Bazenville Airfield on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Bazenville Airfield is a former
The complete RCAF Wing (403, 416, 421 and 443 Sqns) moved in on 16 June 1944. Its facilities were those of a full air base, with dispersals all around the airstrip. A fuel and ammunition dump was located south of the airfield. Rows of tents housing nearly 1,000 men were located in orchards to the southeast.
A local church is believed to have served as Ground Control for the entire Normandy 2d Tactical Air Force area of responsibility. Over the first month of its existence, the frontline only moved to away. While 127 Wing operated from the airfield it was also used to evacuate thousands of injured soldiers, sailors and airmen to England. In addition a constant stream of other Allied squadrons used the airfield for fuel, ammunition or repair.
Bazenville was used until 28 August 1944, and afterwards the engineers moved in and dismantled all recoverable equipment along with the SMT. The land was then returned to the French farmers, and over the years, the land has been used as agricultural fields. Today, nothing remains of the former airfield.David Evans (1994). Guide to the Beaches and Battlefields of Normandy. Michael Joseph. .
Bazenville (B-2)
* 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. ;Specific
B-2 Memorial
{{authority control World War II airfields in France
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
airfield, located 1.8 km east of Bazenville
Bazenville () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region of north-western France.
Bazenville Airfield was a former World War II Advanced Landing Ground, mostly located outside the commune of Bazenville 1.8 km to the nor ...
in the Lower Normandy
Lower Normandy (french: Basse-Normandie, ; nrf, Basse-Normaundie) is a former administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, Lower and Upper Normandy merged becoming one region called Normandy.
Geography
The region included three departme ...
region, France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. The B-2 Bazenville Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) were temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe. They were built in the UK prior to the invasion and thereafter in northwest Europe from 6 June 19 ...
(ALG) was located only southwest from the Normandy Gold landing beach, and when it opened the frontline was only away.
History
Bazenville Airfield was constructed by theRoyal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
16th Airfield Construction Group together with the RAF's 3207 and 3209 Servicing Commandos starting just after midnight after D-Day, 6 June 1944. The construction consisted of a 5,000' square-mesh track (SMT) surfaced runway aligned 07/25, dispersal areas, communications facilities, landing lights and many other requirements to run an airfield. Bazenville would have been completed as the first ALG in Normandy on 9 June, but a B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
crashlanded at the uncompleted airfield that morning and ripped up a lot of SMT. Instead it was completed two days later, on 11 June, and serviced the first 36 aircraft (Spitfires) of No. 127 Wing RCAF that same day.
The complete RCAF Wing (403, 416, 421 and 443 Sqns) moved in on 16 June 1944. Its facilities were those of a full air base, with dispersals all around the airstrip. A fuel and ammunition dump was located south of the airfield. Rows of tents housing nearly 1,000 men were located in orchards to the southeast.
A local church is believed to have served as Ground Control for the entire Normandy 2d Tactical Air Force area of responsibility. Over the first month of its existence, the frontline only moved to away. While 127 Wing operated from the airfield it was also used to evacuate thousands of injured soldiers, sailors and airmen to England. In addition a constant stream of other Allied squadrons used the airfield for fuel, ammunition or repair.
Bazenville was used until 28 August 1944, and afterwards the engineers moved in and dismantled all recoverable equipment along with the SMT. The land was then returned to the French farmers, and over the years, the land has been used as agricultural fields. Today, nothing remains of the former airfield.David Evans (1994). Guide to the Beaches and Battlefields of Normandy. Michael Joseph. .
References
Bazenville (B-2)
* 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. ;Specific
External links
B-2 Memorial
{{authority control World War II airfields in France