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Illesheim Army Airfield |
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| History | |||
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| In 1947 the Illesheim Ordnance Depot and Vehicle Reserve Park was established at the Illesheim Airfield. The installation had a two-fold mission - operate a rebuild program for WWII-era vehicles and issue new equipment arriving from the States to US Army units in Germany. The first mission involved the rebuild and rehabilitation of US WWII-era vehicles ranging from jeeps to 2½-ton trucks that had been left behind by combat and support units redeploying to the US after the end of the war. Each vehicle was thoroughly rebuilt by maintenance shops, repainted and equipped with new tires and batteries. The vehicles were then issued to NATO allies under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. The first MDAP nation to receive rebuilt vehicles from the Illesheim Depot was France, when a shipment of jeeps and trucks were sen t to the French government in August 1950. In addition to the rebuild program, the activity was responsible for receiving new vehicles - jeeps, trucks, tractors, trailers and motorcycle - as well as replacement parts from the US for reissue to US Army units. Assembly lines in the converted hangars of the former German airfield were set up to reassemble the vehicles that have been shipped disassembled from the States. Outside of the hangars, on the runways and aprons of the airfield assembled vehicles were parked ready for reissue to units. In 1951, the 71st Ordnance Battalion moved from Zirndorf to Illesheim. The Battalion remained in Illesheim until 1956 when it relocated to Dachau. In 1952, acting on information provided by a German civilian employee working at the American installation, about 250 tons of old German equipment - ranging from complete plane engines and fuselages to helmets and canisters - were unearthed by the 301st Ord Hvy Maint Co at the airfield. The equipment had been buried by German military in the waning days of WWII. In late November or in December 1954, the 47th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) arrived at Illesheim. They remained until August 1961 when the detachment was inactivated. Personnel and equipment were transferred to the concurrently activated 2nd Platoon, 421st Medical Company. Looking at some STATION LISTS for 1960 and 1961, it appears that the 42nd Transportation Company (DS) moved from Illesheim to Sandhofen (near Mannheim) in early 1960. Sometime late 1961 to early 1962, the 591st Trans Co (DS) was activated or arrived in Illesheim, probably as part of the Berlin Crisis build up. (The 591st does not seemed to have been active before arriving at Illesheim.) |
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| 9th Infantry Div | |||
| 4th Armored Div | |||
| In the late 1950's and early 1960's Illesheim saw some new construction to include troop billets, a dining facility, and family housing apartments. | |||
| In 1962, the Illesheim AAF had a Ground Control Approach (GCA) radar (probably installed earlier - USAREUR started GCA radar operations in 1959). The airfield was one of ten in USAREUR (Germany, France and Italy) that had the GCA capability. The GCA was operated by a radar team of the 504th Avn Co, 4th Armd Div. | |||
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| 1970 | |||
| (Source: Email from D. Kent Stephens) | |||
| In reference to your photo of use of hangars at Illesheim in the 1960's (above). I was there from Dec. 1970 to Jan 1972. The Motor pool area on the left side of the photo was used by 2nd. Bn., 51st Infantry for maintenance. I was a mechanic and worked in that building. The vehicles there were mostly M113 personnel carriers, trucks, and jeeps. There is an M578 tracked recovery vehicle parked just across from the south end of the building, (hard to distinguish), but that's where it was parked while I was there. The three Barracks just to the East of the motor pool were the barracks for 2/51. Our mess hall was the small building just to the east of those. I enjoy looking at your photos, brings back many memories. |
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| 1st Armored Div | |||
| Major renovations occurred in 1973 (MOUSF-One). In 1985-1987 the Flight Simulator was constructed. In August 1988, the 11th Avn Bde (formerly stationed at Schwaebisch Hall) moved to Storck Barracks, Illesheim. |
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| The Army aviation mission in support of V Corps and US Army, Europe continued at Illesheim after the fall of the Wall and continues even today. Currently, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade calls Illesheim home. |
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 View of Storck Barracks from Westheim (Andrea Wilkins) |
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 Storck Barracks central heating plant with its tall brick chimney, an Illesheim landmark |
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 The "new" tower was completed in 2001 (Andrea Wilkins) |
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| (Source: CRUSADER, Vol 9, No 8, April 27, 2001 - milcom.de website) | |||
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| 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry (V Corps) | |||
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