One of the very few remaining RAF bases in the country to survive in its original state from the post-war era. Opened in 1937 just outside the small Yorkshire village of the same name, RAF Church Fenton was built as a result of the RAF's massive pre-war expansion programme, in response to Hitler's move to increase the strength of the German armed forces. Designed as a fighter base from the outset, the first residents of the airfield were 72 and 213 Squadrons, flying Gloster Gauntlets and Gladiators. An early "claim to fame" for Church Fenton is that the Gladiators that moved in shortly after opening were the first to be delivered to the RAF. These were the front line fighters of the RAF at the time, yet they were still biplanes (albeit fast and reasonably advanced) - the RAF was only just beginning to move into the monoplane era.
In terms of personnel, the base saw the peak of its activity during the years of the Second World War, when it continued to serve within the defence network of fighter bases of the RAF providing protection for the Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Humberside industrial regions. From the start of the war, until August 1940, Church Fenton was a sector station in 13 Group, being home to both defensive and offensive squadrons. Because of Church Fenton's remoteness from southern England, it had a limited part to play in the Battle of Britain, being used as a base for battle-scarred fighter squadrons to rest and work back up to operational status. Its main job was being part of the defensive network of fighter airfields that protected the industrial cities of northern England from attack by German bombers. Concrete runways had been laid by the end of 1939. During September 1940 it became home to the first RAF "Eagle squadron" of Americans that volunteered before the USA joined the war, forming the No. 71 Squadron RAF flying the Hawker Hurricane I (a group made famous at the start of the movie "Pearl Harbor"), and the airfield also became home to both the first all-Canadian and all-Polish squadrons.
As technologies evolved throughout the war, the base was expanded to accommodate large numbers of pilots and aviation personnel, and the first ‘Night Fighter Operational Training Unit’ was formed at Church Fenton in 1940, due to the development of primitive airborne radar allowing night intercepts to be made more successfully, a need for specially trained aircrew was identified. In the run-up to D-Day, 21 Base Defence Sector formed at RAF Church Fenton with effect from 1st Jan 1944, formed to provide radar cover over the beaches for the Allied air forces. They were a mobile radar unit and 21 Sector landed on Omaha beach on D-Day from Church Fenton.
Immediately post-war, the station retained its role as a front-line fighter station in the defence of northern England. In April 1946, the station became one of the first in the country to operate jet aircraft, these were the Gloster Meteors of 263 Squadron, and later 257 Squadron. In the following few years, as well as a T2 hangar being erected, all the squadrons on the base started to convert to Meteors, meaning that by 1951 there were no piston engine aircraft on the station. The war was over, but the cold war had begun, with the RAF still at the forefront of British defence. The post-war expansion period of the RAF saw many building designs and layouts appear throughout the airfield, mostly designed in a Georgian art deco style. With so many personnel on site, one thing the site needed was a self-sufficient water system, therefore a large water tower was built toward the west side of the airfield. Clean, treated water was pumped up into the tower, where it's stored in a large tank that might hold a thousand or so gallons—depending on demand. When the site needed water, water pumps situated at the base of the tower utilized the pull of gravity to provide high water pressure.
The other new advance for the period was central heating. These plants heated the contained water and distributed it around the permanent camp to supply a steady, reliable source of heat throughout the seasons. The Pelapone Engine and Pumps have been left behind after many years of disuse but remain in relatively good condition due to their protection from the weather.
In July 1959, the station ceased being a front line home defence station, and its role changed to that of pilot training, with only light aircraft occupying the runway. The peace and quiet remained for almost 30 years until the RAF was to announce its pioneering new fighter jet, the Panavia Tornado, and found itself with a sudden pilot shortage in the wake of its introduction into service. Advanced training took place here from 1979-1992, putting an end to the relative quiet that had graced the village before. To make it worthwhile for the region, however, annual air shows were hosted at Church Fenton to allow the public to be a part of the noise for once. As a result of the government's "options for change" policy that came about with the ending of the Cold War, it was decided that there was overcapacity in the system, so the decision was taken to close Church Fenton, but retain the operational side of the airfield for use as a relief landing ground for nearby units at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. The difference now, however was that the village had grown to almost double its pre-war size, and the airfield was now surrounded by houses, rendering the airfield unsuitable for regular jet engine flight.
Despite having all but disassociated itself with Church Fenton, the RAF only officially departed the site in 2013, when the last major equipment was removed from the site. The activity that had saved Church Fenton from the fate of so many of its sister airfields across the country had suddenly vanished, and its future in doubt. Luckily, however a new owner emerged, revealing plans to save the site as a Civilian airfield. A "Fly-in" was held on Sunday 4th January 2015 to mark the hand-over of the airfield from the RAF to the new owner. This fly-in was hugely successful, with around 250 aircraft visiting; Church Fenton's runways had likely never been so busy in over 70 years.
The eastern end of the site is now officially known as ‘Leeds East Airport’, and since the Ministry Of Defence no longer has any commitments to the site, during our whole visit we only found one example of the RAF emblem. Like almost all wartime airfields of its era, Church Fenton had served its purpose and was forgotten. Unlike most other airfields, however, the buildings here are still standing due to the airfield retaining its operation. Until the airfield grows in size enough to warrant the demolition of the base, the wartime buildings still take up a sizeable part of the site, but are cordoned off and disused. Despite the dense overgrowth dividing each outbuilding, the interiors have survived surprisingly well for their age. It is easy to identify the communal areas where pilots and personnel would go for entertainment, with a bar area and a stage that still stands behind a set of curtains. Each of the barracks are still clearly signposted, and the 60’s décor from its expansion gives a real insight into what Church Fenton would have looked like in its post-war era. So few of these RAF sites have survived in their original form, and keeping Church Fenton active for the best part of a century has ensured that we are still able to appreciate the efforts of the men who served their country here. It is easy to say that these last buildings won’t be here much longer, so it was a pleasure to walk amongst them before they’re gone.
