| Georgia World War II Army Airfields
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| Part of World War II |
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| Type |
Army Airfields |
| Site history |
| Built |
1940-1944 |
| In use |
1940--present |
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Georgia for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles.
It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.
Major airfields
First Air Force, later Third Air Force
- 425th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron: 22 January 1943-10 April 1944
- 114th Army Air Force Base Unit (First AF): 10 April 1944-28 March 1945
- 323rd Army Air Force Base Unit (Third AF): 1 May 1945-8 Jun 1947
- Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (1942-1943)
- Transferred to: Third Air Force (1945)
- Was: Chatham Air Force Base (1947-1950)
- Now:
Savannah Air National Guard Base (IATA: SAV, ICAO: KSAV, FAA LID: SAV)
- Sub-base of: Dale Mabry Field, Florida
- 346th Army Air Force Base Unit (Third AF): 1 May 1944-1945
- Transferred to: United States Navy (1945)
- Now: Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Third Air Force
- Sub-base of: Morris Field. North Carolina, later William Northern Field, Tennessee
- 4157 Army Air Force Base Unit: 1 May 1945-26 January 1946
- Now: Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport (IATA: TBR, ICAO: KTBR, FAA LID: TBR)
- 339th Army Air Force Base Unit: 1 May 1944-6 February 1946
- Now: Thomasville Regional Airport (IATA: TVI, ICAO: KTVI, FAA LID: TVI)
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- Air Base Squadron, 35th Air Base Group/36th Air Base Squadron/36th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron: 5 October 1940-1 May 1944
- 302nd Army Air Force Base Unit: 1 May 1944-15 December 1946
- Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (1942-1943)
- Was: Hunter Air Force Base (1950-1967)
- Now: Hunter Army Airfield (United States Army) (IATA: SVN, ICAO: KSVN, FAA LID: SVN)
- 531st Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron: 10 May 1943-1 May 1944
- 345th Army Air Force Base Unit: 1 May 1944-10 October 1945
- Sub-base of: Hunter Field, later Drew Field, Florida
- Now: Waycross-Ware County Airport (IATA: AYS, ICAO: KAYS, FAA LID: AYS)
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AAF Training Command
Eastern Flying Training Command
- AAF Basic Flying Training School/AAF Pilot School (Basic): 15 Jun 1942-1 May 1945
- 322nd Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron: 25 July 1942-30 April 1944
- 2127th Army Air Force Base Unit (AAF Eastern Flying Training Command): 30 April 1944-1 May 1945
- 4164th Army Air Force Base Unit:(Air Technical Service Command): 1 May 1945-9 March 1946
- Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
- Donalsonville Auxiliary Field
- Reynoldville Auxiliary Field
- Faceville Auxiliary Field
- Vada Auxiliary Field
- Babcock Auxiliary Field
- Commodore Decatur Auxiliary Field
- Later: Bainbridge Air Base (1951-1961)
- 3306th Pilot Training Group (Contract Flying)
- Now: Decatur County Industrial Air Park (IATA: BGE, ICAO: KBGE, FAA LID: BGE)
- Air Corps Basic Flying School/AAF Basic Flying Sch/AAF Pilot School (Basic): 15 May 1941-15 April 1945
- Hq, 27th Flying Training Wing: 26 December 1942-1 May 1945
- 61st Air Base Squadron/61st Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron: 28 May 1941-30 April 1944
- 2128th Army Air Force Base Unit: 1 May 1944-15 April 1945
- Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
- Gunn Auxiliary Field
- Perry Auxiliary Field
- Harris Auxiliary Field
- Byron Auxiliary Field
- Myrtle Auxiliary Field
- Now: Middle Georgia Regional Airport (IATA: MCN, ICAO: KMCN, FAA LID: MCN)
- Air Corps Advanced Flying School (Two Engine)/AAF Advanced Flying School (Two Engine)/AAF Pilot School (Advanced, Two Engine): 26 June 1941-30 April 1945
- Hq, 29th Flying Training Wing: 26 December 1942-1 April 1945
- 78th Air Base Squadron/78th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron: 25 November 1941-30 April 1944
- 2144th Army Air Force Base Unit: 1 May 1944-30 April 1945
- Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
- Rock Ford Auxiliary Field
- Lake Park Auxiliary Field
- Bemiss Auxiliary Field
- New River Auxiliary Field
- Valdosta Auxiliary Field
- Now: Moody Air Force Base (IATA: VAD, ICAO: KVAD, FAA LID: VAD)
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- Spence Field, 5.8 miles (9.3 km) east-southeast of Moultrie
- Air Corps Advanced Flying School (Single Engine)/AAF Advanced Flying School (Single Engine)/AAF Pilot School (Advanced, Single Engine): 12 July 1941-1 August 1945
- 75th Air Base Squadron/75th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron: 26 December 1941-30 April 1944
- 2133rd Army Air Force Base Unit: 1 May 1944-15 December 1945
- Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
- Berlin Auxiliary Field
- Norman Park Auxiliary Field
- Moultrie Municipal Airport
- Tifton Municipal Airport
- Later: Spence Air Base (1951-1961)
- 3302d Flying Training Squadron (Contract Flying)
- Now: Spence Airport (IATA: MUL, ICAO: KMUL, FAA LID: MUL)
- Air Corps Advanced Flying School (Two Engine)/AAF Advanced Flying School (Two Engine)/AAF Pilot School (Advanced, Two Engine): 1 August 1941-15 August 1946
- Hq, 74th Flying Training Wing: 25 Aug 43-Unknown
- 68th Air Base Squadron/68th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron: 25 June 1941-30 April 1944
- 2109th Army Air Force Base Unit: 1 May 1944-15 August 1946
- Known sub-bases and auxiliaries
- Leesburg Auxiliary Field
- West Smithville Auxiliary Field
- West Leesburg Auxiliary Field
- North Smithville Auxiliary Field
- Cordale Municipal Airport
- Vidalia-Lyons Auxiliary Field
- Tifton Municipal Airport
- Albany Army Airfield
- Later: Turner Air Force Base (1947-1967)
- Later: Naval Air Station Albany (1967-1976)
- Now: Non-Aviation Use (Industrial Area)
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AAF Contract Flying Schools
Air Technical Service Command
Minor Airfields
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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- Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942-2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1-57510-051-7
- Military Airfields in World War II - Georgia
External links
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Troop Carrier
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Incidents
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- United States Army Air Forces
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Reconnaissance
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- United States Army Air Forces
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Flying Schools
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Specialized Schools
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