Picture

1947

Storage Depot 41 was moving right along. They were selling everything. A lot of things sold there, ended up being used in the town of Kingman. Depot 41 was good to Kingman.

January

13—Edward C. Colson, State Director of the Arizona District Office of the War Asset Administration and Edward V. Crook, Chief of Disposals visited KAAF for a thorough inspection personal property of $50,000 for disposal and the property will be offered only to Arizona residents. They also visited civic groups of Kingman and BullheadCity to brief them on the government procedures of disposing of this property. Colson appointed Charles Ostendorf as the resident inspector to the airfield, his job was to make sure all remaining property had been disposed of. (mcm)

February

6—Sergeant W. L. Leach and family move to Kingman after being station at San Bernardino AAF, CA. Sgt Leach was stationed at KAAF during the war. He moved his family here because they enjoyed Kingman and he was being transferred to Japan. (mcm)

7—William Larkin visited KAAF, to set up his photographic adventure. (wl)

8—Mr. Larkin shot 352 negatives exposures of 60 aircraft on the ground. He would be driven around the airfield by a guard. (wl)

9—Mr. Larkin rented a Piper Cub and pilot. This was to do some aerial shot of the airfield. He took some 2 dozen shots of the airfield. (wl)

13—MohaveCounty government officially requested the Yucca AAF. The county wanted airfield for another airport for the county. (mcm)

14—The sale of remaining buildings opens and runs till 25th of February. The buildings have to go off-site. (mcm)

April

21—Start of a week long sale of fixed price government surplus will begin today. The sale is worth over $200,000. Monday is for federal agencies purchases. (mcm)

22—Sales of surplus property to veterans of the war are made available. E. B. Fontaine of Aircraft Conversion Company spoke to the members of the Lion’s Club. He outlined the handling of the aircraft from chopping to smelting to making pure aluminum when the process is complete. (mcm)

23—The veterans bought $55,000 of the surplus in 2 days of the sale. (mcm)

24—The state agencies, political parties of the state and non-profit organization of the state will make their purchases. (mcm)

25—The non-priority buyer can make their purchases. (mcm)

27—Aircraft Conversion Company is employing 260 people. (mcm)

May

5—The Wunderlich Company is asking the MohaveCounty Supervisors for lower taxes. The taxes were set at $22,230 for 1947. (mcm)

June

1—A group of Kingman flyers flew to Site Six for a breakfast cookout. (mcm)

16—Thousand people were working for Aircraft Conversion Company. (mcm)

July

10—MohaveCounty receives a right of entry to Kingman Army Air Field. William Ball, CountyAirport Manager of KAAF (who was appointed by Board of Supervisors) said that the War Asset Administration granted the use of runways #1 and #2 and the emergency use of #3. This is the first step in moving towards the county getting the airfield. The total of 203 buildings is up for sale at KAAF. The WAA has issued sealed bid invitations for the building and fixtures. They need to be in at 11 A. M. on 7th of August at the Los Angeles, CA office. (mcm)

15—Kingman Flying Services moves its operations to KAAF. (mcm)

17—For the past week, Benjamin R. Paul and his wife have been visiting the Joe Bernstein Family home. Mr. Paul is an attorney in Chicago and was station here at KAAF. (mcm)

August

7—The Interior Department has reverted 20,780 acres of land used by the War Department for the KAAF Gunnery Training Operations. The opening bids for the buildings at KAAF will be opened at 11 A. M. at building 44. (mcm)

20—Colonel Harvey Huglin and two others survived a B-17 crashed 70 miles west of Hawaii. They were heading to Japan. George Atcheson, political advisor to General Douglas MacArthur and several high ranking dignitaries were killed. (mcm)

September

21—Kingman Flying Service has been approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration for flight courses at KAAF. George Steinke and Leonard Pemberton moved their operations to the airfield. (mcn)

October

2—Brazilian Air Force Officers, Colonel Lima and Captain Rugiero recently visited the airfield. (mcm)

9—W. H. Miller and his wife were house guests of Kirk Morgan family. The Millers flew in from Rexburg, ID in Mr. Miller’s new Cessna. Both men were stationed at KAAF and are planning a pilot reunion in June at the old airfield. (mcm)

18—W. B. Bricker and Andrew Grant were killed when the B-18 they were flying stalled after take-off. They used north-south runway when it happen. They were here to pick-up aviation instruments. They were business partners in the Aircraft Aviation Specialists. (mcm)

22—At 10 A. M. will start a spot bid sale of 117 building at KAAF. (mcm)

December

12—War Asset Administration will start another fixed price sale at KAAF. Close to $50,000 in surplus, from kitchen equipment to office furniture. The federal agencies have today for the sales. (mcm)

15 & 16—Veterans groups and individuals have their turn in the sales. (mcm)

17—The FWA will have the morning and RFC will have 2 hours in the afternoon for the sales. (mcm)

18—State and local governments are in the morning and tax-exempt, non-profit institutions in the afternoon for the sales. (mcm)

19—The commercial and industrial buyers have all day for the sales. (mcm)

 

© 1990-2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Rob Chilcoat

 

History of Kingman Army Air Field & Storage Depot 41