South Carolina World War II Army Airfields

South Carolina World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Type Army Airfields
Built 1940-1944
In use 1940-present

During World War II, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) established numerous airfields in South Carolina 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

Third/First Air Force

III Tactical Air Command (3d AF)
359th Army Air Force Base Unit (1st AF)
Sub-base of Morris Army Airfield, North Carolina
44th Station Compliment Squadron (3d AF)
Sub-base of Columbia AAB
309th/329th Bombardment Group, 329th AAF Base Unit (3d AF)
129th Army Air Force Base Unit (1st AF)
424th Army Air Force Base Unit
Sub-base of Columbia AAB
Now: McEntire Joint National Guard Base
50th Station Compliment Squadron (3d AF)
Sub-base of Greenville AAB
342d Army Air Force Base Unit (3d AF)
Was: Donaldson Air Force Base (1947-1963)
4334th Army Air Forces Base Unit (3d AF)
127th Army Air Forces Base Unit (1st AF)
82d Station Compliment Squadron (3d AF)
Auxiliary of Florence AAF
519th Army Air Force Base Unit (3d AF)
136th Army Air Force Base Unit (1st AF)
Was: Myrtle Beach Air Force Base (1956-1993)
74th Station Compliment Squadron (3d AF)
Satellite of Columbia Army Air Base
Now: North Air Force Auxiliary Field
Auxiliary of Charleston Air Force Base
305th Air Base Group (3d AF)
536th Army Air Force Base Unit (1st AF)
Sub-base of Columbia Army Air Base

Army Air Forces Training Command
Eastern Flying Training Command

Hawthorne School of Aeronautics
58th Flying Training Detachment (Contract Pilot School)
Southeast Training Center, 1941
Army Air Force Flying School (Basic)
Now: Shaw Air Force Base
Southern Aviation School
64th Flying Training Detachment (Contract Pilot School)

Multiple Commands

421st Base HQ and Air Base Squadron (3d AF)
16th Antisubmarine Squadron (AAF Antisubmarine Command)
29th Air Base Group, Distribution Point #2 (Air Technical Service Command)
113th AAF Base Unit (1st AF)
593d AAF Base Unit (Air Transport Command)
Now: Charleston Air Force Base
Sub-Base of Columbia Army Air Base, later Charleston Army Airfield
Auxiliary landing airfield
Southern Airways Contract Glider Pilot Training School (AAF Training Command) (1941-1943)
529th Army Air Force Base Unit (Air Technical Service Command) (1943-1945)
Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport

References

External links

United States Air Force portal
Military of the United States portal