KAAF Sentimental Journey to Kingman

Here is another copy of my script. Yes I know... This was used in the KAAF Reunions program this time for the second reunion.  For this one, I did an introduction about me, letting people who I was and my motivation and passion on the subject.

 

Kingman Army Air Field

Sentimental Journey to Kingman

My name is Rob Chilcoat and I call myself the unofficial base historian. Back in 1990, I sent for the base history documents from the U. S. Air Force, then I began working on a small video project called “Sentimental Journey to Kingman.” This project was my first real concept to be in video form, for I have taken some video classes at Mohave Community College. The video on the Kingman Field. Today, I have a second version out and this is the script from this documentary.

In the 1930s, the Army Air Corps was looking for a heavy bomber. Boeing Aircraft designed a heavy bomber known as Model 299. The Army Air Corps liked the idea of the Boeing prototype, so they ordered the preproduction of the XB-17 for testing. The XB-17 proved its worth as a heavy bomber, so the Army Air Corps began ordering the B-17. War was brewing in Europe, so the Army Air Corps wanted to be ready for war.

Around 1940, the U. S. Army Air Force needed a new base to train gunners for the B-17 Flying Fortress. This would be the sixth gunnery school set up in the United States. The new base was necessary to support all future missions of the B-17 in the European and Pacific Theaters. The school would be referred to as a “Flexible” gunnery training school for the B-17, it had gun turrets mounted in six positions of the aircraft. The gunner had to be proficient with all the guns on board the aircraft.

The search for a location for this school began in April 1941. Kingman, AZ was seen as one of the prime locations for a training site. When Major John C. Horton of the West Coast Flying Training Command Headquarters at Moffett Field, CA, made a visit to Kingman, he found that Kingman was the perfect place. The population was low, the valley floor level, and the land acquisition was easy and available at a reasonable price. This would enable the school to be in operation quickly.

In April 1942, the Army Air Force gave its preliminary ok for the construction of a school at Kingman, the cost of which was estimated at over $9 million. Final approval for construction was received on May 27 and Lt. Col. Harvey P. Huglin was selected as the first base commander. He came to Kingman and set-up temporary quarters in the old Harvey House in downtown Kingman, while the construction of the base was going on. The school’s construction took a little over two months to complete. On August 4, the Army Air Force Flexible Gunnery School at Kingman was officially activated. The first occupants and the initial key base organization were the 460^th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron which took up shop on December 1. On December 10, Col. George E. Henry became the new base commander. Around the same time, the following units were added: the 1120^th, 1121^st, 1122^nd, and 1123^rd Flexible Gunnery Training Squadrons, the 334^th Aviation SQ. (a segregated black sq.), and the 1100^th Guard SQ. (the military police). On December 28, a group of 13 AT-6s trainer aircraft was officially assigned to the base.

During construction, there were problems or the workers and military personnel. One problem was the lack of food delivery, which was overcome by the building of cafeterias. The housing problem was next because Kingman was a small town. As more housing units were constructed, the problem ease. Some of the younger construction workers wanted a union in the company but ended up getting drafted. There was a stop-work order on Davis Dam to help in the construction effort at the base.

Along with the construction of the main airstrips were five emergency fields. Site #1 was at Red Lake. Site #3 was 17 mi. northeast of the base. Site #5 was near Topock. Site # 6 is now the Lake Havasu City airport by the London Bridge. Site #7 was close by the Yucca Aerial Gunnery Range (which became Yucca sub-base).

After the opening of the base, Bugs Bunny was selected as the mascot with cooperation from Warner Brothers. Bugs helped in the war effort by being a morale booster for the troops training at the Kingman field. Bob Hope, The Three Stooges, Kay Kyser, and numerous USO shows came to the base to raise all the troops’ morale. The troops also made trips to the Grand Canyon for rest and relaxation. Bond drives were held on the base and in Kingman for the war effort.

The training of the new gunners was very intense. Each potential gunner worked his way up from shooting the BB guns to shotguns, and finally, to the actual guns on the B-17.

On May 3, 1943, a decision was made to change the name of the facility to the Kingman Army Air Field. The base continued to grow and change. In 1943, new squadrons were added and combined with existing squadrons, which led to new group formations. The 1120^th and 329^th combined with the 328^th and became known as the 328^th Flexible Gunnery Training Group. The 1122^nd, 537^th, and 538^th were combined to become the 1123^rd. The 1121^st became the 329^th. The 536^th was formed to take the overflow from the other filled groups.

The new additions to the base were the 760^th Flexible Gunnery Training Group, 1012^th Quartermasters PL, 31^st Altitude Sq. (training for high altitude), 684^th Army Band, 1^st Weather Sq., DET 25 of the 858^th Signal Service Co., DET 14 of the 909 QM Co., and 2053^rd Ordinance Co. In 1943, the Chinese Military sent gunners here, to be trained at the Kingman field.

