Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields

Concord Army Air Field

Concord Army Air Field in 1946 (Courtesy of Bill Larkins)

 

Concord is 14 miles northeast of Oakland. The town's local airport, one mile to the northwest, was taken over and used for a while by the Army Air Force's Air Technical Service Command. It was named Concord Army Air Field. After the war it became Buchanan Field, a civil airport. It had the housing capacity for 50 Officers and 400 Enlisted Men. The airfield was built with two runways, the longest being 5,000 feet. Runway load capacity: Limited Operations; 150,000 lbs. 100 frequencies per day for 2-4 years.

 

Corps of Engineers History of Concord Army Air Field

 

In 1942, 122.128 fee acres, 101.274 easement acres, and 434.815 leased acres were acquired by the US Army for the Concord Army Air Field. The airfield was under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Forces and was designated a sub-base for Hamilton Field, California.

From 1942 to 1946, the Concord Army Airfield was used by the Army Air Forces as an air training facility for the Bell Aircobra fighter squadron. During Army ownership of the property, 36 temporary structures were built on government land and 19 structures were built on leased land. The facilities constructed consisted mainly of concrete foundations, wood walls, and tin roofs. The structures were used for training facilities, maintenance facilities, hangers, control tower, restaurant, barracks, and supply warehouses. The Army abandoned
the site after 1946. The site was then used for general aviation operations.

 

On November 30, 1946, the War Assets Administration assumed accountability of 630.792 acres. On October 2, 1947, by Instrument of Transfer, the United States quitclaimed 630.792 acres to Contra Costa County with reservations, restrictions, and recapture rights. The lease on the remaining 27.425 acres was terminated in 1947. Of the 55 structures built during 1942 to 1946, only 3 remain. Two of the structures are currently occupied by the Civil Air Patrol. The buildings are single story wood and tin construction and are in good condition. One of the structures is currently used by Contra Costa County for pesticide and herbicide storage. The building is single story wood and tin construction and in good condition. The site is currently being used as a County airport serving corporate and private aviation.

 

Many thanks to Bill Larkins of the Concord Historical Society. For more information CLICK HERE

 

December 1945 War Department Inventory of Owned, Sponsored, or Leased Facilities Data

 

Command: Air Technical Services Command

Enlisted Capacity: 368 in Theater of Operations type builings.

Officer Capacity: 48 in Theater of Operations type buildings.

Station Hospital Capacity: 8

War Department Owned Acreage: 241 acres

War Department Leased Acreage: 339 acres

Total Acreage: 580 acres

Number of Leases: 4

Annual Cost of Leases: $746 per year

Cost of Land Acquisition: $35,533

Cost of Construction: $2,482,254

 

Known Army Units that Served at Concord Army Air Field

 

444th Fighter Squadron, September-December 1943

4193rd Army Air Forces Base Unit (Air Base)

Detachment, Section D, 86th Army Air Forces Base Unit (101st Army Airways Communication System Squadron)

 

 

 

Control Tower and Administration Building on January 13, 1947. (Larkins)

 

A 444th Fighter Squadron plane after a ground loop at Concord AAF tearing off one landing gear. The date is November 21, 1943.

 

Pilots of the 444th Fighter Squadron in front of the Administration Building in 1943. The 444th was part of the 328th Fighter Group at Hamilton Field and trained at Concord AAF with Bell P-39's from September to December 1943.

 

Extract, January 1945 Directory of Airfields

 

 

 

 

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Updated 23 June 2017