Maine World War II Army Airfields

Maine World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Type	Army Airfields
Site history
Built	1940 – 1944 (1940 – 1944)
In use	1940 – present
Battles/wars	World War II

A formation of six Chance-Vought Corsairs flying over New England countryside, with British markings and British Naval Airmen at the controls. This is towards the conclusion of their training in America, just before their departure for deck landing trials. They were flying from Lewiston, Maine.

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

Most of these airfields were under the command of First 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

First Air Force

• Dow AAF, Bangor

7th Army Air Force Base Unit

Was: Dow Air Force Base (1947 – 1968)

Now: Bangor Air National Guard Base and Bangor International Airport (IATA: BGR, ICAO: KBGR, FAA LID: BGR)

Air Transport Command

• Presque Isle AAF, Presque Isle

North Atlantic Wing, ATC

494th Army Air Force Base Unit

Was: Presque Isle Air Force Base (1948 – 1961)

Now: Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle (IATA: PQI, ICAO: KPQI, FAA LID: PQI)

• Houlton AAF, Houlton

North Atlantic Wing, ATC

378th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Houlton International Airport (IATA: HUL, ICAO: KHUL, FAA LID: HUL)

Bibliography

• 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 - Volume 2. Pictorial Histories Pub. ISBN 1-57510-051-7.

External links

• Military Airfields in World War II - Maine