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Leuchars Airfield

Military Airfield (First World War), Military Airfield (20th Century), Military Airfield (Second World War)

Site Name Leuchars Airfield

Classification Military Airfield (First World War), Military Airfield (20th Century), Military Airfield (Second World War)

Alternative Name(s) Raf Leuchars

Canmore ID 84181

Site Number NO42SE 59

NGR NO 4643 2054

NGR Description Centred NO 4643 2054

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/84181

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Fife
  • Parish Leuchars
  • Former Region Fife
  • Former District North East Fife
  • Former County Fife

World War One Audit of Surviving Remains (4 June 2013)

Leuchars is reported as being the site of early military experimentation with balloons, in 1911, by the Royal Engineers (Smith 1983).

In August 1918 Leuchars was recorded in a survey of RAF stations as a ‘Temporary Training Depot Station’ the function of which was the training of pilots for single seat fighters. It was to become the home of the Fleet Gunnery and Fighting School, then at East Fortune. Its form as recorded in 1918 was the standard for a Training Depot, six aircraft hangars and an Aircraft Repair Shed, as well as huts for teaching, workshops and accommodation for the officers who commanded the depot, their officer and Non-Commissioned Officer pupils, and the male and female service personnel who worked there; the contemporary plan shows over 20 buildings in the technical area, within the aerodrome boundary, and over 25 in the accommodation area to the north-west. At the time of the report, in August 1918 the station’s establishment was 180 pupils, and a permanent staff of 659, of whom 216 were women. The aerodrome occupied an area of 89 hectares, measuring 1143m by 823m. In August 1918 the buildings of the station were still under construction.

Leuchars appeared again in another RAF survey, in November 1918, by which time it had been taken over by the Fleet Gunnery and Fighting School. The layout and buildings of the station remained the same and the number of pupils, for whom this was a ‘finishing school’ in gunnery and fighting, was 160. The training course would last three weeks and the average monthly throughput of trained pilots was estimated at 200.

Five First World War buildings within the Leuchars complex definitely survive and are listed as of that period: two timber-clad hangars in the technical area (buildings 55 and 57, HS listing reference 51423) and three smaller buildings in the accommodation area (buildings 25, 26 and 27, HS listing reference 51418). Comparison between the plan and modern mapping suggests that there may be nine further buildings in both technical and accommodation areas which, in part at least, date from the First World War.

Information from HS/RCAHMS World War One Audit Project (GJB) 31 May 2013

Archaeology Notes

NO42SE 59.00 centred 4643 2054 (on 9m spot height at runway crossroads)

NO42SE 59.01 centred NO 45728 20743 Aircraft Hangars; Buildings

NO42SE 59.02 centred NO 46013 20794 and NO 47190 20794 Aircraft Hangars; Buildings

NO42SE 59.03 centred NO 4641 2077 Aircraft Hangars

NO42SE 59.04 centred NO 45591 21037 and NO 45575 21017 Church; Buldings

NO42SE 59.05 centred NO 4575 2112 Houses

NO42SE 59.06 centred NO 4576 2093 Buildings

NO42SE 59.07 NO 4596 2073 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.08 NO 4625 2072 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.10 NO 46502 20885 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.11 NO 4670 2088 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.12 NO 47077 21554 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.13 NO 4687 2056 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.14 NO 4688 2038 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.15 NO 4578 2025 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.16 NO 4530 2058 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.17 NO 4737 1997 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.18 NO 46083 19945 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.19 NO 45844 19899 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.20 NO 4556 2154 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.21 NO 46233 20909 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.22 NO 4597 2096 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.23 NO 46004 21581 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.24 NO 4590 2107 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.25 NO 4575 2121 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.26 centred NO 4600 2150 Radio station

NO42SE 59.27 NO 45734 20692 Control Tower (Old)

NO42SE 59.28 c. NO 4535 2066 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.29 c. NO 4525 2043 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.30 centred NO 45538 21146 Barracks

NO42SE 59.31 centred NO 45507 21025 Barracks; Huts

NO42SE 59.32 centred NO 4512 2084 Houses

NO42SE 59.33 centred NO 4676 2024 and NO 4743 2016 Bomb Store

NO42SE 59.34 centred NO 4787 2043 Dispersal Bays; Buildings; Aircraft Hangar

NO42SE 59.35 centred NO 4731 2108 Dispersal Bays; Buildings

NO42SE 59.36 centred NO 4693 2087 Control Tower (New); Buildings

NO42SE 59.37 centred NO 4618 2087 Huts

NO42SE 59.38 NO 45761 20208 Sewage Works

NO42SE 59.39 NO 45415 21178 Club; Restaurant

NO42SE 59.40 centred NO 4538 2112 Houses; Flats

NO42SE 59.41 NO 45789 21016 (Medical Centre; Surgery)

NO42SE 59.42 c.NO 4709 2094 Pillbox

NO42SE 59.43 NO 45513 20623 Aircraft Hangar (Q shed)

NO42SE 59.44 centred NO 45997 20875 Buildings; Huts (Motor transport section)

For structure (at NO 4972 2133) in intertidal context near the E end of the main runway and possibly associated with the airfield, see NO42SE 96.

The site dates back to 1911 when the Royal Engineers experimented with balloons, a proper airfield being established in 1918 by the Royal Naval Air Service. The airfield is Strike Command's main base in the UK.

D J Smith 1983

This is still an active RAF airfield.

J Guy 1994; NMRS MS 810/3.

Early site dates back to 1911 when experiments on balloons were carried out by airbase. Proper airfield established in 1918 by RNAS.

Site recorded by Maritime Fife during the Coastal Assessment Survey for Historic Scotland, Fife Ness to Newburgh 1996

Wartime RAF vertical air photographs (NLA 48, 5.7-8, 5.13, flown 25 September 1942 and NLA 68, 3004-8, flown 27 August 1943), have recorded a major reorganisation at this airfield which took place between September 1942 and August 1943. The runways were extended and several pillboxes were demolished in the process (NO42SE 59.07, NO42SE 59.09, NO42SE 59.11, NO42SE 59.13, NO42SE 59.14 possibly NO41NE 59.17) additional hardstandings were built and many new perimeter buildings constructed, especially on the S side. Other changes in 1942-3, the camouflage pattern on the aircraft hangar and other building roofs was altered from a multi pattern to a two-tone type.

Information from RCAHMS (DE), November 2001

Leuchars Airfield was also the site in 1918 of the Fleet Aerial Gunnery and Fighting School (NW area). The National Archive (Public Record Office AIR/453/15/312/26 Vol.III) document show that much of the original technical area was used for this purpose at that date. This included the six General Coupled aeroplane sheds plus many of the original buildings which were used as classrooms, stores and accommodation.

Information from RCAHMS (DE), JUly 2006

Activities

Project (March 2013 - September 2013)

A project to characterise the quantity and quality of the Scottish resource of known surviving remains of the First World War. Carried out in partnership between Historic Scotland and RCAHMS.

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