Beane Air Force Base

Beane Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located, near Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, in the Caribbean.

The base was likely to be named for James Beane, a US Army Air Force World War I flying ace.

History

Beane Army Airfield was used as a military airfield by the United States Army Air Force Sixth Air Force and used in World War II. Beane Field was activated in early 1941 with a mission to defend Saint Lucia against an enemy attack.

The 5th Bombardment Squadron (9th Bombardment Group) and 59th Bombardment Squadron (25th Bombardment Group) operated B-18 Bolo bombers from the airfield from 28 Sept 1941-24 Mar 1944 flying antisubmarine patrols.

With the end of World War II Beane Airfield was reduced in scope to a skeleton staff. Its primary mission was with the Military Air Transport Service, acting as a weather reporting station and as a military airfield for transport aircraft although the airfield's control tower was closed on 14 January 1946 for a brief period, being reopened on 23 July 1946. Its primarily unit was the MATS 6th Weather Squadron (Regional), with overall command of the base being that of the 24th Composite Wing Headquartered at Borinquen AFB, Puerto Rico.

The facility was renamed Beane Air Force Base in 1948, it was closed as a result of budgetary cutbacks on 28 May 1949 with right of re-entry retained by the United States. Agreements were subsequently reached with the United Kingdom and, later, the St. Lucia government upon independence.

The former USAF base was then refurbished and converted into Hewanorra International Airport. There is a disused northeast/southwest runway north of the main east-west runway that was part of the military airfield. it is in poor condition, along with a few dispersals.