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New Hampshire World War II Army Airfields

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
New Hampshire World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
TypeArmy Airfields
Site history
Built1940-1944
In use1940-present

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in New Hampshire 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

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First Air Force

344th Army Air Force Base Unit
Was: Grenier Air Force Base (1947-1949, 1951-1959)
Was: Grenier Field - Manchester Municipal Airport (1959-1966) (Civil Airport/USAFR base)
Now: Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (IATA: MHT, ICAO: KMHT, FAA LID: MHT)
  • Note: Airports at Claremont, Concord, Laconia and Nashua were used by the USAAF during the war as landing fields for transient aircraft (as well by the Navy), but were not considered military airfields.

References

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  • 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 - New Hampshire
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