Looking for photos of Douglas, AZ during WWII

[Fearless Tower]

Anyone have photos of the airfield at Douglas, AZ during the war, or know where I might look to find any?

My grandfather passed away a month ago and with the exception of his wedding photo, he didn't seem to have any photographs of his Army days. He was assigned to Douglas and wrapping up training in the B-25 when the war ended.

I'd love to be able to track down some photos of the field and aircraft to help put pictures to the stories.

Thanks,
Andrew

[TonyM]

Anyone have photos of the airfield at Douglas, AZ during the war, or know where I might look to find any?

My grandfather passed away a month ago and with the exception of his wedding photo, he didn't seem to have any photographs of his Army days. He was assigned to Douglas and wrapping up training in the B-25 when the war ended.

I'd love to be able to track down some photos of the field and aircraft to help put pictures to the stories.

Thanks,
Andrew

You might want to check with the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
Also, the National Archives at College Park, Maryland.

Either should have it.

Good Luck.

TM

[steve dickey]

Just doin a little searching:

http://www.chrismcdoniel.com/P-38/Dougas_Field.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Army_Airfield

You may try contacting these people;

http://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/2375056

[The Inspector]

If the field and base were just West of Douglas I see on GOOGLE Earth what looks like the outline of a very old military base and X style runways @ aprox 31.22.26 N & 109.40.29 W which is just (like a mile or so) East of Cochise College which has an active runway they might have records of the fields history.

[Fearless Tower]

Just doin a little searching:

http://www.chrismcdoniel.com/P-38/Dougas_Field.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Army_Airfield

You may try contacting these people;

http://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/2375056

Thanks for the Chris McDoniel link - I'll try contacting him.....hadn't seen that site before.

I had seen the wiki stuff, but that article isn't the best - it actually makes DUG and DGL appear to be the same airport - they are not. My grandfather was at Douglas AAF which is the modern day DUG.

[B25PBYGUY]

Bisbee Field.

[shrike]

If the field and base were just West of Douglas I see on GOOGLE Earth what looks like the outline of a very old military base and X style runways @ aprox 31.22.26 N & 109.40.29 W which is just (like a mile or so) East of Cochise College which has an active runway they might have records of the fields history.

The College has no records, nor, it seems, any connection to the old AAF.
I asked about it specifically last time I was there. Apparently it's still gov't property and off limits.

[Clifford Bossie]

Quite a few of the WWII structures still stand on the field, including three of the hangars that were common at many of the military fields in Arizon, New Mexico and west Texas. The Norden bomb site vaults are still there as are numerous other buildings.

One of the hangars was used in the filming of Terminal Velocity a number of years back.





The Standard Airlines logo was painted on the hangar for a movie. By the time this hangar was built Standard had long been absorbed into Western Air Express.

[steve dickey]

If the field and base were just West of Douglas I see on GOOGLE Earth what looks like the outline of a very old military base and X style runways @ aprox 31.22.26 N & 109.40.29 W which is just (like a mile or so) East of Cochise College which has an active runway they might have records of the fields history.

Inspector that is Forrest Aux #2;

http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/AZ/Airfields_AZ_SE.htm#forrest

The Main base was Northeast about 5-8 miles.

[steve dickey]

If the field and base were just West of Douglas I see on GOOGLE Earth what looks like the outline of a very old military base and X style runways @ aprox 31.22.26 N & 109.40.29 W which is just (like a mile or so) East of Cochise College which has an active runway they might have records of the fields history.

The College has no records, nor, it seems, any connection to the old AAF.
I asked about it specifically last time I was there. Apparently it's still gov't property and off limits.

I believe the old aux field(Forrest) next to the College is used by Customs and their drones. Went to A&P school there and they had helicopters come in and out frequently.

[The Inspector]

Maybe the newer, paved strip is for drones but if the one I indicated is in use by drones, they better be turning 37 inch rock crawler tires and 6 inch lift kits because the old field I see is just a shadowy X shaped track in the free range rattle snake breeding farm next to the faint outlines of a pretty goods sized layout of old streets and it all looks to be unused for at least 65 or more years. I can't believe that the college or the cities library has zip for information on the field and it's history.

I did just find in the Abandoned airfields site a sectional map showing 'Forrest #2 aux field in about the location seen on GOOGLE Earth West/South West of Douglas, it was a B-25/B-26 night training field but the airfields site claims it had no structures which goes counter to what the satellite photo shows, do I believe the airfields site or my lyin' eyes?

If the newer strip next to the college is for drone ops, seems pretty weird to have one end of the runway a few feet from the only major road since the gummint likes to hide expenditures like that and those type of ops away from prying tax payers eyes.

[steve dickey]

Hi Inspector, I believe I may have quoted wrong about Customs using the (old) runway,
but rather using the schools runway(which happens to have a flight school).
If you look next to the taxiway on google, those small buildings belong to US
gummit, be it either Customs or Army, gonna go with Army with the
photographic evidence presented(can you ID some of the equipment in
background other than trucks?)
I photographed the schools bone-yard in Dec. of 08.
So if I get guys in black suits come see me for releasing these pix of a top
secret base I gonna blame you!









One of the schools two QU-22 airframes, they were both complete when I was
there, it was a weekend so couldn't get inside and don't know if the other is
extant?

[The Inspector]

the 'ramp' photos seem to be populated with forcibly retired former vegetation transporters as well as some ex ARMY stuff. The White & Blue PA-23 in the center looks like it may have a ROBERTSON RSTOL kit installed, we did several @ Mid South Div. in NooAwlunz, one of which turned up ditched full of vegatative matter in the Lake in the middle of New Orleans' city Park one morning. We spent several hours over a few days talking with guys wearing Robert Hall suits.

[steve dickey]

I meant the Army equipment

[The Inspector]

You mean the 7 tons, power carts, portable radars and when did the Army start using yurts?

And Steve, you can't scare me! I've been divorced twice, raised two kids, owned two Volkswagens and been in aviation for 45+ years, and can come down with selective brain cramps in a split second!