The planes that were assigned or stopped in for maintenance and the following the AT-6, AT-11, & AT-23 (flight training and target towing), BT-18 (flight training), P-36 & P-39 (for maintenance), along with the B-17.

1944 was another year of great changes for the base. On April 22, the Kingman Army Air Field was consolidated and redesignated Army Air Force Base Unit 3018. Each of the units then present on base became sub-divisions of the new 3018^th. On June 15, Col Donald B. Phillips became the new base commander. 

The 3018^th was one of the top training schools in the U. S. in 1944. The gunners completed in “Shoot Outs”; with other schools and most often took top honors. This tough training, both mental and physical, gave the gunners, their best chance to survive in air combat over the skies of Europe and the Pacific. 

There were two mishaps which took the lives of the some of the Kingman field personnel. First, on January 2, a B-17 passing over McClellan Field, CA. in bad weather, disintegrated in mid-air, killing 13, 11 of which were from Kingman. The second was on the evening of January 6, a bus loaded with gunnery students was crossing the train tracks when a train struck the bus, killing 28 men. This accident leads to the building of the underpass, which is still in use today.

With war ending, 1945 was the base’s final year for operation as a gunnery school. Command of the base changed again as Col. Walter L. Wheeler took command of April 1. Kingman Army Air Field was temporarily inactivated on June 30. Col. Lance Call came in as the base commander to deactivate the base. 

In the last quarter of the year, the 3018^th became the 4184^th, as the base operations were slowing down. On September 27, Lt. Col. James L. Meadows took over as base commander. Then on November 24, Lt. Col. John J. Ratigan took over as the base commander for the rest of the year and beginning of the new year. 

At midnight on February 25, 1946, Kingman Army Air Field no longer existed as a gunnery school, it was officially inactivated. As the sun came up on February 26, the base had a new purpose and had become Storage Depot 41.

Copyright 1990-2018

email  kingmanaafsd41@gmail.com

Sentimental Journey to Kingman 1991

Here is my script of my documentary. I did have this printed in a aviation newspaper out of Las Vegas, Nv., the Southwest Aviation Report and printed in the Maggie's Flightline Diner at the Kingman Airport, which this is from. 

Sentimental Journey to Kingman 1991

In the 1930s, the Army Air Corps was looking for a heavy bomber. Boeing Aircraft designed a heavy bomber known as Model 299. The Army Air Corps liked the idea of the Boeing prototype, so they ordered the preproduction of the XB-17 for testing. The XB-17 proved its worth as a heavy bomber, so the Army Air Corps began ordering the B-17. War was brewing in Europe, so the Army Air Corps wanted to be ready for war.

Around 1940, the U. S. Army Air Force needed a new base to train gunners for the B-17 Flying Fortress. This would be the sixth gunnery school set up in the United States. The new base was necessary to support all future missions of the B-17 in the European and Pacific Theaters. The school would be referred to as a “Flexible” gunnery training school for the B-17, it had gun turrets mounted in six positions of the aircraft. The gunner had to be proficient with all the guns on board the aircraft.

The search for a location for this school began in April 1941. Kingman, AZ was seen as one of the prime locations for a training site. When Major John C. Horton of the West Coast Flying Training Command Headquarters at Moffett Field, CA, made a visit to Kingman, he found that Kingman was the perfect place. The population was low, the valley floor level, and the land acquisition was easy and available at a reasonable price. This would enable the school to be in operation quickly.

In April 1942, the Army Air Force gave its preliminary ok for the construction of a school at Kingman, the cost of which was estimated at over $9 million. Final approval for construction was received on May 27 and Lt. Col. Harvey P. Huglin was selected as the first base commander. He came to Kingman and set-up temporary quarters in the old Harvey House in downtown Kingman, while the construction of the base was going on.

 The school’s construction took a little over two months to complete. On August 4, the Army Air Force Flexible Gunnery School at Kingman was officially activated. The first occupants and the initial key base organization were the 460^th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron which took up shop on December 1. On December 10, Col. George E. Henry became the new base commander. Around the same time, the following units were added: the 1120^th, 1121^st, 1122^nd, and 1123^rd Flexible Gunnery Training Squadrons, the 334^th Aviation SQ. (a segregated black sq.), and the 1100^th Guard SQ. (the military police). On December 28, a group of 13 AT-6s trainer aircraft was officially assigned to the base.

