Texas Airbase WW II

skipperbob · Jul 21, 2010

One of my uncles joined the AAF and served as a mechanic at a base in Texas. I was given these pics many years ago and had lost track of them until recently. From the looks of the aircraft and paintjobs I would say they were taken in 1943. He was very impressed with the size of the B17 and the P47 and he called the B25 the "Tokio Bomber" for obvious reasons. The pic of the man with a bicycle in front of a P47 is my Uncle Allan. Unfortunately I don't know what field this is. Any ideas? As I said I know he was in Texas and it looks like perhaps a training base for transition to combat squadrons. Would like to hear what you think.

Thorlifter · Jul 21, 2010

Nice pics.

I don't know how to figure out which airfield it was, but it can be narrowed down. By the images, it had a concrete tarmac so I would guess also concrete runways so you can rule out the airfields with just dirt runways. Also since it had B-17's, you can rule out some of the small municipal fields where they did training.

Still, there were a great number of fields in Texas during WWII which will still make it difficult. There were even fields where British pilots did their training, like what is in Terrell, Texas. It is home to BFTS #3 (British Flight Training School)

diddyriddick · Jul 21, 2010

Thorlifter said:
Nice pics.

I don't know how to figure out which airfield it was, but it can be narrowed down. By the images, it had a concrete tarmac so I would guess also concrete runways so you can rule out the airfields with just dirt runways. Also since it had B-17's, you can rule out some of the small municipal fields where they did training.

Still, there were a great number of fields in Texas during WWII which will still make it difficult. There were even fields where British pilots did their training, like what is in Terrell, Texas. It is home to BFTS #3 (British Flight Training School)

Agreed. The only thing that I can think of is to try to match up the hangar to a known structure. My guess would be Kelly.

vikingBerserker · Jul 21, 2010

Kelly would be my guess as well. Excellent pics though!

Wayne Little · Jul 23, 2010

Nice series of pics....

Airframes · Jul 23, 2010

Great pics. Can't help with the field, but the pic of the B17F (a Vega built A/C I think) is very likely post August 1943. It appears that the surround to the star and bar has been overpainted in blue, replacing the red outline, giving it a darker appearance.

Gnomey · Jul 23, 2010

Good shots, can't help with the location but they are nice shots all the same.

skipperbob · Jul 25, 2010

Thanks for the replies. I think it is great when old pics like this that haven't been seen for decades suddenly show up for people to appreciate. Makes you wonder how many more are out there.

res6kgcr · Aug 6, 2010

Hi skipperbob

I think the field is probably Galveston AAFld. TX a Second AF P-47 training base and with a gunnery range over the Gulf of Mexico. The lay of the flight-line, looks to me, to match this photo, taken atop of the hanger, with the aircraft facing South and the cantonment area to the East and with the gunnery range over the Gulf that would explain the need for an OA-14 for any rescue in the Gulf.

If this picture with the long shadows is taken in the very late in the day, the hanger is facing North-West at the end of the flight line and the planes are facing South.

As a side note, this photo with the hanger in the back ground looks to me that that one of the P-47s has an "M" field code for Pocatello Army Air Field, Idaho, also a Second AF P-47 training base and they are there for gunnery training.

What do you all think?

Tom Michel

otftch · Aug 6, 2010

Great Pics. In the backround of photo #6 there is a Grumman Widgeon. Did the Army use those ?
Ed

skeeter · Aug 7, 2010

Yes, the amphibian is the dead give away that, in concert with the belief that the field is in TX, that it must be close to the Gulf.

cptsmith · Aug 28, 2010

In the second picture, the P-47 in the background has P77 as a buzz number. Anyone know which bases used P?

skipperbob · Sep 1, 2010

Stumbled upom these as I was looking through various old photo sites. Nothing earth shattering about them except I though they did a nice colorizing job on the pics and that they were interesting. Sorry if any are a repost.

skipperbob · Sep 1, 2010

Sorry, I put this last post in wrong place. Reposted as new thread!

renrich · Sep 1, 2010

The F4F4 pictures look to have been taken just before the Battle of Midway.

Texas Airbase WW II

More options

skipperbob

Airman

Attachments

Thorlifter

Captain

diddyriddick

Staff Sergeant

vikingBerserker

Lieutenant General

Wayne Little

Moderator

Airframes

Benevolens Magister

Gnomey

Globetrotting Surgeon General

skipperbob

Airman

res6kgcr

Recruit

otftch

Staff Sergeant

skeeter

Airman

cptsmith

Airman

skipperbob

Airman

Attachments

skipperbob

Airman

renrich

Chief Master Sergeant

Users who are viewing this thread

Similar threads