Lessay Airport is a regional airport in Lessay,

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. It supports

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation service ...

with no scheduled commercial airline services.

History

The airport was built in August 1944 as a

United States Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

Advanced Landing Ground. It was constructed by the IX Engineering Command, 830th Engineer Aviation Battalion. The original construction was of

Pierced Steel Planking Marston Mat, more properly called pierced (or perforated) steel planking (PSP), is standardized, perforated steel matting material developed by the United States at the Waterways Experiment Station shortly before World War II, primarily for the r ...

for two intersecting runways, a main of 6000' x 120' (06/24) and a secondary of 5000' x 120' (12/30). In addition, tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting. When completed it was known as ALG "A-20". Built for bomber use with all-weather facilities, it was the home of the 323d Bombardment Group which moved in from

RAF Beaulieu Royal Air Force Beaulieu or more simply RAF Beaulieu is a former Royal Air Force station in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. It was also known as Beaulieu airfield, Beaulieu aerodrome and USAAF Station AAF 408. It is located next to the villag ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

on 26 August, remaining until 21 September 1944. The 323d flew

B-26 Marauder The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in ...

s. The bombers flew support missions during the Allied invasion of Normandy, dropping bombs on German gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of troops. They also attacked bridges and German-controlled airfields in occupied areas. After the bombers moved east to Chartres in Central France, the airfield was closed and turned over to local French authorities.Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. . After the war, it was developed into the current airport. The runways have had their metal runways removed and are now turf. The main is still in use, however the secondary is very evident in aerial photography.

References

External links

A-20 Advanced Landing Ground Memorial
* {{authority control Airports in Normandy World War II airfields in France Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in France Airports established in 1944

History

See also

References

External links