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1946

As the war ended, so did Kingman Army Air Field. Within 60 days Kingman Army Air Field had a new assignment for the new-year. It was to become War Asset Administration’s Storage Depot 41. You could still call it KAAF, but the new name was Storage Depot 41.

January

10—A set of new directives were received for demobilization from San Bernardino Field, CA. (bh)

February

14—Auxiliary Field #6 (Site Six) was turned over to Area Engineer, Los Angeles District, Army Corps of Engineers. (bh)

25—The last day of Kingman Army Air Field & 4184th Army Air Force Base Unit, KAAF as a military base is over with the U. S. winning the war. (bh)

26—The 4184th AAFBU is changed to 4126th and placed on Temporary Duty. (bh)

March

10—KAAF personnel were used in a search and rescue operation by the MohaveCounty Sheriff’s Office. They were looking for a discharge veteran in the Oatman area. The man was found; he was heading to Needles and got a ride to Oatman. His wife was waiting for him and they went back to Alabama. (mcm)

15—The property of the Non-Commission Officers Club is up for sealed bid by 2 P. M. and the will be opened at 2:15 P. M. (mcm)

16—A public auction was held for the remaining property of the airfield that was not taken in the sealed bid sale. (mcm)

29—Captain Jack Sullivan visited Kingman on his terminal leave from the Army Air Force. He was stationed at KAAF for 2 years. (bh)

May

1—War Asset Administration sold 7 aircraft: 1 BT-13 and 6 AT-6s. (waa)

2—MohaveCounty has requested that all auxiliary airfields be placed into county control. The county wanted to use them for future airfields. Also the county was working on the Hackberry and Yucca fields. (mcm)

30—The VFW beat the WAA in a softball game at the high school. The score was 10 to 9. The WAA shortstop Canereis went 3 for 4 in the losing cause. (mcm)

June

6—WAA Deputy Regional Director John F. Taggart announced a bid process for the aircraft at Kingman and Ontario, CA. Some 8000 aircraft will be scrapped at these locations. The bids will go to Washington, D. C.; they need to be received by 12 Noon on First of July. The successful bidder for the lot at Kingman will have 14 months to clear all aircraft for the field. (mcm)

11—The WAA beat the Bureau of Reclamation, 13 to 10. WAA record is 1 win and 2 losses. (mcm)

27—The aircraft inventory at KAAF is 5553, 10 aircraft were sold and number for salvage is 5543. (waa) The WAA softball team’s record moved to 2 wins and 3 losses. (mcm)

July

11—WAA softball team’s standings in the league is 2 wins and 5 losses. (mcm)

28—WAA Evaluation Engineers Colonel Asalee J. Read and L. C. Hampton did an inspection tour of KAAF. (mcm)

August

9—War Asset Administration awarded the Martin Wunderlich Company of Jefferson City, MO. The bid of $2,780,000 is to destroy 5540 aircraft being stored at the KAAF. (mcm)

20—Ronald Appel, 12, was flown over by John Stewart in an A-20. He wanted to purchase a P-51 or P-38 from the WAA that the government didn’t need anymore. The WAA gave him a chance to visit KAAF. (mcm)

26—Tom Lillico and Fin Harris of FlagstaffState College visited Yucca AAF to look at the buildings there for the future use by the college. Matt Hanhila, Mohave County High School, showed the men around. They founded that buildings were already spoken for by the MohaveCounty and Bureau of Reclamation. (mcm)

September

12—The local WAA office, ran by Dean Lewis helped John Osterman purchase a bulldozer at the Port Hueneme surplus sales. (mcm)

October

29—Colonel A. J. Read advised the MohaveCounty Board of Supervisors the headquarters’ building at Yucca AAF will go the BullheadSchool District. (mcm)

31—Yucca AAF is declared surplus. (mcm)

November

14—Kingman Army Air Field is up for sale read a column on the front page of the MohaveCounty Miner paper. This is for property that can be removed from the site in 30 days. The seal bids need to be in by 11 A. M. on 22nd of November. The bids can go to Los Angeles, CA or Phoenix, AZ. (mcm)

December

19—The buildings at Yucca AAF will be up for sale in the near future. (mcm)

 

© 1990-2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Rob Chilcoat

 

History of Kingman Army Air Field & Storage Depot 41