#Monument
RAF Calshot Memorial
Calshot is a headland in the southeast corner of the New Forest, where Southampton Water joins the Solent. The Solent is a strait between the Isle of Wight and mainland Great Britain. This location was used as a Royal Air Force base for seaplanes to operate during the Second World War. A memorial by the 'Airfields of Britain Memorial Trust’ stands at near this location and is dedicated to all the units and personnel who were based here.
During the Second World War, this was the site of RAF Calshot. It is the oldest airfield of the New Forest. There was no land runway at the airfield, and this is where seaplanes took off from.
They launched from the water of the Solent. There were once aircraft hangars in this area, but they are now gone. However, Calshot Castle remains and dates back to the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th Century.
Aircraft that flew from here included the flying boat, Short Sunderland. These were mainly used by coastal command. The aircraft were manoeuvred from the hangars and hardstanding and entered down into the water via a slip. They then used the area of open water to take off or land.
The aircraft could operate in several roles from observation to search and rescue. During Operation Overlord, 6 June 1944, the aircraft would be used to rescue crews of any downed aircraft at sea.
In 1940, five fast launches (boat’s) that were based here at Calshot took part in Operation Dynamo to bring several of the British Expeditionary Force back from the beaches of Dunkirk,France.
This location was also important during the build-up to D-Day, as military personnel embarked from here to head across to Normandy, France to take part in Operation Neptune and Overlord.
A memorial by the 'Airfields of Britain Memorial Trust’ stands at near this location and is dedicated to all the units and personnel who were based here.