During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (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). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) and Air Transport Command (ATC) maintained a large base in Charleston.
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
Multiple Commands Charleston Army Airfield, northwest of Charleston 421st Base HQ and Air Base Squadron Initially: Air Technical Service Command (29th Air Base Group, Distribution Point #2) Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (16th Antisubmarine Squadron) Later: Transferred to: First Air Force (113th AAF Base Unit) Later: Transferred to: Air Transport Command (593d AAF Base Unit) Later: Charleston Air Force Base (1952-2010) Now: Joint Base Charleston (2010-Present)
Third Air Force
Aiken Army Airfield, north-northeast of Aiken Sub-base of: Morris Army Airfield, North Carolina 359th Army Air Force Base Unit Later: Aiken Air Force Station (1955-1975) Now: Aiken Municipal Airport
Columbia Army Air Base, southwest of Columbia 309th/329th Bombardment Group, 329th AAF Base Unit Also used by: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command Later: Transferred to First Air Force 129th Army Air Force Base Unit Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Barnwell Army Airfield Johns Island Army Airfield North Army Airfield Walterboro Army Airfield Now: Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Greenville Army Airbase, south of Greenville Later: Transferred to First Air Force Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Coronaca Army Airfield Anderson Auxiliary Field Later: Donaldson Air Force Base (1947-1963) Now: Donaldson Center Airport
Congaree Army Airfield, east-southeast of Columbia Later: Transferred to: United States Marine Corps Now: McEntire Joint National Guard Base
Florence Army Airfield, east-southeast of Florence Later: Transferred to First Air Force Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Hartsville Army Airfield Hartsville Auxiliary Field Now: Florence Regional Airport i
Myrtle Beach General Bombing and Gunnery Range, west-southwest of Myrtle Beach Later: Myrtle Beach Army Airfield 519th Army Air Force Base Unit Later: Transferred to First Air Force 136th Army Air Force Base Unit Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Ocean Drive Flight Strip Later: Myrtle Beach Air Force Base (1956-1993) Now: Myrtle Beach International Airport
AAF Training Command Eastern Flight Training Center Shaw Army Airfield, west-northwest of Sumter Army Air Force Flying School (Basic) Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Burt Gin Auxiliary Field Rembert Auxiliary Field Monaghan Auxiliary Field Sumter Municipal Airport Now: Shaw Air Force Base
AAF Contract Flying Schools
Greenville Municipal Airport, east of Greenville Southern Airways Contract Glider Pilot Training School (1941-1943) Later: Transferred to: Air Technical Service Command (1943-1945) 529th Army Air Force Base Unit Joint Civil/USAAF Use Now: Greenville Downtown Airport
Palmer Field, west of Bennettsville Georgia Air Service, Inc & Southeastern Air Service, Inc. Now: Marlboro County Jetport
Hawthorne School of Aeronautics, south of Orangeburg Free French Air Force pilot training 58th Flying Training Detachment Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Jennings Auxiliary Field Hagood Auxiliary Field Kennedy Auxiliary Field Now: Non-aviation use
Woodward Field Airport, northeast of Camden
Southern Aviation School
Minor Airfields
Chinquapin Airport, west of Greenwood Preflight cadet pilot screening Now: Non-aviation use
Columbia Municipal Airport, southeast of Columbia Used for training of observation pilots (3d AF); supported Fort Jackson; US Navy use. Now: Jim Hamilton – L.B. Owens Airport
Lane Intermediate Field (CAA Site #24), north of Charleston Auxiliary fighter pilot training field Abandoned 1983 Manning Airfield, south of Allendale Undetermined usage by AAF Abandoned, undetermined history
Roddey Airport, south-southwest of Rock Hill Likely Emergency landing airfield Abandoned approx 1965.
Spartanburg Memorial Airport, south-southwest of Spartanburg Joint Civil/USAAF airfield; supported Army Camp Croft Infantry Replacement Training Center Transferred to: United States Navy 1943 (IATA: SPA, ICAO: KSPA, FAA LID: SPA)
References
Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . Military Airfields in World War II - South Carolina
External links