Is there any history on the Santa Maria, CA AAFld? My father served there in 1943 before he went to Europe? [signature]

Roger, I'm by no means an authority on this, but I did discover a web page where the AAF Santa Maria field is mentioned. Try [url "http://www.airforcebase.net/aaf/cfs_list.html"]www.airforcebase.net/aaf/cfs_list.html[/url] It's primarily a matrix of assorted airfields but it might provide you a lead or perhaps there's a place where you can email someone for more specifics. Hope it helps...if you do find some info on that field, pls do come back and share it. Possibly the AF was operated by a 'contract' school. If so, they don't usually list those in the site's airfield db I was told. Good luck, Larry [signature]

Larry - Thanks for the info. I will check it out. If I find anything, I will let you know. Roger [signature]

Roger, The original muncipal airport was occupied in May 1939 by a contract flying school, which remained there for much of the war. It was called Hancock Field. I am doubtful that this was the site of the Santa Maria AAFd. Santa Maria AAFld had been a Operational Training Unit for fighter units and later was renamed a Combat Crew Training Station for the same activity. I believe that the first combat group assigned there was the 464th Fighter Group and it was there from about Dec. 7, 1943 to about Jan. 11, 1944. Follwed by the 360th FG, the 479th FG, and much later by the 412th FG, who was the first jet fighter group. I don't know what the number of the Base HQ & Air Base Squadron was, but the maintenance unit was the 438th Sub- Depot until both were renamed as the 440th Army Air Force Base Unit in March of 1944. I have a phone number for a Santa Maria Museum of Flight, which might provide you with a more complete history. It is (805)922-8758. Hope that this helps, Steve [signature]

Steve Great information and thanks very much! My father went active duty on January 6, 1943. I know he was stationed at Santa Maria CA on May 27, 1943 from info in his mother's obituary. He sailed for Scotland (per discharge papers) in October 1943. I am assuming he did his basic training in Santa Maria, but I am not certain about that. I suppose it could have been finished elsewhere and he was sent to Santa Maria until he shipped out. Thanks for the phone number...do you by any chance know if there is an address for the museum? Roger [signature]

Roger, The Santa Maria Museum of Flight is located at 3015 Airpark Road Santa Maria, CA 93456 9am to 4pm - friday to sun I strongly suspect that your dad did not go through basic training at Maria AAFd. So where was he residing when he joined the Army? Steve [signature]

Steve Thanks for the address. I will check it out. My dad served in the Illinois Reserve Militia, Co H, 4th Regiment of Infantry from June 8, 1942 until he entered active military service on January 6, 1943. He entered at Ft. Sheridan, Illinois. He arrived in Scotland Oct 17, 1943. I know he was at an Air Service Command Depot in England during all/part of 1944 "repairing and overhauling" aircraft engines. I always thought he trained as infantry, but I know he served at Santa Maria, CA (per obituary of his mother!) and then in England with the ASCD (per newspaper clipping). There is an AAF patch and an 8th AF patch in his personal effects. His official military photograph The saga is strange. He was discharged Nov 20, 1945 at Cmp. Phillip Morris, Fr. His discharge papers state, Sgt., 69th Amphibian Tractor Bn. His MOS states Rifleman 745 and Arm/Svce was QM and Component was AUS. Papers indicate ETO, Central Europe Campaign. He received Army of Occupation/Germany medal and others.He re-enlisted in Regular Army on Nov 21, 1945, returned to U.S. on Dec 15, 1945. It was his intent to "career" and was supposed to report to Camp Beale, CA and then go to Hawaii. My mother's illness changed those plans and he was discharged Aug 20, 1946 separating through Ft. Sheridan. Those discharge papers show MOS as Transportation NCO 014; Arm/Svce as TC; Component was RA; Rank/Unit at discharge was Sgt., 69th Amphibian Tractor Bn. His separation qualification record lists MOS assignments as Inf Basic Trng 521 and Transportation NCO 014. The summary of military occupations describes Transportation NCO...."in charge of Army Motor Pool, 107 vehicles, 150 drivers, 8 mechanics. I also have a few photographs...one of particular interest is him, a few other American soldiers and 2 German PWs. A sign in the photo says, 6951st PWTE Motor Pool. A jeep in the pic has same lettering. My father named the men in the photo and identified the 2 PWs. My research indicates that the PWTEs (Prisoner of War Temporary Enclosure) were assembled in England in March 1945, sent to Remagen area as security guards for 2 or 3 camps. The final mystery is that in his personal effects there is a Combat Infantry Badge, a 106th Infantry shoulder patch and an 89th Infantry shoulder patch. None of his papers refer to any of these items. I apologize that I provided SOOOO much info to a very simple request...I started to answer you question and just kept typing!! Perhaps there is something in all this that you can help me with. Perhaps his "basic" was elsewhere, he was simply sent to Santa Maria CA for a period until he left for Scotland?? Thanks for you help....Roger [signature]

