Picauville
Encyclopedia
Picauville is a commune in the Manche
department in Normandy
in north-western France
.
IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground
to the northwest of the town. Declared operational on 26 June, the airfield was designated as "A-8
", it was used by the 405th Fighter Group which flew P-47 Thunderbolt
s until mid-September when the unit moved to St. Dizier, near Nancy. Afterward, the airfield was closed. A cairn marking the location of the airfield is on the east side of the D69, 2.3 km outside of Picauville on the way to Gourbesville (50°44'12.20"N, 1°44'10.18"W).
Manche
Manche is a French department in Normandy named after La Manche , which is the French name for the English Channel.- History :Manche is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
in north-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Heraldry
World War II
After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in early June 1944, engineers of the Ninth Air ForceNinth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
to the northwest of the town. Declared operational on 26 June, the airfield was designated as "A-8
Picauville Airfield
Picauville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Picauville in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
", it was used by the 405th Fighter Group which flew P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s until mid-September when the unit moved to St. Dizier, near Nancy. Afterward, the airfield was closed. A cairn marking the location of the airfield is on the east side of the D69, 2.3 km outside of Picauville on the way to Gourbesville (50°44'12.20"N, 1°44'10.18"W).
External links
- Picauville Public Library official website (médiathèque de Picauville)