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New Battle of Britain Memorial Woodland Opens
Funding from SITA Trust has helped to open a new memorial woodland in honour of those who served at RAF Air Station Tangmere, West Sussex during World War II’s Battle of Britain Campaign.
About 2,000 square metres of scrubland has been transformed into The Tangmere Battle of Britain Memorial Woodland.
Project leader, Paul Neary, a local resident and semi-retired accountant, wanted to provide a perpetual woodland which would salute the memory of those who served at RAF Tangmere in the summer of 1940, and in addition offer a natural habitat for wildlife and insects.
The worst enemy raid on the air station came on August 16, 1940 when 100 Junkers Stuka dive bombers and fighters crossed the coast and the majority headed for Tangmere.
Fourteen service personnel and six civilian were killed and there was extensive damage to buildings and aircraft on the ground. In an amazing show of fortitude the air station carried on and did not close even for a single hour.
The project was successful in securing funding from organisations which included SITA Trust, the Woodland Trust, the Big Lottery Fund, BBC’s Breathing Places, Chichester District Council and Tangmere Parish Council.
Along with a small band of conservation volunteers, he was also largely responsible for clearing the scrubland, which is owned by Tangmere Parish Council and borders the allotments. This involved removing waste concrete, which was a throwback to the days when it was an active airfield, reclaiming the soil and making good the topsoil.
Over the course of the project he estimates that he has engaged the services of about 400 students from Chichester University and Chichester College to assist in tree planting and fencing.
The site has been planted with native hedgerows including hawthorn, blackthorn and buckthorn, and about 200 trees which are largely English native, but also include liquid amber, honey locus and maple trees to honour the Commonwealth personnel.
The Memorial Woodland, which has now been handed over to the parish council for continued management.
The finishing touches of putting in place anodised commemorative plaques was recently completed by Chichester specialists, Matform Ltd, who donated the mahogany plinths, weatherproof Perspex covers and their labour free of charge.
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