Roger, I can understand your confusion. I will attempt to unravel this, based on my knowledge of a friend's early enlisted experience. He was inducted into the U.S. Army at Fort Riley a Cavalry fort and went through screening there before being reassigned to the Air Corps with two other men from his company. All of the others were sent to the 44th Infantry Div. So for a short time, he was U.S. Army unassigned. Guessing that he had a decent mechanical aptitude, he must have transferred into the Army Air Forces. Now it is quite possible that he did this by getting trained in the Quarter- master Corps as a motor pool mechanic. Since every Airfield had a motor pool (even an Air Depot), it would not have been hard to volunteer to serve with the Army Air Forces in that capacity. Hence his MOS of 014 rather than one of the MOS's for aircraft engine mechanic. That specialty would not have dropped from his records. Naturally after the end of the war, the AAF had a surplus of motor pool personnel and was low on discharge points, so he obviously was transferred to the Army Ground Forces where they assigned him to the 69th, which I am now guessing was a unit of one of those Infantry Divisions (89th or 106th). With no amphibious assault missions to perform, this unit appears to have pulled temporary POW handling duty, maybe even transporting POW's back to Germany after a troopship brought them back across the Atlantic to Amsterdam, then by amphib up the Rhine River to Remagen. I could be all wet, but I might have found some hint of the truth. So see what you can find out along these lines of thought. Hope that this long winded guess helps you, Steve [signature]

Steve Well, you have definitely given me a lot of ideas here and some other avenues to pursue. Thanks a lot....I really appreciate it....and off I go again! Roger [signature]

I don't know if this thread is still active as I have been away from the AAF site for a while. My father was in the first group of men assigned to the Santa Maria Army Air Field. He went through basic training in St. Petersburg, FL in November 1942. He didn't even finish basic, and he was shipped out to Buckley Field, Denver Colorado. He graduated from the nine week Aircraft Armament school and was designated Airplane Armorer, MOS 911. He and a few others from Buckley field were then sent to the Santa Maria Army Air Field. Some other soldiers arrived at the same time. There were only about a total of 20 men there in that first contingent. The place was empty except for them. I estimate he arrived there in February or March 1943. I have a formal portrait taken in April 1943 in Los Angeles, CA so he was already at Santa Maria Airfield by that time. About a week after Dad arrived about 15 Regular Army soldiers arrived, some of whom were cooks. They ate gourmet meals for a while. Then after that AAF personnel began to pour into Santa Maria. These were all men who had already completed basic training. Dad was designated unattached AAF when he arrived at Santa Maria. Later he was assigned to the 1799th Ordinance Company which came into Santa Maria. The 1799th eventually moved up to Camp Stoneman in Pittsburg, CA and then after about a week went overseas in November 1943 to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations. Dad is still alive and mentally sharp. He doesn't remember specific dates, but has many memories of Santa Maria Army Air Field. Let me know if you are interested in more info. Sincerely, Lemko [signature]

