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RAF Leuchars gets big send-off on ‘Big Day Out’

Dean Bowen from Homefront Histories shows off examples of his stock from the 1940s.
Dean Bowen from Homefront Histories shows off examples of his stock from the 1940s.

RAF Leuchars may be no more but the former airbase was given one last send-off at a special event in St Andrews.

Hundreds of people descended on the Gateway Galleries to mark RAF Leuchars’ “Big Day Out”.

The 1940s-themed event transported visitors back to the era of the Battle of Britain, featuring activities, live music and children’s games.

A host of military vehicles and period street stalls were also there, allowing guests to experience a real taste of life on the base during the Second World War.

The event was the last to be organised by From Balloons to Typhoons, a postgraduate student group from St Andrews University which has hosted a number of exhibitions to celebrate the base.

“The whole experience has been really, really good,” the group’s Lorna Weir said.

“There has been a lot of hard work and time put into this exhibition and it’s been a really good day.

“It’s just so sad that it’s all coming to an end now but we hope that we have given it a good send-off.”

Among the activities taking place throughout the day were war-period hair and make-up demonstrations, a “Make Do and Mend” workshop, and a Dig for Victory display, showing how wartime gardens were transformed into allotments and vegetable patches.

A vintage afternoon tea, along with music from a local pipe band, gave the former airbase the perfect farewell on behalf of the people of St Andrews.

Lorna added that the support from the public for the From Balloons to Typhoons project had been overwhelming in recent months, as they embraced one last opportunity to celebrate the town’s links with its military past.

“The public have really responded to what we have been doing,” she said. “The exhibitions have been really popular with people and has given them the opportunity to see things one last time before they are scattered.”

RAF Leuchars was officially handed over to the army in March, ending the airforce’s 95-year stay in Fife, having relocated to Lossiemouth.