Moore Army Air Field
Encyclopedia
Moore Army Airfield is located in Fort Devens
, Massachusetts
. It was closed following the closure of Fort Devens
in 1995. It is named for Ayer
native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Douglas Moore. It is the only Army Airfield named for someone killed in the Vietnam War
.
.
was used as a bounce field.
in 1946, but reopened it again in 1948. By 1954, it was known as Ayer AAF. Then it was renamed Fort Devens AAF between 1954 and 1959. It had three operating runways but they were used intermittently on and off throughout the years. The longest runway was listed in 1960 as being 3,745 feet (not including overrun). In the 70's it got an upgraded control tower and it was used for helicopter operations. The air traffic controllers worked in conjunction with their counterparts at the nearby Hanscom AFB. Around 1976 the field was renamed Moore Army Airfield.
for SCCA Solo II style autocross competitions. Several other clubs also use the runways for similar competitions.
There is now talk of putting an industrial park over the runways of Moore Army Airfield.
Fort Devens, Massachusetts
Devens, Massachusetts is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is the successor to Fort Devens, a military post that operated from 1917 to 1996. The area...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It was closed following the closure of Fort Devens
Fort Devens
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is...
in 1995. It is named for Ayer
Ayer, Massachusetts
Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War...
native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Douglas Moore. It is the only Army Airfield named for someone killed in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Beginnings
The earliest information concerning the construction of the airfield dates to July 1, 1926. It was originally known as Ayer (Camp Devens) Emergency Field. The sod airfield's dimensions were: 2,300 feet 850 feet (259.1 m). It also ran northwest/southeast. Camp Devens Airfield, as it was called later, was operated by the Army. A second runway was extablished the following year. Approximate dimensions were said to be 2,325' x 1,560'. In 1934, it was marked as an auxiliary airfield to the NavyNavy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
.
World War II
When the nearby fort was expanded in 1940, the airport supposedly "gained" its own airfield. It was described as having a 5200 feet (1,585 m) runway. In 1944 the army withdrew from the airfield and it became known as Ayer Naval Auxiliary Air Station. It was used to support training operations at Squantum Naval Air Station. Carrier Air Groups 4 & 83 were based at Ayer during 1944. The nearby Beverly AirportBeverly Municipal Airport
Beverly Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Beverly, a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States...
was used as a bounce field.
Postwar Years
The Navy discontinued their use of Ayer NAAS for unknown reasons between the years of 1944-1946. As part of the postwar demobilization, the Army deactivated nearby Fort DevensFort Devens
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is...
in 1946, but reopened it again in 1948. By 1954, it was known as Ayer AAF. Then it was renamed Fort Devens AAF between 1954 and 1959. It had three operating runways but they were used intermittently on and off throughout the years. The longest runway was listed in 1960 as being 3,745 feet (not including overrun). In the 70's it got an upgraded control tower and it was used for helicopter operations. The air traffic controllers worked in conjunction with their counterparts at the nearby Hanscom AFB. Around 1976 the field was renamed Moore Army Airfield.
Closure and Redevelopment
The field was closed around 1995 after the Army left. It is now a State Police driver training facility on week days. On weekends the runways are currently the largest and only centrally located venue in southern New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
for SCCA Solo II style autocross competitions. Several other clubs also use the runways for similar competitions.
There is now talk of putting an industrial park over the runways of Moore Army Airfield.
Groups Hosted
- 152nd Observation Squadron (1941–1943)
- Carrier Air Group 4
- Carrier Air Group 83
- 10th Special Forces Group (Minus the First Battalion) (1968–1995)
Aircraft Hosted
- Aeronca L-16Aeronca L-16|-See also:-References:* Eden, Paul and Moeng, Soph, eds. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1....
- R-16/H-16 - Piasecki
- North American BC-1
- North American O-47North American O-47|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.* Fahey, James C. U.S. Army Aircraft 1908-1946. New York: Ships and Aircraft, 1946....
- O-49Stinson Vigilant|-See also:-Bibliography:* Donald, David . American Warplanes of World War II. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1995. ISBN 1-874023-72-7.* Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng . The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1* Merriam, Ray . World War II Journal #15: U.S....
- O-52 Owl
- O-58Aeronca L-3|-See also:-External links:* * *...
- HU-21 Workhorse/Shawnee
- U-10D Super Courier
- UH-1 Huey
- C-45 Expeditor
- C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
- C-12 HuronC-12 HuronThe C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps...
External links
- Moore Army Airfield at GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...