RAF Fairwood Common was built in 1941 as a fighter station but was changed soon after opening to a sector station covering the whole of south wales. It took over a year to build as the ground is so boggy, something I found out on my visit after sinking up to my knee trying to find it, that they had to fill and level the whole area, using industrial waste. It was decommissioned in 1946 but lay empty for many years before being leased to Swansea council to use as an airport. During the war it was also used for armament practice and many types of plane have flown from there including Hawker Typhoon, Spitfire VBs, Hurricanes and Beaufighters.
There have been several squadrons stationed there under the 10 Group Fighter Command including, 263 fighter Squadron, 312 (Czechoslovakia) Squadron, 125 Squadron and 456 squadron. The last Squadron based there was the 595 squadron in 1946. In the graveyard of St Hilary of Poiters' Church in Killay are the memorials of 22 RAF personnel who have died while based at Fairwood. These include many nationalities, such as Czechs, South Africans and Canadians.
One of its more famous Commanders was Air Marshal Sir Richard Atcherley, who helped to develop night landing systems, air refueling and suggested that aircrews should wear special flying suits based on the ski-suit, something all fighter pilots now wear. He also set up the Public School's Air Cadet Wing. On 23rd June 1942, Germany's best fighter aircraft, a Focke-WuIf FW 190, landed by mistake at Pembrey after a dogfight with Spitfires over southwest England. David Atcherley, who was at that time a Group Captain, drove to Pembrey to get the pilot, Oberleutnant Armin Faber. On the way back, Faber nearly got shot, when Atcherley accidently discharged his gun going over a pothole in the road, Swansea is still full of potholes now
. It hit the door inches away from Faber. Faber was at Fairwood Common for 2 days before going by train from Swansea's High Street Station to London to be interrogated. The German plane proved to be superior in every way to the Typhoon, and the technology copied from the aircraft contributed towards the 1945 design of the Hawker Sea Fury.
Around the edge of the airfield there were 15 fighter pens. The idea was to scatter aircraft around the base, to stop to many planes being destroyed by a single bomb or strafing run. The pens provided protection for the aircraft with earth ramparts and constricted entrances to minimise blast damage. Only a direct strike would damage them. 29 unprotected hardstandings were also constructed.
There is not much left of the place now except a few buildings hidden in the trees and the remains of a few of the ramparts from the pens. The foundations and the steps leading into the other buildings are still dotted around in the trees. Most of the buildings have been used to house sheep and have troughs fitted in a few of them. There are a few air raid shelters left along with a tin roof structure and a big building that looks like it was the main building of the camp and several tinsheet buildings that have collapsed. The big building is in a bad state, the walls are cracking and the roof has started to decay.
There have been several squadrons stationed there under the 10 Group Fighter Command including, 263 fighter Squadron, 312 (Czechoslovakia) Squadron, 125 Squadron and 456 squadron. The last Squadron based there was the 595 squadron in 1946. In the graveyard of St Hilary of Poiters' Church in Killay are the memorials of 22 RAF personnel who have died while based at Fairwood. These include many nationalities, such as Czechs, South Africans and Canadians.
One of its more famous Commanders was Air Marshal Sir Richard Atcherley, who helped to develop night landing systems, air refueling and suggested that aircrews should wear special flying suits based on the ski-suit, something all fighter pilots now wear. He also set up the Public School's Air Cadet Wing. On 23rd June 1942, Germany's best fighter aircraft, a Focke-WuIf FW 190, landed by mistake at Pembrey after a dogfight with Spitfires over southwest England. David Atcherley, who was at that time a Group Captain, drove to Pembrey to get the pilot, Oberleutnant Armin Faber. On the way back, Faber nearly got shot, when Atcherley accidently discharged his gun going over a pothole in the road, Swansea is still full of potholes now
. It hit the door inches away from Faber. Faber was at Fairwood Common for 2 days before going by train from Swansea's High Street Station to London to be interrogated. The German plane proved to be superior in every way to the Typhoon, and the technology copied from the aircraft contributed towards the 1945 design of the Hawker Sea Fury. Around the edge of the airfield there were 15 fighter pens. The idea was to scatter aircraft around the base, to stop to many planes being destroyed by a single bomb or strafing run. The pens provided protection for the aircraft with earth ramparts and constricted entrances to minimise blast damage. Only a direct strike would damage them. 29 unprotected hardstandings were also constructed.
There is not much left of the place now except a few buildings hidden in the trees and the remains of a few of the ramparts from the pens. The foundations and the steps leading into the other buildings are still dotted around in the trees. Most of the buildings have been used to house sheep and have troughs fitted in a few of them. There are a few air raid shelters left along with a tin roof structure and a big building that looks like it was the main building of the camp and several tinsheet buildings that have collapsed. The big building is in a bad state, the walls are cracking and the roof has started to decay.
