Education & Outreach

To help preserve the knowledge of the New Forest Aviation Heritage FONFA offer a presentation programme where one of our historians gives a presentation on the chosen topic at your premises.

We also offer a small group visit programme where small groups have the opportunity to visit the Aviation Heritage Centre, at a time that is convenient to you, for a private briefing and viewing of the many artefacts, interactive displays, prints and pilot stories.

Each illustrated presentation lasts approximately 45-60 minutes, with time for questions, and are delivered as PowerPoint slide shows, accompanied by expert commentary. They can be shortened on request. We can also modify the content of a presentation, if listeners have a particular interest in one or two locations.

FONFA can provide knowledgeable and entertaining speakers on local aviation and military history. If your group would like a face to face or ‘Zoom’ presentation, please contact us via the e-mail address: fonfa2010@gmail.com. Our Life President, Dr Henry Goodall, gives illustrated presentations on the following topics:

The New Forest Airfields during World War II – This presentation is an overview of the twelve New Forest Airfields in WWII, including their purpose, genesis, locations, types of airfield, squadrons and aircraft stationed hereabouts and their uses, and some of the stories of the pilots, with particular emphasis on the D-Day period in June 1944.

Stoney Cross (Airfield No. 452) – The Story of a New Forest airfield during World War II. This presentation covers the building, operation and eventual closure of the largest of the New. Forest airfields built in WWII, together with details of the 16 aircraft types and 14 different units based there from 1943 to 1946.

Advanced Landing Grounds in Hampshire – the story of the portable airfields of World War II. This presentation describes the reasons for and purpose of these temporary airfields, their construction, operation and locations, together with the aircraft and personnel, which used them, leading up to D-Day in June 1944.

The Allied Assault Gliders in World War II – This presentation describes the various types of Allied Assault glider used in WWII, the differences between them and the ways in which they were used to spearhead ‘Operation Overlord’ in June 1944 and subsequent operations. In addition, details of their construction, repair and deployment are included.

The New Forest and nearby areas have many associations with the other Armed and Civilian Services and events in WWII. To illustrate these aspects of local military history Dr Henry Goodall can also offer the following presentations:

Hobart’s ‘Funnies’ – the inventions in ‘Churchill’s toyshop’ that made D-Day successful – This presentation describes the innovative inventions that were produced to solve difficult and practical problems, which were expected to be encountered during the sea and land assault on Hitler’s ‘Festung Europa’, particularly in the D-Day landings, masterminded by the ‘Forgotten General’, Percy Hobart.

The Battle of the Atlantic – the longest campaign in WWII – This presentation traces Britain’s vulnerability to the deployment of Germany’s Admiral Doenitz’ U-Boats and the counter measures forced on the Allies to defend the shipping lanes, to keep the supplies coming to Britain from the USA and elsewhere, during WWII. The U-boats, the convoy system, the escort vessels, the aircraft, the losses and the cost of the campaign that was the longest in WWII, lasting six years, are all described, together with the eventual victory, won by a variety of different means, on land, sea and in the air.

‘We Landed by Moonlight’ – Special Operations Executive missions in WWII – This presentation describes the dangerous and clandestine night-time flying operations to insert secret agents into France, to support the French Resistance during WWII. The aircraft, personnel and airfields are illustrated, together with the locations and agents landed behind enemy lines.

Lepe Beach & The D-Day Mulberry Harbours of WWII – This presentation describes why the Mulberry Harbours were devised and how and why Allies took their harbours with them, during the D-Day invasion in June 1944. The various types of equipment involved are described, what happened to them in practice and the relics left today in Hampshire, where many of the massive caissons were constructed.