Lemko - Thanks for the reply. Yes, I would be interested in finding out anything possible that I could. My father was at Santa Maria during late May 1943, I know for certain. I THINK he started at Jefferson Barracks, MO in Jan 1943, went to Camp Kearns, UT for some kind of training and then to Santa Maria. He shipped out in October 1943 to Scotland (per discharge papers). The difficulty I am having is that he started out in AAF and ended up in Regular Army infantry divisions/regiments. I also know for certain that he was at Burtonwood Base, England during all or part of 1944. He was overhauling aircraft engines. At some point (early 1945, I think) he transferred to Regular Army. His name was William Myers. He came from the southern Illinois area. I have no idea what he was doing at Santa Maria other than perhaps getting additional special training. Any help you can give would be appreciated. He was born January 1925. Are you aware of any personnel records from that installation? I am trying to piece his entire military service history together so anything about him or the places he served is important to me. Feel free to continue to post here or use my email [url "mailto:rogermyers1947@yahoo.com"]rogermyers1947@yahoo.com[/url]. Thanks so very much, Lemko!!........Roger [signature]

Santa Maria, had many units assigned during 1943. My dad's unit (2079th quartermaster truck company avn) was one of several support units that did part of their training at Santa Maria. [signature]

Thanks Dave. Do you have any details on that unit...roster or anything? At a point after my dad was in AAF it appears that he was in a Quartermaster unit. At least his discharge papers indicate QM. [signature]

I have a copy of their history and am compiling a roster of personnel from the history. What was your Dad's name and I will check tto see if he was in the unit. If you want I can send you the information from their time at Santa Maria

Dave Watts
Tsgt, USAF Retired.

Dave - My father's name was William Myers. I would like any info you have. Thanks.

Roger,
There was a Warren J Myers but no William assigned to the 2079th.

Dave Watts
Tsgt, USAF Retired.

Santa Maria AAF was originally named the G. Allen Hancock Airport.  Later it was the Santa Maria Public Airport.
If it is the location of the Contract Primary Flying School run by the Allen Hancock College of Aeronautics, the 1st AAF Flying Training Det was located there until at least late 1943.
By 1943 it was a training location for Air Service Command Units.  Some that passed through were the:
Service Gp:  13, 342, 361
Service Sq:  487-490, 505-508, 413, 522-525.
1076 Quartermaster Co, Service Gp
1107 Signal Co, Service Gp
Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Co, Avn: 1544, 1545, 1565, 1566, 1799
Quartermaster Truck Co, Avn: 2079, 2108. 2109
 
Base Support Units included the 391st Aviation Sq, 483rd Base Hq & Air Base Sq, 1164 Guard Sq, 733rd AAF Band, 438th Sub Depot (all until 1944)  After 1944 it was the 440th AAF Base Unit (Fighter Replacement Training Unit - Twin Engine), later redescribed as (Fighter) then (Combat Crew Training School - Fighter).  It closed in early 1946.
 
In 1944, the base transferred to Fourth AF.  A typo in combat unit lists:  464 Fighter Gp should be 364th Fighter Gp.  Other Fourth AF units included ther 312th Fighter Control Sq

Bernie Shearon
Push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. Pull the stick back, the houses get smaller (unless you keep pulling -- then they get bigger again)

Roger
I just posted on a new book, at least new to me. Hancock was highlighted in the book Flying Through Time, by Jim Doyle. You might check out my post, it is really a neat book.

Jolie Lucas, Dtr. James Lucas, Primary Flight Instructor Rankin, 1943-1945

I hope this thread is still active. I think I originated it and received considerable helpful information. However, I now have some further questions that I hope someone can help with.

I have found out that my father did his basic training in early 1943 at Pomona CA base as part of the 3531 Ordnance Medium Maintenance Co (Q). He then was transferred to Santa Maria for further training, I presume, before he left for England in October 1943.

His speciality was aircraft maintenance and repair. Does anyone know which unit at Santa Maria that kind of training would have been connected to? 

I appreciate the help...this is a great website!!

 

Roger Myers

Son of Sgt. William Myers (6/8/42 to 8/20/46) 
Illinois Reserve Militia, Co. H, 4th Regiment
Burtonwood Base, England
89th Infantry Div  
106th Div (Detach F, 6951 OH Guard Bn)
69th Amphibian Tractor Bn