HMS Daedalus naval air station opens

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In 1917, during the First World War, a seaplane training school was established on the land behind the seafront at Lee-on-the-Solent, marking the beginning of nearly eighty years of naval aviation at the site. The station was commissioned as HMS Daedalus and quickly expanded to include hangars, workshops, barracks, and training facilities for pilots and observers operating from the Solent and the English Channel. During the interwar period, HMS Daedalus became the principal shore training establishment for the Fleet Air Arm. In the Second World War, the station played a vital role in anti-submarine patrols, convoy protection, and the development of naval aviation technology. Aircraft from Daedalus flew missions over the Channel and the Western Approaches, and the station was closely involved in preparations for D-Day. HMS Daedalus continued to operate after the war as a training and development centre, but the consolidation of naval aviation at other bases led to its gradual rundown. The station finally closed in 1996, ending a continuous naval presence at Lee-on-the-Solent that had lasted nearly eight decades. The site is now being redeveloped as Daedalus Waterfront, with the historic control tower and several original buildings preserved.