In August 1943 he received the DSO and became Wing Leader, RAF Tangmere.
In the late spring and early summer of 1944 Flight Lieutenant Laubman and 412 Squadron were based in Tangmere, West Sussex, and flew fighter operations over occupied Europe.
On 13 April 1528, he was presented to the rectory of Tangmere, Sussex, and on 31 March 1530 to that of St Leonard, Foster Lane, London, which he resigned in 1534 to become, on 17 April of that year, rector of St Peter's Cheap, London.
In 1976, a free rock festival was held in Seasalter after a forced move away from the chosen site in Tangmere.
The station finally closed on 16 October 1970, when a single Spitfire flew over the airfield as the RAF ensign was hauled down.
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As the RAF turned from defence to attack, the legendary Group Captain Douglas Bader – the legless fighter ace – commanded the Tangmere wing of Fighter Command.
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Mothballed after World War I, in 1925 the station re-opened to serve the Fleet Air Arm, and went operational in 1926 with No. 43 Squadron.
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The first and worst enemy raid on the station came on 16 August 1940, when 100 Junkers Stuka dive bombers caused extensive damage to buildings and aircraft on the ground.
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In August 1940 the first squadron (602) of Supermarine Spitfires was based at the satellite airfield at nearby Westhampnett.
No. 601 were withdrawn to Tangmere on 17 June, in July flew against the initial Luftwaffe attacks over the Channel and the South coast.Rhodes-Moorhouse shared in the destruction of a Do17 on 7 July and 11 July.
Tangmere | RAF Tangmere |
American RAF pilot Billy Fiske died at Tangmere and was the first American aviator to die during World War II.
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Later in the war, as the RAF turned from defence to attack, the legendary Group Captain Douglas Bader – the legless fighter ace – commanded the Tangmere wing of Fighter Command.
An RAF World War II Ace, he was the holder of the Flight airspeed record, set in a Gloster Meteor in 1946 which took off and landed from RAF Tangmere.