During construction, there were problems or the workers and military personnel. One problem was the lack of food delivery, which was overcome by the building of cafeterias. The housing problem was next because Kingman was a small town. As more housing units were constructed, the problem ease. Some of the younger construction workers wanted a union in the company but ended up getting drafted. There was a stop-work order on Davis Dam to help in the construction effort at the base.

Along with the construction of the main airstrips were five emergency fields. Site #1 was at Red Lake. Site #3 was 17 mi. northeast of the base. Site #5 was near Topock. Site # 6 is now the Lake Havasu City airport by the London Bridge. Site #7 was close by the Yucca Aerial Gunnery Range (which became Yucca sub-base).

After the opening of the base, Bugs Bunny was selected as the mascot with cooperation from Warner Brothers. Bugs helped in the war effort by being a morale booster for the troops training at the Kingman field. Bob Hope, The Three Stooges, Kay Kyser, and numerous USO shows came to the base to raise all the troops’ morale. The troops also made trips to the Grand Canyon for rest and relaxation. Bond drives were held on the base and in Kingman for the war effort.

The training of the new gunners was very intense. Each potential gunner worked his way up from shooting the BB guns to shotguns, and finally, to the actual guns on the B-17.

On May 3, 1943, a decision was made to change the name of the facility to the Kingman Army Air Field. The base continued to grow and change. In 1943, new squadrons were added and combined with existing squadrons, which led to new group formations. The 1120^th and 329^th combined with the 328^th and became known as the 328^th Flexible Gunnery Training Group. The 1122^nd, 537^th, and 538^th were combined to become the 1123^rd. The 1121^st became the 329^th. The 536^th was formed to take the overflow from the other filled groups.

The new additions to the base were the 760^th Flexible Gunnery Training Group, 1012^th Quartermasters PL, 31^st Altitude Sq. (training for high altitude), 684^th Army Band, 1^st Weather Sq., DET 25 of the 858^th Signal Service Co., DET 14 of the 909 QM Co., and 2053^rd Ordinance Co. In 1943, the Chinese Military sent gunners here, to be trained at the Kingman field.

The planes that were assigned or stopped in for maintenance and the following the AT-6, AT-11, & AT-23 (flight training and target towing), BT-18 (flight training), P-36 & P-39 (for maintenance), along with the B-17.

1944 was another year of great changes for the base. On April 22, the Kingman Army Air Field was consolidated and redesignated Army Air Force Base Unit 3018. Each of the units then present on base became sub-divisions of the new 3018^th. On June 15, Col Donald B. Phillips became the new base commander.

The 3018^th was one of the top training schools in the U. S. in 1944. The gunners completed in “Shoot Outs”; with other schools and most often took top honors. This tough training, both mental and physical, gave the gunners, their best chance to survive in air combat over the skies of Europe and the Pacific. 

There were two mishaps which took the lives of the some of the Kingman field personnel. First, on January 2, a B-17 passing over McClellan Field, CA. in bad weather, disintegrated in mid-air, killing 13, 11 of which were from Kingman. The second was on the evening of January 6, a bus loaded with gunnery students was crossing the train tracks when a train struck the bus, killing 28 men. This accident leads to the building of the underpass, which is still in use today.

With war ending, 1945 was the base’s final year for operation as a gunnery school. Command of the base changed again as Col. Walter L. Wheeler took command of April 1. Kingman Army Air Field was temporarily inactivated on June 30. Col. Lance Call came in as the base commander to deactivate the base.

In the last quarter of the year, the 3018^th became the 4184^th, as the base operations were slowing down. On September 27, Lt. Col. James L. Meadows took over as base commander. Then on November 24, Lt. Col. John J. Ratigan took over as the base commander for the rest of the year and beginning of the new year. 

At midnight on February 25, 1946, Kingman Army Air Field no longer existed as a gunnery school, it was officially inactivated. As the sun came up on February 26, the base had a new purpose and had become Storage Depot 41.

Copyright 1990-2018

email  kingmanaafsd41@gmail.com

Sentimental Journey to Kingman

This is the transcript of my documentary Sentimental Journey to Kingman... This was written in 1990 and the title was Sentimental Journey to Kingman 1991... As you can see come changes. I do have another version that I submitted to a publication in 1991 or 92. I will look for and post it soon. As for this version, it was transcribed by Loren Wilson... Loren was part of the early museum effort at the Kingman Airport and Kingman Army Air Field Reunions. I met Loren in the late 1980s and got to know him more when he was a volunteer at the Mohave Museum in the 1990s. He did most their photography work. Loren served in the Navy during the war... After the war, he became a teacher and he taught history at Kingman High School until he retired. (this was the original campus in downtown Kingman) I never really talked to him about his time during the war. But now I wish I did... He did give some hints on what he did. Loren passed away quite sometime ago. So this is dedicated to him... One more thing, this version was used in the first program of the first reunion in 1991. 

