Beane Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
Beane Air Force Base was a United States Air Force
base located, near Vieux Fort
, Saint Lucia
, in the Caribbean
.
The base was likely to be named for James Beane
, a US Army Air Force World War I flying ace.
. Beane Field was activated in early 1941 with a mission to defend Saint Lucia against an enemy attack.
The 5th Bombardment Squadron
(9th Bombardment Group) and 59th Bombardment Squadron
(25th Bombardment Group
) operated B-18 Bolo
bombers from the airfield from 28 Sept 1941-24 Mar 1944 flying antisubmarine patrols.
With the end of World War II Beane Airfield was reduced in scope to a skeleton staff. Its primary mission was with the Military Air Transport Service
, acting as a weather reporting station and as a military airfield for transport aircraft although the airfield's control tower was closed on 14 January 1946 for a brief period, being reopened on 23 July 1946. Its primarily unit was the MATS 6th Weather Squadron (Regional), with overall command of the base being that of the 24th Composite Wing
Headquartered at Borinquen AFB, Puerto Rico
.
The facility was renamed Beane Air Force Base in 1948, it was closed as a result of budgetary cutbacks on 28 May 1949 with right of re-entry retained by the United States. Agreements were subsequently reached with the United Kingdom
and, later, the St. Lucia government upon independence.
The former USAF base was then refurbished and converted into Hewanorra International Airport
. There is a disused northeast/southwest runway north of the main east-west runway that was part of the military airfield. it is in poor condition, along with a few dispersals.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base located, near Vieux Fort
Vieux Fort Quarter
Vieux Fort is located in the southern part of St. Lucia. It is the second-largest town on the island and is the home of St Lucia's international airport, Hewanorra International Airport....
, Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
, in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
The base was likely to be named for James Beane
James Beane
Lieutenant James Dudley Beane was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.Beane attended Concord High School. He was employed in Boston before joining the Ambulance Service. He spent a year's duty on the Verdun front, from July 1916 though July 1917. He volunteered for aviation...
, a US Army Air Force World War I flying ace.
History
Beane Army Airfield was used as a military airfield by the United States Army Air Force Sixth Air Force and used in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Beane Field was activated in early 1941 with a mission to defend Saint Lucia against an enemy attack.
The 5th Bombardment Squadron
5th Reconnaissance Squadron
The 5th Reconnaissance Squadron is part of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California but is geographically separated.-Mission:The 5th Reconnaissance Squadron conducts operations from Osan Air Base, South Korea...
(9th Bombardment Group) and 59th Bombardment Squadron
59th Bombardment Squadron
The 59th Bombardment Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment wa with the 319th Bombardment Group, based at Birmingham Airport, Birmingham, Alabama...
(25th Bombardment Group
25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
The 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing. Its last duty assignment was at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France.-History:...
) operated B-18 Bolo
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
bombers from the airfield from 28 Sept 1941-24 Mar 1944 flying antisubmarine patrols.
With the end of World War II Beane Airfield was reduced in scope to a skeleton staff. Its primary mission was with the Military Air Transport Service
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
, acting as a weather reporting station and as a military airfield for transport aircraft although the airfield's control tower was closed on 14 January 1946 for a brief period, being reopened on 23 July 1946. Its primarily unit was the MATS 6th Weather Squadron (Regional), with overall command of the base being that of the 24th Composite Wing
24th Wing
The 24th Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twelfth Air Force, stationed at Howard Air Force Base, Panama...
Headquartered at Borinquen AFB, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
The facility was renamed Beane Air Force Base in 1948, it was closed as a result of budgetary cutbacks on 28 May 1949 with right of re-entry retained by the United States. Agreements were subsequently reached with the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and, later, the St. Lucia government upon independence.
The former USAF base was then refurbished and converted into Hewanorra International Airport
Hewanorra International Airport
Hewanorra International Airport , near Vieux Fort Quarter, Saint Lucia, in the Caribbean, is the larger of the country's two airports and is managed by the Saint Lucia Air and Seaports Authority ....
. There is a disused northeast/southwest runway north of the main east-west runway that was part of the military airfield. it is in poor condition, along with a few dispersals.