Historic California Posts: Blythe Army Air Field

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Historic California Posts:
Blythe Army Air Field
(Gary Field)


Also known as Blythe Army Air Base, this field was located 7 miles west of the town of Blythe on what is now Interstate Highway 10. The field was built for the I Troop Carrier Command but was given up by that command, without ever occupying it, to the 4th Air Force as a California-Arizona Maneuver Area (CAMA) training field. The 46th Bomb Group and later the 34th Bomb Group occupied the field during the CAMA days and flew a variety of planes including B-17s, B-24s, A-31s and A-36s. Blythe Army Air Field later became a sub-base of Muroc Army Air Field (now Edwards Air Force Base) and after the war it became Blythe's local airport.
There was another airfield in Blythe, Gary Field, near the present-day golf course, which had a private pilot training school known as the Morton Air Academy. The school was contracted by the Army Air Corps early in the war to give primary training to Air Corps cadets. Gary Field had a total of three auxiliary airfields during World War II:

A-1 Ripley #1 (10 miles south)
A-2 Ripley #2 (8 miles south)
A-4 (which was located a mere half mile to the west).

The Primary Flying School at Gary used the Stearman PT-17. The contract flying schools were mostly staffed by civilian instructors. The Commanding Officer was an Army Air Forces officer, and usually there were Army Air Forces check pilots who made sure the students were qualified. The Commander at Gary was Major Frank Fuller of the Fuller Paint Company fame. The civilian head was Roger Pryor, who was a musical director for one of the Hollywood film studios
Source: World War II Sites in the United States: A Tour Guide and Directory by Richard E. Osbourne

Corps of Engineers History

Located in Riverside County, California. This site is approximately 6 miles due west of the City of Blythe on West Hobson Way, adjacent to Interstate Highway 10.

The Army entered into a lease on 1 June 1942 with the County of Riverside to acquire use of 290.45 acres (later determined to be 282.61 acres) consisting of the Blythe Airport. Between 1942 and 1944 a total of 2354.89 acres of public domain land were transferred to the War Department and all desert claims cleared through declaration of taking. A total 1,896.04 acres were acquired in fee from various private parties. A total of 6.54 acres of public domain land were acquired for right--of-ways as well as a 1.98 acre easement and 0.63 acre permit. The Army encroached on 20.18 acres for which a permit was never acquired. Total acquisition, including the encroachment, was 4,560.06 acres.

The Army established Blythe Army Airfield (BAAF) which was a second Army Air Forces heavy bombardment crew training base during World War II. The 85th Bombardment Group and the 390th Bombardment Group were active at BAAFin 1942 and 1943. Up to 75 B-17 bombers were flown and maintained at this site. During this period the military constructed over 650 buildings and other types of improvements including hangars, office buildings, barracks, warehouses, runways and taxiways, water and sewer systems, hospital, fuel and ordnance storage.

Historical records and drawings indicate that bombs and explosive materials, and possibly incendiary and pyrotechnic materials, were stored on-site in up to five magazines or bunkers. A poorman gunnery range, skeet range, and jeep type target range, all with ammunition storage, were constructed and used by Army personnel.

This site is currently owned by Riverside County and leased to the City of Blythe. The main runways and a few remaining buildings constructed by the Army are beneficially used by the city as an airport. All other improvements constructed by the Army have been demolished.

Source: US Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District

Known Units at Blythe Army Air Field

34th Bomb Group (Heavy) 15 December 1942-April 1944. B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators 4th Bombardment Squadron 7th Bombardment Squadron 18th Bombardment Squadron 391st Bombardment Squadron
46th Bombardment Group (Light) 23 May 1943-November 1942. A-20 Havoc 55th Bombardment Squadron 51st Bombardment Squadron 83rd Bombardment Squadron 87th Bombardment Squadron
55th Bombardment Group (Dive) 2 November-11 December 1942 A-24 Dauntlesses 499th Bombardment Squadron 500th Bombardment Squadron 501st Bombardment Squadron 502nd Bombardment Squadron
398th Bombardment Group (Heavy) April 1943 B-17 Flying Fortresses 600th Bombardment Squadron 601st Bombardment Squadron 602nd Bombardment Squadron 603rd Bombardment Squadron
Updated 20 December 2008
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