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370:, stores, and other crew facilities were added to the contract to support the larger number of aircraft. By the end of construction, Bourne hosted four barracks which provided living space for 740 personnel, and 74 housing units. In 1942, the contract was updated for the last time. The long runway was paved, and oil tanks were added with the capacity for 100,000
48:
71:
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squadron serviced through tender ships in nearby
Lindbergh Bay. One runway was lengthened to 4,800 feet (1,500 m) and serviced by an enlarged hangar, new stores, quarters, commissary, and a 60-bed hospital. To support seaplanes, a hangar, ramp, and equipment shop were built. By the end of the
459:
the land to the US Virgin
Islands. However, the department canceled the lease on 1 July 1954 citing violations of the agreement whereby the US Virgin Islands failed to register and report financial transactions relating to the land; the property was given to the US Virgin Islands Corporation.
318:, the first person to fly non-stop from the United States to Nicaragua. It served as a training airstrip for the US Marine Corps, originally made up of two 1,600-foot (490 m) long unpaved runways. Assigned to Bourne was the VO-9M observation squadron, a part of Aircraft One of the
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Following a review of the various construction projects, the US Navy changed the requirements of the contract and required additional work to be done at Bourne which would allow it to operate two Marine squadrons and 6 patrol
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In June 1944, most of the base's supplies were relocated to the
Pacific, where there was a greater demand for equipment. By 1946, the facility was designated as "caretaker status" and operations were handed over to
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for civilian use, with the Navy reserving the power to reactivate the airport for military purposes. After the transfer, the former hangar was converted into the civilian terminal and named after
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for civilian service. The base was redesignated for the last time as MCAF St. Thomas, Virgin
Islands on 8 August 1947, and decommissioned on February 16, 1948. The airport was then leased to the
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of the base. On 1 July 1944, The base was redesignated as MCAS (Marine Corps Air
Station) St. Thomas, merging with the nearby seaplane base at Lindbergh Bay and an emergency runway on
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and various supporting facilities, including a hospital and administrative buildings. In July 1940, the contract was updated to include the expansion of Bourne and the military
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295:. The previously civilian airstrip was acquired by the US government and operated as a military base between 1935 and 1948, then returned to civilian use.
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311:. Originally known as Mosquito Bay, the field was the first airport to service the island of St. Thomas, with the first passengers arriving in 1928.
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of diesel oil. On 4 March 1943 the air station was merged with the nearby Navy
Operating Base, St. Thomas, and redesignated as such.
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arrived on the island to supplement the civilian contractors. The contract was canceled on 26 June, leaving the Navy to finish
333:, which initially included 44 individual projects. Over the next few years, the contract would include the construction of
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2 million. On 1 December 1941, the base was renamed MCAF (Marine Corps Air
Facility) St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
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Building the Navy's Bases in World War II: A History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, 1940-1946, Volume 2
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The airstrip was taken over by the US government on
September 1, 1935 and renamed Bourne Field, after
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U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air Units in the
Pacific War, 1939-1945
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on St. Thomas. The contract called for Bourne to be able to service a permanent 18-plane Marine
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in 1944. In May 1944, the unit was deactivated. The purpose of the squadron was to maintain an
322:. In 1936, the squadron was re-designated as VMS-3 (Marine Scouting Squadron 3), operating the
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721:. Chief of Naval Operations and Naval Air Systems Command, Navy Department. 1948. p. 26.
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on St. Thomas, an island that is part of the US Virgin
Islands and located within the
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705:. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. pp. 68–69.
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year, 140 US Marines were stationed at the base. Construction costs exceeded
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On 30 October 1939 the US Navy awarded a contract for the development of
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Elevated view of Bourne Field showing a portion of one runway and hangar.
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Bourne Field's main hangar with a J2F observation aircraft in front.
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Painting of Bourne Field, showing the nearby bays and runways.
