Beuzeville Airfield

Beuzeville/Ste Mère Eglise (Beuzeville) Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Beuzeville-au-Plain in the Normandy region of northern France.[2]

Beuzeville/Ste Mère Eglise Airfield
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-6
Manche, Basse-Normandie Region, France
810th Engineering Aviation Brigade constructing Beuzeville/Ste Mère Eglise (A-6), France
Beuzeville/Ste Mère Eglise Airfield
Coordinates49°25′22″N 01°17′39″W
TypeMilitary Airfield
Site information
Controlled by  United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built byIX Engineering Command
In useJune–September 1944
MaterialsSquare-Mesh Track (SMT)
Battles/wars
World War II - EAME Theater
  • Normandy Campaign
  • Northern France Campaign
Garrison information
Garrison  Ninth Air Force
Occupants
  • 371st Fighter Group
  • 367th Fighter Group
Airfield information
Runways
Direction Length and surface
06/24 5,000 feet (1,520 m) SMT/PSP
One runway, 4 alert pads, 50 hardstands[1]
367th Fighter Group - 394th FS P-38 Lightning "Dotties Great Lady" at Beuzeville Airfield (A-6), France

Located just outside Beuzeville-au-Plain, the United States Army Air Force established a temporary airfield shortly after D-Day on 7 June 1944, shortly after the Allied landings in France The airfield was one of the first established in the liberated area of Normandy, being constructed by the IX Engineering Command, 819th Engineer Aviation Battalion.

History

Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-6", the airfield consisted of a single 5000' (1500m) Square-Mesh Track runway aligned 05/23. In addition, tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.[3]

Construction of the airfield began on the morning of June 8, when an advanced element stronger than fifty men began work at about 10:00 a.m. After a day of hard work almost in the heart of the fighting during which the battalion will lose 7 men, the runway was almost ready. The presence of snipers and enemy aircraft at night prohibit night work. First the land is put to the standard R & R (refueling and rearming). In this configuration, it ended 14 June Nevertheless, from the June 10, 3 spitfires a Polish squadron of the 2nd Tactical Air Force British had already laid on the ground. The first American plane landed there on 11 the same day, 5 Waco gliders filled with ammunition and reinforcements to the 82nd Airborne also present there. The next day a drop of more than 20 tons of ammunition occurs above the airfield. The rest of the battalion joined the media company on 11 and 12 June.[1]

It was declared operational on 14 June, 8 days after D-Day, and served as the first airfield on the beachhead.[4] The fighter planes flew support missions during the Allied invasion of Normandy, patrolling roads in front of the beachhead, strafing German military vehicles and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops in Normandy and Brittany when spotted.

After the Americans moved east into Central France with the advancing Allied Armies, the airfield was left un-garrisoned and used for resupply and casualty evacuation. It was closed on 18 September 1944 and the land returned to agricultural use.[5]

Major units assigned
404th (9Q), 405th (8N), 406th (4w) Fighter Squadrons (P-47D)[4]
392d (H5), 393d (8L), 394th (4N) Fighter Squadrons (P-38)[4]

Current use

Today the airfield is a mixture of various agricultural fields. A memorial to the men and units that were stationed at Beuzeville was placed at the site of the former airfield. It is located near La Londe, bordering the D17 towards Beuzeville-au-Plain.

La Londe airfield memorial plaque in outside Ste.-Mere-Eglise
Close up of La Londe airfield memorial plaque in outside Ste.-Mere-Eglise

See also

References

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

  1. Beuzeville/Ste Mère Eglise Airfield
  2. A-6 - Beuzeville / Ste Mère Eglise
  3. IX Engineer Command ETO Airfields, Airfield Layout
  4. Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  5. Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
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