Discover the story of the chapel of Fliegerhorst Katwijk.
When German troops occupied the Valkenburg airfield in May 1940, the dune landscape between Katwijk and Valkenburg changed drastically. The airfield was incorporated into the Atlantic Wall and expanded into a complete military complex, with barracks, a hospital, and, remarkably, a small chapel: the chapel of Fliegerhorst Katwijk.
The area surrounding the airfield had to resemble a village from the air, complete with a pond and a church, in order to create a sense of safety for the soldiers. To everyone’s surprise, this worked: the barracks remained untouched by bombardments, while the airfield itself was targeted. For the soldiers, far away from their families, the chapel offered an oasis of peace and hope. In diary fragments, they referred to it as “Die kleine Kirchen am Rande des Feldes” (“the small churches at the edge of the field”). On Sundays, soldiers gathered there and wrote about their homesickness or fear of air raids. In the chapel, they found moments of reflection and comfort, or rituals that reminded them of home.
The chapel also gained its own meaning for local residents. While the airfield symbolized occupation, singing could sometimes be heard coming from the chapel. One resident of Katwijk later recalled how, as a boy, he cycled past and wondered how soldiers—whom he saw as enemies—could pray for peace while they were the ones fighting the war.
The chapel of Fliegerhorst Katwijk shows that even in the midst of military conflict, there was room for human vulnerability. The chapel tells a story of contradictions: war and faith, power and hope. Behind every bunker, building, and dune edge lie stories of people longing for peace and moments of silence in a world full of uncertainty.
After 1945, the site came into the hands of the Dutch navy, which used the airfield until 2006. The chapel remained standing and gained a new meaning: no longer linked to occupation, but to remembrance, reflection, and respect for history. For new generations of military personnel and visitors, it has become a place where peace and memory come together.
Disclaimer & source attribution: These stories were provided by participating locations and volunteers of Bunkerdag and are based on personal memories of those involved. They are subjective and may differ from historical facts or be experienced differently by others. No rights can be derived from this content.