601:. 24 December 1940. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
739:. 6 March 1946. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
595:"Article on Bourne Field (title unclear, through OCR)"
751:"Interior transfers Bourne Field, Subbase, to ViCorp"
22:
Marine Corps Air Facility St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
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702:Marine Corps Aviation: The Early Years, 1912-1940
303:The airstrip was located in a swamp 5 miles from
771:History of Marine Corps aviation in World War II
455:On 25 March 1950 the Department of the Interior
404:, VMS-3 (nicknamed the Devilbirds) operated the
774:. Washington, Combat Forces Press. p. 440.
733:"[Article on disposal of Bourne Field]"
428:, however the diminishing activity of German
8:
452:, a civilian facility servicing St. Thomas.
412:in 1942; the Kingfisher was replaced by the
408:utility aircraft, which was replaced by the
383:Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 507
283:. Throughout its service, it was known as
37:St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands in the
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757:. 25 June 1954 – via Google News.
699:Johnson, Edward C.; États-Unis (1977).
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16:Defunct military airstrip in St. Thomas
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616:"Cyril E. King Airport - St. Thomas"
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258:1,600 feet (488 m) unpaved
250:4,800 feet (1,463 m) paved
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381:On 11 June 1943 the 260-man strong
155:1954: US Virgin Islands Corporation
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791:Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
320:United States Fleet Marine Forces
194:Civilian: 1928-1935, 1948-present
688:. U.S. Navy Seabee Museum. 1947.
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554:
523:Lieutenant Colonel Harold Major
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69:
62:
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618:. Virgin Islands Port Authority
293:MCAF St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
285:Navy Operating Base, St. Thomas
275:Air Facility (MCAF) located on
653:. Greenwood Publishing Group.
448:. The airport operates as the
1:
755:The Virgin Islands Daily News
442:US Department of the Interior
335:Isla Grande Naval Air Station
83:Location in the United States
768:Sherrod, Robert Lee (1952).
647:Rottman, Gordon L. (2002).
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446:President Harry S. Truman
432:made the base redundant.
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132:Marine Corps Air Facility
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374:of gasoline and 135,000
192:Military: 1935 - 1948
152:Department of Interior
599:Battle Creek Enquirer
450:Cyril E. King Airport
414:SBD scout dive-bomber
331:San Juan, Puerto Rico
316:Major Louis T. Bourne
204:Cyril E. King Airport
147:Department of Defense
113:18.33722°N 64.97333°W
400:At the start of the
223:Airfield information
210:Garrison information
718:Naval Aviation News
476:
470:commanding officers
464:Commanding officers
324:Vought SU-2 Corsair
118:18.33722; -64.97333
109: /
539:Rodgers Humphreys
501:Lieutenant Colonel
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349:and an additional
242:Length and surface
660:978-0-313-31906-8
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533:2 September 1945
410:OS2N-1 Kingfisher
281:US Virgin Islands
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402:Second World War
305:Charlotte-Amalie
279:, a part of the
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137:Site information
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420:patrol between
395:Anguilla Island
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289:MCAS St. Thomas
273:US Marine Corps
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343:submarine base
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468:Bourne Field
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39:United States
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620:. Retrieved
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504:Ford Rodgers
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387:construction
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351:patrol-plane
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269:Bourne Field
268:
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184:Site history
149:
77:Bourne Field
29:Bourne Field
28:
422:Puerto Rico
391:maintenance
309:West Indies
189:In use
116: /
104:064°58′24″W
92:Coordinates
622:2022-07-31
579:References
426:Martinique
406:J2F-A Duck
277:St. Thomas
101:18°20′14″N
364:seaplanes
238:Direction
215:Occupants
176:Condition
785:Category
494:Pre-war
438:airlines
368:barracks
347:squadron
160:Operator
548:Gallery
537:Captain
430:U-boats
376:barrels
372:gallons
366:. More
299:History
232:Runways
165:US Navy
657:
489:Image
480:Start
457:leased
291:, and
271:was a
170:US DoI
168:1948:
163:1935:
150:1950:
145:1935:
486:Name
218:VMS-3
142:Owner
655:ISBN
483:End
424:and
389:and
356:US$
341:and
199:Fate
129:Type
255:N/S
247:E/W
787::
753:.
735:.
669:^
631:^
607:^
597:.
586:^
472::
397:.
326:.
287:,
663:.
625:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
