Saint-Marceau, Sarthe
Encyclopedia
Saint-Marceau is a commune
in the Sarthe
department in the region
of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France
.
IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground
outside of the town. Declared operational on 31 August, the airfield was designated as "A-43
", it was used by several combat units until November 1944 when the units moved to Central France and the airfield was closed.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Sarthe
Sarthe
Sarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and...
department in the region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
of Pays-de-la-Loire 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...
.
World War II
After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in August 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...
outside of the town. Declared operational on 31 August, the airfield was designated as "A-43
Saint Marceau Airfield
Saint Marceaul Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Saint-Marceau in the Pays de la Loire region of northern France....
", it was used by several combat units until November 1944 when the units moved to Central France and the airfield was closed.