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Montreuil Airfield is an abandoned
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
military airfield, which is located near the commune of La Bazoge in the
Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire (; but can also mean 'Lower Loire') is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, located on the country's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital an ...
region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
of northern
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. Located just outside Montreuil (probably to the north of the town), the
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 ...
established a temporary airfield on 17 August 1944, shortly after the Allied landings in France. The airfield was constructed by the IX Engineering Command, 820th Engineer Aviation Battalion.


History

Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-38", the airfield consisted of a single 5000' (1500m) prefabricated hessian surfacing/compressed earth runway (3600 PHS/1400 ETH) aligned 01/19. Tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities. An access road was built to the existing road infrastructure. There were a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting. The
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group 363rd or 363d may refer to: * 363d Expeditionary Operations Group, inactive United States Air Force unit * 363d Bombardment Squadron or 19th Antisubmarine Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit * 363d Fighter Squadron or 164th Airlift Squa ...
based a variety of reconnaissance aircraft at Montreuil from 4 September to 4 October 1944. After the Americans moved east into Central France with the advancing Allied armies, the airfield was closed on 5 October 1944. Today the long dismantled airfield is indistinguishable from the agricultural fields in the area.Johnson, David C. (1988), ''U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day''; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.


See also

* Advanced Landing Ground


References


External links

{{authority control World War II airfields in France Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in France Airports established in 1944