Texas Airbase WW II

**skipperbob** · 07-21-2010 03:35 PM

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** · 07-21-2010 04:42 PM

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** · 07-21-2010 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by Thorlifter

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** · 07-21-2010 07:10 PM

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

**Wayne Little** · 07-23-2010 08:46 AM

Nice series of pics....

**Airframes** · 07-23-2010 11:29 AM

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** · 07-23-2010 06:17 PM

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

**skipperbob** · 07-25-2010 03:06 PM

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** · 08-06-2010 04:15 AM

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** · 08-06-2010 08:15 AM

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

**skeeter** · 08-07-2010 01:54 AM

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** · 08-28-2010 01:27 PM

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

**skipperbob** · 09-01-2010 03:46 PM

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.