Located to the west of Calais in the area where the Channel Tunnel now stands, a small grass airstrip was created in May 1940 for Luftwaffe fighters.
It was used during the Battle of Britain and for around 18 months afterwards, before being abandoned in April 1942.
From July to October 1940, it supported aircraft from one of the Luftwaffe’s most famous and highest scoring fighter wings, Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52), which operated Messerschmitt Bf109 aircraft form here.
The site was also used by Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51) at the end of 1940 and into Spring 1941, as well as Saint-Inglevert airfield nearby.
Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG26), also based a nearby Marquise and led by the legendary Adolf Galland, were the last wing to fly from here, using the airfield from October 1941 until its closure in April 1942.
Few supporting structures were built at the site apart from a handful of small shelters and two single aircraft hangars, and you can see the remains of these today, along with what looks like several post-war buildings now in a state of disrepair too.
One of the two Vf2a shelters is still accessible, with care but the mix of concrete and brick hangar and office-type buildings are little more than ruins.
The grass airfield was located to the east of these buildings, which are now within woodland in the rear gardens of the Holiday Inn at Coquelles.
Following the liberation of the area in September 1944, the site was used a fuel storage deport by British forces before being returned to civilian use.