The year was 1942, America was at war. The U. S. Army Air Force needed a new bae to train gunners for the B-17 Flying Fortress. This would be the sixth gunnery school set up in the United States. This new base was necessary to support all future missions of the B-17 for the European and Pacific theaters. This was referred to as a flexible school, as the B-17 had gun turrets mounted on the top, bottom, sided, nose and tail of the aircraft. An effective gunner on this aircraft needs to be proficient in all of these positions.

The search for a location for this school began in April 1941. Kingman was seen as one of the prime locations for this training site. When John C. Horton, from the West Coast Flying Training Command, Headquarters at Moffit Field, California, made the trip to Kingman, he found that the area was the perfect place. The population was low, the valley floor was level and land acquisition was easy and available at a reasonable price. This would enable the school to be in operation quickly.

In April 1942, the Army Air Force gave the preliminary OK and began the construction of the school in Kingman. The cost was more than $9 million. Final approval for the construction was received on May 27, 1942, and Lt. Col. Harvey P. Huglin was selected as the first base commander. He came to Kingman during construction and set up his temporary headquarters at the old Harvey House in downtown Kingman. Construction of the school went quickly, and a little over two months later, August 4, 1942, the Army Air Force Flexible Gunnery School at Kingman was officially activated. The first occupants of the initial key base organization were the 460^th Base Headquarters, an air base squadron, which took up shop on December 1, 1942. On the 10^th of December, Col. George E. Henry was the new base commander. At the same time, other units were added – the 1120^th, the 1121^st, 1122^nd and 1123^rd Flexible Gunnery Training Squadrons. The 334^th Aviation Squadron was segregated black squadron and the 1100^th Guard Squadron were also added.

The training of these new gunners was very intense. Each potential gunner worked his way up from shooting the BB guns to shotguns and finally to the actual guns of the B-17. On May 7, 1943, the decision was made to change the name of the facility to the Kingman Army Air Field. The base continues to grow and changes during 1943. Many new squadrons were added to the base and some of the existing ones were combined. The 1120^th and 329^th were combined with the 328^th and became known as the 329^th Flexible Gunnery Training Squadron. The 1122^nd, 537^th, 538^th were combined into the 1123^rd FGTS. The 1121^st took advantage of the newly vacated number and became the 329^th FGTS and the 536^th FGTS was formed to take the overflow from the other filled groups. New additions were the 760^th FGTS and the 1012 Quartermaster Platoon and the 31^st Altitude Squadron training for high altitude in the B-17, the 684^th Army Band and the 1^st Weather, Detachment 25 of the 858^th Signal Service Company, Detachment 14 of the 909^th Quartermaster and the 2053^rd Ordinance Company.

Other planes on the base were the AT-6, AT-11, and the AT-23, which were strictly used for flight training and target towing. The BT-18 was used for flight training, the P-36 and the P-39 came in for maintenance and the great B-17 was also flown out of this base. In 1943, the base was also used to train Chinese gunners for the Chinese military.

After the opening of the base, Bugs Bunny became the mascot with the cooperation of Warner Brothers. Bugs helped in the war by becoming a morale booster for the troops training at the Kingman field. Bob Hope and the Three Stooges, and numerous USO shows came to the base to raise the troop's morale. They also made trips to the Grand Canyon for R and R. Another thing they held on the base and in Kingman were bond drives for the war effort. A little side note – Site Six was an emergency landing strip, now known as Lake Havasu City Airport.

1944 was another year of great changes at the base. On April 22, 1944, the Kingman Army Air Field was consolidated and re-designated as the Army Air Force Unit 3018. Each of the units on the base became a subdivision of the 3018^th. On June 15, Col. Donald P. Phillips became the new base commander. During 1944, the 3018^th was one of the top training schools in the United States. The gunners would complete in shoot-outs with other schools and most often took top honors. This tough training, both mental and physical, gave the gunners their best chance to survive in air combat over Europe and the Pacific.

With the war ending in 1945, it was the base’s final year of operation as a gunnery school. The command of the base changed again to Col. Walter L. Wheeler, who became commander on April 1. Kingman Army Air Field was temporarily inactivated on June 30. Col Lance Call became the base commander to deactivate the base. In the last quarter of 1945, the base designation changed again as the 3018^th became the 4184^th. The base command changes twice more, with Lt. Cols. James L. Meadows and John J. Ratigan taking the helm at different times during the rest of the year. At midnight of February 25, 1946, the gunnery training base, which had undergone so many changes through the years, was officially deactivated. As the sun came up on February 26, the base had a new purpose and had become Storage Depot 41.

Copyright 1990-2018

email  kingmanaafsd41@gmail.com