Type Combat Airfield Built 1918 | Condition Agricultural area In use 1918–1919 | |
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Controlled by Air Service, United States Army | ||
Béthelainville Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located 0.5 miles (0.80 km) Southwest of Béthelainville, in the Meuse department in the Lorraine region in northeastern France.
Overview
A lease was acquired for the land in early September 1918, and a construction squadron began work on building the airfield initially on 20 September. Seven French Bessonnenux aircraft hangars were erected, along with 11 American tents and three additional French tents. Béthelainville Aerodrome was designed for short-term use and no telephone or electrical systems were installed.
The airfield was turned over to the First Army Air Service on 12 October, being assigned to the III Corps Observation Group, during the Meuse-Argonne Campaign. It was used as a battlefield reconnaissance airfield during the offensive. Known units assigned to the field were:
By the beginning of December 1918, the American squadrons were reassigned and the airfield was abandoned. It was turned over to the 1st Air Depot for de-construction. All hangars and other structures were dismantled and all useful supplies and equipment were removed and sent back to the Depot for storage. Upon completion, the land was turned over to the French government.
Eventually the land was returned to agricultural use by the local farmers. Today, what was Béthelainville Aerodrome is a cultivated field located adjacent to a forested area about a half mile west of Béthelainville, with no indications of its wartime use. The wooded area to the west of the Airfield remains a forested area.