Naval Air Station Melbourne | |
---|---|
Active | 1942-1946 |
Country | United States |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Branch | United States Navy |
Type | Naval Air Station |
Role | Pilot Training |
Size | Airfield & 129 Buildings |
Commanders | |
Current commander |
Inactive |
Naval Air Station (NAS) Melbourne was a United States Naval Base in Melbourne, Florida. The Navy used NAS Melbourne for gunnery training and as a base for WAVES during World War II.[1] While operational, over 2,200 pilots trained in Grumman F4F Wildcats and F6F Hellcats.[2]
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The Navy constructed NAS Melbourne at the Melbourne Municipal Airport at the beginning of World War II and commissioned it on October 20, 1942 as Operational Training Unit No. 2.[2] The Navy closed the site on February 12, 1946[2] and returned it to the City of Melbourne as surplus property in 1947.[3] Currently, the City of Melbourne Airport Authority operates the site as the Melbourne International Airport.[3]
As an active military base, NAS Melbourne contained 129 buildings and served more than 310 officers and 1,355 enlisted personnel of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.[2] During the station's operation, 63 personnel died in aerial accidents and two enlisted men died in ground-related accidents.[2]