Georgia World War II Army Airfields

Georgia World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Map Of Major Georgia World War II Army Airfields   First Air Force   Third Air Force   AAF Training Command   AAF Contract Flying Schools  Air Technical Service Command
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

• Chatham Army Airfield, 6.7 miles (10.8 km) west-northwest of Savannah

425th Army Air Force Base Unit

Sub-base of: Jacksonville Army Airfield, Florida

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 Location identifier: SAV)

• Harris Neck Army Airfield, 32.7 miles (52.6 km) south-southwest of Savannah

346th Army Air Force Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Fighter),

Sub-base of: Dale Mabry Field, Florida

Transferred to: United States Navy (1945)

Now: Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge

Third Air Force

• Statesboro Army Airfield, 3.6 miles (5.8 km) northeast of Statesboro

Sub-base of: Morris Field. North Carolina, later William Northern Field, Tennessee

343d Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport (IATA: TBR, ICAO: KTBR, FAA Location identifier: TBR)

• Thomasville Army Airfield, 7.4 miles (11.9 km) northeast of Thomasville

42d Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Thomasville Regional Airport (IATA: TVI, ICAO: KTVI, FAA Location identifier: TVI)

• Hunter Field, 5.7 miles (9.2 km) south-southwest of Savannah

36th Army Air Force Base Unit

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 Location identifier: SVN)

• Waycross Army Airfield, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northwest of Waycross

531st Army Air Force Base Unit

Sub-base of: Hunter Field, later Drew Field, Florida

Now: Waycross-Ware County Airport (IATA: AYS, ICAO: KAYS, FAA Location identifier: AYS)

AAF Training Command

Eastern Flight Training Center

• Bainbridge Army Airfield, 6.0 miles (9.7 km) northwest of Bainbridge

Army Air Forces Pilot School (Advanced Single-Engine)

3305th Pilot Training Group (Contract Primary)

332d Army Air Force Base Unit

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 Location identifier: BGE)

• Cochran Army Airfield, 10.3 miles (16.6 km) south of Macon

Army Air Force Pilot School (Basic)

Royal Air Force Cadet training

27th Flying Training Wing

61st Army Air Force Base Unit

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 Location identifier: MCN)

• Moody Field, 10.6 miles (17.1 km) north-northeast of Valdosta

Army Air Force Pilot School (Primary)

29th Flying Training Wing

78th Army Air Force Base Unit

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 Location identifier: VAD)

• Spence Field, 5.8 miles (9.3 km) east-southeast of Moultrie

Army Air Forces Pilot School (Advanced Single-Engine)

75th Army Air Force Base Unit

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 Location identifier: MUL)

• Turner Field, 3.9 miles (6.3 km) east-southeast of Albany

Army Air Forces Pilot School (Advanced Twin-Engine)

74th Flying Training Wing

75th Army Air Force Base Unit

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)

AAF Contract Flying Schools

• Albany Army Airfield, 3.7 miles (6.0 km) northwest of Albany

Contract Flying School: Darr Aero Tech

Also: Auxiliary to Turner Field

52nd Army Air Force Fight Training Detachment. (Primary)

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Hayley Auxiliary Field

Reynolds Auxiliary Field

River Auxiliary Field

Turner Auxiliary Field

Now: Southwest Georgia Regional Airport (IATA: ABY, ICAO: KABY, FAA Location identifier: ABY)

• Bush Field, 7.1 miles (11.4 km) south of Augusta

Contract Flying School: Georgia Aero Tech

72d Army Air Force Flight training Detachment (Basic)

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Dionne Auxiliary Field

Yawn Auxiliary Field

Now: Augusta Regional Airport (IATA: AGS, ICAO: KAGS, FAA Location identifier: AGS)

• Douglas Municipal Airport, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of Douglas

South Georgia College Civil Pilot Training School (Primary)

63d Flight Training Detachment

Known sub-bases and auxiliaries

Tanner-Ewing Auxiliary Field

Knight Auxiliary Field

Dorminey Auxiliary Field

Paulk Auxiliary Field

Now: Douglas Municipal Airport (ICAO: KDQH, FAA Location identifier: DQH)

• Souther Field, 3.7 miles (6.0 km) south of Americus

Souther Civil Pilot Training School (Primary)

56th AAF Flying Training Detachment

Now: Jimmy Carter Regional Airport (ICAO: KACJ, FAA Location identifier: ACJ)

Air Technical Service Command

• Atlanta Army Airfield, 8.1 miles (13.0 km) south-southwest of Atlanta

303d Army Air Force Base Unit

Warner Robins Air Service Command (WRASC)

USAAF/Civil Airfield Joint Use

Also used by: United States Navy

Now: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (IATA: ATL, ICAO: KATL, FAA Location identifier: ATL)

• Daniel Army Airfield, 4.4 miles (7.1 km) west of Augusta

387th Air Service Group

21st Army Air Force Base Unit

Warner Robins Air Service Command (WRASC)

Also used by Third Air Force (1941-1942)

Joint use USAAF/Civil Airfield

Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (1942-1943)

Now: Daniel Field (IATA: DNL, ICAO: KDNL, FAA Location identifier: DNL)

• Macon Army Air Base, 4.3 miles (6.9 km) west of Macon

37th Air Depot Group

469th Army Air Force Base Unit

Warner Robins Air Service Command (WRASC)

USAAF/Civil Airfield Joint Use

Now: Macon Downtown Airport (IATA: MAC, ICAO: KMAC, FAA Location identifier: MAC)

• Marietta Army Airfield, 13.7 miles (22.0 km) north-northwest of Atlanta

292d Army Air Force Base Unit

Bell Aircraft B-29 Superfortress Manufacturing/Delivery

Also used by: Second Air Force

Now: Dobbins Joint Air Reserve Base (IATA: MGE, ICAO: KMGE, FAA Location identifier: MGE)

• Robins Field, 1.4 miles (2.3 km) north-northeast of Warner Robins

4117th Army Air Force Base Unit

Warner Robins Air Service Command (WRASC)

Warner Robins Air Depot

Now: Robins Air Force Base (IATA: WRB, ICAO: KWRB)

And: Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WRALC)

Minor Airfields

• Lawson Field, 8.6 miles (13.8 km) south of Columbus

Camp Benning Army Support

54th Army Air Force Base Unit (I Troop Carrier Command)

Was: Lawson Air Force Base (1947-1954)

Now: Lawson Army Airfield (IATA: LSF, ICAO: KLSF, FAA Location identifier: LSF)

• Liberty Army Airfield, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east of Hinesville

Camp Stewart Army Support

WASP/Antiaircraft Training

Now: MidCoast Regional Airport at Wright Army Airfield (IATA: LIY, ICAO: KLHW, FAA Location identifier: LHW)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• 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