List of Air Service American Expeditionary Force aerodromes in France

The Fly Paper - 18 November 1918 As part of the buildup of US forces, aviation units were formed into aero squadrons primarily at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas, with additional units being formed at Rockwell Field, San Diego, California. Once formed, and prior to their deployment to Europe, Camp Taliaferro, north of Fort Worth, Texas, and several airfields near Toronto, Ontario, Canada were used by the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to perform flight training for the new aero squadrons. Camp Hancock, near Augusta, Georgia, was used for training service squadrons of aircraft mechanics as well as flight training. When ordered to deploy, units departed though Garden City, New York, which was the primary port of embarkment. Units there were loaded onto transport ships for the trans-Atlantic crossing. Upon arrival in Europe, Liverpool, England, and Brest, France, were the primary ports of disembarkation, although other ports were also used. Some aero squadrons arriving in England received additional training from the Royal Flying Corps, and later the Royal Air Force (RAF) once it was established, and were then attached to British squadrons, deploying with them to France. Others received further training and were sent to Winchester, Hampshire, where they awaited their cross-channel transfer to France, using the port of Southampton. After deployment to France, Air Service Replacement Concentration Barracks in St. Maixent was the primary reception center for new aero squadrons assigned to the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). There, units were classified as pursuit, bombardment or as observation units. Once processed, units were sent to one of several Air Instructional Centers (AIC) where they received additional training, then/or to the First Corps Observation Group School on Amanty Aerodrome or to the First Pursuit Organization and Training Center on Villeneuve-les-Vertus Aerodrome. After assignment, the Air Service's deployed units operated from grass aerodromes, at first using airfields already built by the French "Aéronautique Militaire", then from new aerodromes purposely built for the American forces. The exact location of many of these aerodromes is no longer certain as many archives have since disappeared, and as the facilities were only temporary, most of the traces have long vanished through ploughing. After the Armistice came into effect in November 1918, the wartime Air Service was demobilized. This process was completed within a year and the National Defense Act of 1920 then established the United States Army Air Service on a permanent basis, with several new units being formed. Later, some of the temporary wartime units were consolidated to retain the lineage and honors of their wartime service with the AEF. ==Stations==

Below is a list of the barracks and aerodromes used by the American Expeditionary Force that were sent to France during World War I. Most of the headquarters and command services used barracks or requisitioned properties not linked with flying grounds, yet some were installed on airfields as in Souilly, Saizerais or in Toul, where the "Gengoult" barracks had been built by the French "Aeronautique Militaire" on the northern edge of the Croix de Metz airfields (misspelt for "Gengault"). American sector Command and control • Headquarters, Air Service, AEF, Chaumont, Champagne-Ardenne :: 93d Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 6 November – 15 December 1918 :: 103d Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 6 November 1918 – 5 January 1919 :: 213th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 6 November – 29 January 1919 : French then American Air Service airfield. : Headquarters, 3d Pursuit Group, 20 September – 6 November 1918 :: 28th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 20 September – 6 November 1918 :: 93d Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 21 September – 5 November 1918 :: 103d Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 20 September – 6 November 1918 :: 213th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 20 September – 5 November 1918) 8 Aug – 8 Sept 1918 : Now: Luxeuil Air Base (BA 116) • Manonville Aerodrome : Located south of Thiaucourt, near Toul, it is only a possible airfield, where 85th Aero Squadron stayed 4–10 November 1918. • Maulan Aerodrome : Located SSW of Maulan, Lorraine. : (French) and American Air Services airfield. : Headquarters, 1st Day Bombardment Group, 25 Sept – 17 Jan 1919 :: 11th Aero Squadron (Day Bomb.), 24 Sept 1918 – 17 Jan 1919 :: 20th Aero Squadron (Day Bomb.), 23 Sept 1918 – 16 Jan 1919 :: 96th Aero Squadron (Day Bomb.), 23 Sept 1918 – 10 Jan 1919 :: 166th Aero Squadron (Day Bomb.), 25 Sept – 22 Nov 1918 • May-en-Multien Aerodrome : Located south of May-en-Multien, Île-de-France, along the D 405, towards Meaux. : French and American Air Services airfield. : Headquarters, I Corps Observation Group, 5–10 August 1918 ;; Artillery Aerial Observation Schools: • 1st Artillery Aerial Observation School (1st AAOS) : : Coetquidan training range near Guer, in Brittany, France • 2d Artillery Aerial Observation School (2d AAOS) : : Souge training range, near Bordeaux, France : Now: Former Army training grounds (airfield closed), northwest of Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport • 3d Artillery Aerial Observation School (3d AAOS) : Mailly-le-Camp (Mailly training range), Aube. : Aircraft of attached 99th Aero Squadron (11 March to 31 May 1918) were stationed at Haussimont Aerodrome , 1 km south of Haussimont, Marne. • 4th Artillery Aerial Observation School (4th AAOS) : : Locmaria-Grand-Champ Aerodrome, near the Meucon training range, north of Vannes, in Brittany, France • 5th Artillery Aerial Observation School (5th AAOS) : : Le Valdahon training range, 20 km east of Besançon, France • Artillery Officers School (Aviation Detachment) : : Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg Aerodrome, on the Saumur Artillery School training grounds, south of Saumur, France : Observation School for Artillery Officers ;; Miscellaneous AEF Schools • Cazaux Aviation Instruction Center : : French aerial and anti-aircraft gunnery school created in 1915 on Cazaux Aerodrome, France; detachment of the American 2nd Aviation Instruction Center (Tours). : Now: Cazaux Air Base (BA 120) • Saint-Jean-de-Monts Aerial Gunnery School : : Saint-Jean-de-Monts Aerodrome, France • I Corps Aeronautical School** : Gondrecourt-le-Château, France • II Corps Aeronautical School : : Chatillon-Sur-Seine Aerodrome, France • The I Corps Aeronautical School was a temporary school, located at the French Air Service machine-gun training school at Gondrecourt-le-Château. About 225 men were sent to the school during March and April, 1918. ==References==