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Library Reference Number: 250

RAF Leuchars Remembered

Jack Burgess

RAF Leuchars will always be remembered as a source of pride by the residents of Fife having grown up in the knowledge that the airbase had played its full part in two world wars and also in those years between. Even up to the point where politicians decided to close down operations at Leuchars, the base had been primarily responsible for maintaining Quick Reaction Alert (Interceptor) North, providing crews and aircraft at high state of readiness 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to police UK and ward off unwelcome aircraft encroaching UK air space.

Looking back to World War Two, RAF Leuchars was deeply involved almost immediately at the outbreak of hostilities on 3rd September 1939. With the arrival of Nos.224 and 233 Squadrons in August 1938 the base had adopted an operational rather than a training role as in the past. By February 1939, RAF Hudsons began to be delivered, initially equipping both those Squadrons at Leuchars in May 1939.

This was quite a change for us as we had become well accustomed to seeing many types of small biplanes overhead with the occasional larger biplane types which may have been Vickers Valentia aircraft or similar.

The war was only one day old when on 4th September 1939, a Lockheed Hudson of No. 224 Squadron attacked a Dornier Do18 over the North Sea with inconclusive results but became the first British aircraft to engage the enemy in the Second World War.

A few weeks later at age 15 years, I witnessed an incident concerning those Leuchars aircraft that perhaps had some bearing on my choice of action in volunteering for RAF aircrew when I became old enough to enlist.

On the evening of 10th October 1939 I heard the sound of an aircraft overhead and about ten minutes later the same sound again. This was repeated over and over again every few minutes until it was obvious that something unusual was happening overhead. I rushed outside and although it was a dark wet night, I waited for the aircraft sound again for the final time only to hear a few seconds later a crashing sound a short distance from my home.

I rushed towards the direction of the sound, and just over a mile away I was horrified to find the remains of an aircraft so badly shattered it was obvious there could not possibly be any survivors. I was to discover later that it was a Hudson from No.233 Squadron based at RAF Leuchars. Although security was extremely tight during this period, there was a strong rumour that returning from an operation, crew members may have been injured and therefore unable to give the appropriate call sign to have runway lights switched on to enable a safe landing.

The official record stated:- “Aircraft Crash – East Lomond Hill, Fife. On 10th October 1939 a ‘Hudson’ Mk.1 aircraft was returning from an operational patrol over the North Sea. The aircraft registration number was N7227, and its parent Unit No.233 Squadron. It flew into high ground 1 ½ miles South of the village of Freuchie, Fife, on returning from an operation. There were no survivors of this crash”.- (Official record, RAF Rescue, Pitreavie).

On 5th February 1941 the Air Training Corps (ATC) was officially established with King George Vl as Air Commodore-in-Chief. After witnessing the result of this aircraft crash, this was perhaps the only incentive I required, and as a fully qualified ATC cadet I spent a complete week at Leuchars in 1941 where I enjoyed my very first flight – in a Lockheed Hudson. Unfortunately not with 233 Squadron, but with a Dutch pilot of No.320.

Our day started each morning on the parade square followed by being marched to each and every location of our training course by Sgt Jones a cockney drill instructor. Small in stature, but very large in voice topped by an equally large waxed handlebar moustache. By the end of the week, Sgt Jones had destroyed any illusion of grandeur we may have held about becoming potential members of RAF aircrew. His view was to forget all about navigation, morse code, maths and aviation subjects; in his estimation it was far more important to get things right on the parade square which to him was equivalent to hallowed ground.

By this period in the war, many battle experienced pilots from Poland, Holland, Czechoslovakia and other German-occupied European countries had found their way to Britain. Finding insufficient numbers to continue as a complete squadron, No.321 Dutch Squadron merged with No.320 (Netherlands) Squadron on 18th January 1941. Thereafter the combined No.320 Squadron moved to RAF Leuchars in March 1941 to carry out maritime patrols and anti-shipping attacks in the North Sea.

