It was an example of an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG),[2][3] a type of simple, temporary airfield designed to support the invasion of continental Europe.

It was not laid out until 1943, by which time the strategy was different and it was passed to the RAF Second Tactical Air Force to become an operating station for the invasion of continental Europe, codenamed Operation Overlord.

[citation needed] In order to construct the airfield, the RAF demolished the local pub, 'The Plough', which was at the end of the runway, and reconstructed it about half a mile away near Plumpton, and this is now the site of the RAF Chailey memorial.

[8]) The station's officer commanding was the highest ranking Pole in the RAF, Group Captain Aleksander Gabszewicz.

1312 Mobile Wing RAF Regiment[5] The airfield was de-requisitioned in 1945 and returned to farm use.