Mississippi World War II Army Airfields

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Mississippi for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Mississippi World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Map Of Major Mississippi World War II Army Airfields   Third Air Force     AAF Training Command   AAF Contract Flying Schools   Troop Carrier Command
Type	Army Airfields
Site history
Built	1940-1944
In use	1940-present

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 operated a significant number of airfields in 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 Air Force

• Key Field, Meridian

39th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Key Field Air National Guard Base

• Laurel Army Airfield, Laurel

473d Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron

Assigned to Air Technical Service Command, (1944-1946)

Now: Hesler-Noble Field

• Hattiesburg Army Airfield, Hattiesburg

39th Army Air Force Base Unit

Assigned to Air Technical Service Command, (1942-1945)

Now: Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport

AAF Training Command

Columbus Army Airfield, Columbus, Mississippi Southeast Training Center, 1941 Eastern Flying Training Command 30th (Advanced Twin-Engine) Flying Training Wing Now: Columbus Air Force Base Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Columbus Auxiliary Field River Auxiliary Field Caledonia Auxiliary Field Waterworks Auxiliary Field Columbus Municipal Airport (Old) Vaughn Auxiliary Field Stinson Auxiliary Field Starkville Auxiliary Field Greenville Army Airfield, Greenville, Mississippi Southeast Training Center, 1941 Army Air Forces Pilot Training School (Basic) 74th Army Air Force Base Unit Assigned to Air Technical Service Command, (1945-1946) Was: Greenville Air Force Base (1950-1965) Contract Flying School* (1950-1953) 3505th Pilot Training Wing (Basic, Single-Engine) (1953-1960) Technical Training Center (1960-1965) Now: Mid Delta Regional Airport Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Greenville Municipal Airport Indianola Auxiliary Field Walker Auxiliary Field

Greenwood Army Airfield, Greenwood Eastern Flying Training Command Army Air Forces Flying School (Basic) 7th Basic Flying Training Group Reassigned to Third Air Force (1945) Now: Greenwood-Leflore Airport Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Paynes Auxiliary Field Oxberry Auxiliary Field Avalon Auxiliary Field Curger Auxiliary Field Tchula Auxiliary Field Greenwood Municipal Airport Gulfport Army Airfield, Gulfport Headquarters, Eastern Technical Training Command Joint use with Third Air Force (1944-1945) Reopened as Gulfport Air Force Base (1951-1958) Headquarters, Technical Training Air Force also Contract Flying School Now: Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Gulfport Auxiliary Field Hancock County Airport Keesler Army Airfield, Biloxi Western Technical Training Command Basic Training and Technical Training Center Now: Keesler Air Force Base

.* Greenville was designated as an "Air Base" by Air Training Command while operated as private contractor-operated training facilities in the 1950s.

AAF Contract Flying Schools

Cleveland Army Airfield, Cleveland Eastern Flying Training Command Contract Flying School: Cleveland School of Aviation Now: Cleveland Municipal Airport Fletcher Field, Clarksdale 2154th Air Base Unit Contract Flying School: Clarksdale School of Aviation Now: Fletcher Field Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Clarksdale Auxiliary Field Ellis Auxiliary Field

Jackson Army Air Base, Jackson Contract Flying School: Mississippi Institute of Aeronautics 35th Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Jackson Air National Guard Base Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Augustine Auxiliary Field Lee Auxiliary Field Ratiff Auxiliary Field Sutherland Auxiliary Field Forest Auxiliary Field Hinds County Airport Lime Prairie Auxiliary Field

Troop Carrier Command

• Grenada Army Airfield, Grenada

443d Air Force Base Unit

Now: Grenada Municipal Airport

References

• 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 - Mississippi

External links