Madras Army Airfield

Madras Army Airfield (1943-1945) - A World War II U.S. Army Air Field established in 1943 near Madras, Jefferson County, Oregon. First named Madras Army Airfield after the location. It closed after the end of WWII in 1945.

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History

In January 1943 the Army confirmed that the small Oregon town of Madras would be the site of a combat training Army Airfield. The 1940 population of Madras was just 412.

Construction of the new airfield included two hangars for the Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress Bombers to be assigned at the base. Madras was overwhelmed by the construction activity that included hangers, runways, taxi strips, hard-stands, and the rapid influx of several hundred officers, enlisted GIs, and Army construction workers. Many newcomers had to find quarters in Madras homes and travel to the airfield by military buses.

In September 1944 the mission changed from aircrew training to aircraft maintenance. Aircrew training moved to nearby Redmond Army Airfield and flight instruction ended.

In November 1945 the base was declared surplus and reverted to the control of the War Assets and the Civil Aviation Administration. A campaign by Madras and Jefferson County officials to obtain ownership and control of the base was successful and on 3 Apr 1947 Madras Army Airfield was transferred to civil authorities.

Current Status

Now Madras Municipal Airport. The two WWII hangers still exist.

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Location: Near Madras in Jefferson County, Oregon. Maps & Images Lat: 44.670278 Long: -121.155000 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 2,437

GPS Locations: 44.670278, -121.155000 Madras Army Airfield

See Also:

• Redmond Army Airfield
• Oregon Airfields

Sources:

• US Army Owned, Sponsored and Leased Facilities Report, AMD-1, Office of the Chief of Engineers, 31 Dec 1945, CDSG Pdf
• Shaw, Frederick J. Ed., Locating Air Force Base Sites: History's Legacy, updated 2014, Air Force History and Museums Program, USAF, Washington DC, 2004, 268 pages

Links:

• Wikipedia - Madras Municipal Airport
• The Army Air Forces in World War II, Part 6, men and Planes, Chapter 4.

Fortification ID:

• OR0105 - Madras Army Airfield

Visited: No

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