Vernam Field
Sixth Air Force | |
Located in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica | |
Coordinates | 17°53′26.75″N 077°18′07.68″W / 17.8907639°N 77.3021333°W |
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Type | Military airfield |
Site information | |
Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force |
Site history | |
Built | 1941 |
In use | 1941-1949 |
Vernam Field (locally spelled Vernamfield) is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield located in Clarendon Parish, 34.3 miles (55.2 km) west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica. The airfield was renamed Vernam Air Force Base by the newly formed United States Air Force in 1948, but was closed in 1949.
History
The base was named in honour of First Lieutenant Remington de Bremont Vernam (March 24, 1896 – December 1, 1918), an American pilot who entered the French air service during World War I. Vernam was shot down behind German lines on October 30, 1918. After the Armistice he was found by American forces in a hospital in Longwey, France, with another wounded aviator, Lt. Arthur C. Dineen. Vernam died of his wounds on December 1. He is buried in the American cemetery at St. Mihiel in Thiaucourt, France, and was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (United States).
World War II
The airfield has its origin in the 1940
The development of Vernam Field was viewed initially by the Army Air Corps as a staging field for training and for the operations of
The design of the airfield was upgraded to that of a bomber airfield, and consisted of three runways: a 6000-foot concrete runway and two shorter asphalt runways to accommodate crosswind landings. When officially activated on 21 November 1941, the station was assigned to the
With the United States entry into the war in December, the primary mission of Vernam Field was antisubmarine patrols in the Northern Caribbean. In addition, the
In early 1945, Vernam Field became the destination for many
Postwar use
With the end of the war, Vernam Field was reduced in scope to a skeleton staff. By the end of 1946 only two aircraft, a C-45 and a C-47 were assigned to the station with both aircraft being down for parts and minimal maintenance being undertaken. It was placed under the command of the
The airfield was redesignated Vernam Air Force Base on March 26, 1948, by Department of the Air Force General Order Number 10. The mission of the base was primarily weather reporting, with a detachment of the
Vernam AFB closed on 28 May 1949 due to budgetary cutbacks. After closure, the base was essentially abandoned and all structures were removed or torn down. The facility has been derelict for decades. The only use of the former airfield area has been an automobile racetrack known as Vernamfield which uses some of the old runways and taxiways.
Units assigned
- 4th Antisubmarine Squadron, Caribbean Sea Frontier (United States Navy) (B-18 Bolo)
- 14 September-6 October 1942, 16 October-5 November 1942
- 25th Bombardment Group(B-25 Mitchell)
- 7 October 1943-7 February 1944
- 25th Bombardment Group, 24 September 1942 – 29 May 1943 (B-18 Bolo)
Current development plans
During the 2000s (decade), the Government of Jamaica made several proposals to develop Vernam Field as the island's fourth international airport.
References
- Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
- Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
- ^ "WINGS MRS (Medical Relief Services) "Project Raphael"". Wings CRS. 2009-06-07. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Hagendorn, Dan (1997), Alae Supra Canalem : Wings over the Canal: The Sixth Air Force and the Antilles Air Command, Turner Publishing Company, Kentucky ISBN 1-56311-153-5
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6.//////