South Carolina World War II Army Airfields

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