was only 12 minutes later than scheduled.
*In February 1923, an aircraft belonging to Instone Air Line was damaged in an accident at Saint-Inglevert.
Notes
# All locations are in the Pas-de-Calais
The Pas-de-Calais (, ' strait of Calais'; ; ) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments of France, with 890, and is the ...
''Département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
'' unless indicated otherwise.
# The phrase "it was notified" indicates that a Notice to Airmen had been issued by either the British Civil Aviation Authority or the French '' Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile'' as appropriate. A Notice to Airmen was called a NOTAM after 1948.
# Although 615 Squadron were re-equipping with Hawker Hurricanes during this period, "B" flight were still equipped with Gladiators, evidence for this being a photograph of them at Vitry-en-Artois
Vitry-en-Artois (; literally "Vitry in Artois"; or ) is a Communes of France, commune and in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.
Geography
Vitry-en-Artois is situated some northeast of A ...
in January 1940.
References
Sources
*
Further reading
*
External links
British Pathé newsreel of Georges Barbot's channel crossing
L'aéro-club du Boulonnais website
{{authority control
Royal Flying Corps airfields
Airports in Hauts-de-France
World War II sites in France
World War II sites of Nazi Germany
World War I airfields in France
World War II airfields in France
Transport in Pas-de-Calais
Airfields of the United States Navy
Buildings and structures in Pas-de-Calais
Airports established in 1920
World War I sites of the United Kingdom
Closed installations of the United States Navy