The St Bartholomew’s Church was built in the early 1300s, it served as the parish church until WWII, when it began serving naval aviation personnel from the nearby air station.
When RNAS Yeovilton Airfield was commissioned in 1939, fifteen aircrew killed in training accidents were buried in the churchyard. In 1942, an extension known as the Royal Naval Cemetery was established to accommodate more burials. In total, 15 Commonwealth service personnel are interred in the churchyard and 22 in the adjacent cemetery.
By the late 20th century, the church had fallen into disrepair. In 1992 it was transferred to the Royal Navy for £1 and restored by public and naval support. It reopened in November 1993 as the Fleet Air Arm Memorial Church, housing the FAA Roll of Honour and serving as the spiritual heart of the naval aviation community.
The church features a dedicated Memorial Chapel, modern stained glass displaying badges of FAA stations (Gannet, Osprey, Heron, Seahawk, Daedalus), and new porch gates crafted at HMS Daedalus. It remains an active Anglican church ministered by Royal Naval chaplains.
In recent years, it has hosted commemorations honoring reservist naval aviators from the RNVR(A), especially those who lost their lives in WWII and beyond. The church’s proximity to both the Fleet Air Arm Museum and RNAS Yeovilton makes it a poignant memorial site.
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