Apart from all the valued training I received at Leuchars as a cadet, the highlight was of course a flight in a Lockheed ‘Hudson’ with a Dutch pilot. Pre-flight checks included loading on board a basket containing pigeons. On asking about the reason for this, I was told that being airborne in a war-torn country any aircraft was liable to be shot down, and especially landing over water a homing pigeon could return to base pinpointing a position.

Looking over the Dutch pilot’s shoulder after take-off and in flight, I was convinced more than ever that this was what I wanted to do – in spite of all the Sgt Jones’ and their parade grounds! I also discovered later, that they had not been joking about carrying pigeons on board, as on December 1943, a pigeon called Winkie became one of the first birds or animals to be awarded the Dickin Medal for helping rescue the crew of a ditched aircraft from RAF Leuchars. Not having time to send a radio message, the stricken crew members were rescued by the bird’s action in flying 120 miles to base thereby raising the alarm.

Volunteering for aircrew duties at 17 years, I was called up on reaching 18. After nine months training in UK I was sent to 111 OTU Nassau for flying training and subsequently volunteered for flying duties in the Far East.

Having spent my war thousands of miles away flying special duties with 136 Force Liberators in the Far East, I had naturally lost contact with RAF Leuchars. However their UK role has been well documented where numerous squadrons had carried out a multitude of flying operations with Leuchars being their home base.

On completing a 500 hour tour of operational flying just as the war ended in the Far East, I was posted to Karachi where I spent the next fourteen months on administration duties at SHQ RAF Drigh Road Karachi.

When I was eventually repatriated back to UK and posted to SHQ RAF Leuchars, I was astounded to find several of my beloved B24 Liberators along with former colleagues who informed me that had I remained a few more weeks with 160 Squadron I could have returned to UK without having to spend extra 14 months in India!!

My reunion with my Liberators was short-lived, for even after making the long air journey from Sri Lanka to Leuchars they were taken away to be scrapped under the terms of the American Lease-Lend Agreement whereby at the end of WW2, U.S. planes had to be destroyed for fear of falling into the hands of undesirable armed forces. Instead, 160 Squadron was re-equipped with Lancaster GR.3s and on 30th September 1946 with No.120 Squadron being disbanded, 160 Squadron was renumbered “120 Squadron”. (This is not a misprint!!).

However, a number of Liberators remaining in India escaped the scrap merchant and were flown operationally by the Indian Air Force for many years. One of those was presented to UK in 1974 and flown back to this country by a former member of 160 Squadron Wg Cdr Doug Connor (Website Library No.41 “Recovering the Liberator”).

Anyhow, I was back where it all started at RAF Leuchars. Working in post-war SHQ Leuchars was splendid; no operational pressures and a good social life to match. RAF cinema, station dances, three decent meals each day with St.Andrews and Dundee within easy reach – what more could anyone want?

Living on the base, I was reminded that Leuchars throughout the war years had never assumed the romantic image of a Battle of Britain station, but had settled for the long, routine, hour by hour slog of underestimated maritime patrol which nevertheless played a crucial part in Britain’s ultimate victory. Many of those operations have been recorded elsewhere, but one example could be in February 1940, where application and endurance paid off when a 224 Squadron Hudson located the German prison ship ‘Altmark’ which led to it being intercepted by HMS Cossack and the successful liberation of over 200 British prisoners.

The physical location of Leuchars lends itself to being recognised as a prime international site for maritime aviation which was probably the reason why so many squadrons were based there during world war two. I have already mentioned the arrival of Nos.224 and 233 in 1938. Other squadrons during this period included Nos.42; 144; 206; 235; 236; 320 (Netherlands); 540; 547; 105 (Detachment); 489 (RNZAF); and 333 (Norwegian) Squadron which flew ‘special duties’ flights landing both personnel and supplies at selected points along the Norwegian coast. No.333 Squadron missions also included search and destroy submarine operations. Working behind the German lines they picked up agents, illegal radios and transmitters, and even dropped Christmas presents to the Norwegian population.

I recall that when working in SHQ Leuchars during 1947, I questioned the Flight Sergeant i/c Orderly Room about an unusual badge he wore on his tunic. He told me it was an award from the Norwegian Government for services rendered during hostilities. Having been on a ‘special duties’ squadron myself only in a different war zone I didn’t ask any further questions!

