Historic California
Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Porterville Army
Air Field
Porterville Army Air Field
was located three miles southwest of the town and was a sub-base
to Lemoore
Army Air Field.
The field had the Air Echelon element from the Western Signal
Aviation Unit Training Center, Camp Pinedale, CA.
Source: World War II Sites
in the United States: A Tour Guide and Directory by Richard E.
Osbourne
US Army Corps
of Engineers Sacramento District History
Location:
The site is located approximately four miles southwest of the
City of Porterville in southeastern Tulare County, California.
Site History:
The Porterville Army Air Field site, approximately 850 acres,
was acquired by the U.S. Government for an Army pilot training
facility between 1942 and 1944. Approximately 298 acres were
acquired by fee from seven private land owners and 552 acres
were leased from the City of Porterville. An easement consisting
of 1.53 acres was also acquired for glide angle clearance. After
World War II, the U.S. Government (War Assets Administration)
disposed of the property between 1948 and 1953. In 1948 by Instrument
of Transfer, fee, lease and easement acreage totaling 835.92
acres was returned to the City of Porterville. The remaining
13.79 acres was quitclaimed to the Tulare County Housing Authority
through the Housing and Home Finance Agency, Public Housing Administration
on April 28, 1953.
Extract,
US Army Air Forces Directory of Airfields (January 1945)
Site Maps
Extract, War
Department Inventory of Owned, Sponsored and Leased Facilities,
December 1945
Combat Crew Training Station
Capacity:
Enlisted:
Permanent:
Mobilization (Quartermaster Corps 700-Series
or Corps of Engineers 800-Series):
Theater of Operations: 330
Hutments:
Tents:
Total: 330
Officers: 68
Station Hospital: 10
Acreage
Owned: 295
acres
Leases: 560
acre (one lease)
Total:
855 acres
Storage:
Covered: 15,073
sq ft
Open: 42,563
sq ft
Cost to Government Since 1 July 1940:
Annual Lease Payment(s): $1.00
Land Purchase:
$15,073.00
Construction:
$507,389.00
Total (Less Lease Payments): $522,462.00
Remarks:
Known Units
at Porterville AAF
Reference
Date(s)
Unit
Army Station List
7
April 1945
Army Air Forces:
Section, 68th Army Air Forces
Base Unit (1st Weather Region)
473rd Army Air Forces Base Unit
(Air Echelon - Western Signal Aviation Unit Training Center)
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