In May 1950 Leuchars entered the jet age as it passed from Coastal to Fighter Command and Meteors of 222 Squadron made Leuchars their new home. Over time, the first generation of jet aircraft such as the Meteor and Vampire had given way to the Javelin, the Hunter, the Lightning, the Phantom, the Tornado and the Typhoon.

Many years later on reaching the end of a teaching career, I revisited RAF Leuchars as a member of a Probus Club. I sat in a Tornado of No.111 Squadron and enjoyed many conversations with their pilots discussing all aspects of modern aircraft which differed enormously even from our B24s which we had considered pretty well up to date at the particular time we flew them in relation to other aircraft types of that era.

The greatest change for me was the discussion on social aspects concerning present-day airfields including Leuchars. For example, on visiting the Control Tower one of the female members of RAF staff asked “Is it o.k. to go home now Sergeant? The weather has closed in and there’s no further flying today”.

I had a conversation with this young lady and asked what she meant by “home”. I discovered that she like many others lived at home in a nearby town and only travelled in daily as if simply going to work. On further questions about the social life on the base such as ‘cinema’ ‘social events’ etc I discovered they were non-existent. Living out was not only confined to officers who had bought properties in nearby towns, but on asking an airman m.t.driver he also confirmed that many other ranks also lived out and only commuted daily into Leuchars.

Although it appeared that social and residential aspects for personnel at the base had undergone major changes over the years which I suppose we must expect, RAF Leuchars had still accepted the massive responsibility of maintaining Quick Reaction Alert (Interceptor) North, 24/7 365 days each year. The target of being airborne to face the challenge in only a few minutes was no idle boast. Discussing this point with RAF Liaison Officers who attended our Aircrew Association meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow (themselves flying Tornados) I discovered this matter was taken very seriously as a source of pride in aiming to beat the few minutes target set for them to become airborne and actively engaged in dealing with intruding foreign aircraft.

Despite all the huge changes described above to meet present-day needs, RAF Leuchars will be greatly missed by many people for many years to come. Like other areas of Scotland where a major facility has been taken away, interdependency aspects of the immediate surrounding area will require time for people to come to terms with change. Also our memories of past RAF service life spent there will be confined to the history books.

A number of years ago, the people in eastern Scotland were given the opportunity of witnessing the iconic Concorde aircraft in full flight making its way towards Leuchars Airshow. The annual Open Day at RAF Leuchars had regularly been a magnet for aviation enthusiasts and also attracted up to 40,000 people of all ages prepared to enjoy a truly International Air Show. It will be extremely difficult for any other airfield to replicate this event on that particular scale where previously, inter-service collaboration with other countries enabled Air Forces from several other Allied nations to participate in this major event within the Aviation Calendar.

In addition to their vitally important Quick Reaction Alert role, RAF Leuchars was also home to several other Units including No.1 (Fighter) Squadron Typhoons; No.612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force (the Air Transportable Surgical Squadron); 71 Engineer Regiment; the East of Scotland Universities Air Squadron and No.12 Air Experience Flight.

Having visited two abandoned Scottish Airfields recently (RAF Montrose and HMS Jackdaw-Crail Airfield), both claim to have resident ghosts of former pilots who were based there. Will this be the fate of RAF Leuchars where ghosts of former squadron members mentioned in above chapters will make themselves known?

Or will someone else make use of Leuchars Airfield where the annual Airshow in 2007 was cancelled and aircraft deployed at RAF Kinloss to allow Leuchars runways being resurfaced to a high standard. This being preparation for the arrival of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft as if in expectation of a long-term commitment. Alas! the commitment was of short duration, for on 18th July 2011 Defence Secretary Liam Fox announced that RAF Leuchars would close, while Lossiemouth would be spared as part of the Strategic Defence and Security review.

Time will tell whether this political decision was justified, but as mentioned at the outset, residents of Fife should be proud of their long association with aviation history in the shape of RAF Leuchars. Starting off before World War One in 1911 as an army balloon squadron, it has served this country well for over one hundred years witnessing enormous changes in development of aviation throughout two world wars and beyond.

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