History

The airport began with the purchase of 300 acres (121.4 ha) of land in 1928. During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces

United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

 Third Air Force

Third Air Force

The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....

 used the airport as a training base and added 1400 acres (566.6 ha). Known as Florence Army Airfield, the 52d Pursuit Group

52d Fighter Wing

The 52d Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.-Mission:The 52 FW maintains, deploys and employs F-16CJ and A/OA-10 aircraft and TPS-75 radar systems in support of NATO and the national defense directives...

 was assigned to the airfield on 18 February 1942 and trained with P-39 Aircobra and P-40 Warhawks until departing on 27 April for Wilmington, North Carolina.

A succession of Troop Carrier groups trained at Florence during 1943 those being the 63d, 65th, 313th and 315th prior to their deployment to Europe and North Africa. Afterwards, the airfield became a combat crew replacement training school for A-20 Havoc light bomber crews, with the 411th Bombardment Group being the Operational Training Unit at Florence AAF from 15 August 1943 until 1 May 1944.

After the 344th was inactivated, the replacement training was taken over by the 334th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Light Bombardment). Support units at Florence AAF were the 407th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 10th Aviation Squadron; 958th Guard Squadron; 341st Sub-Depot; HQ, 411th Bombardment Group (Light).

In addition, Florence AAF controlled two auxiliary training bases for its A-20 Training. Those were:

• Hartsville AAF
  Darlington County Jetport
  Darlington County Jetport is a public airport located 9 miles north of Darlington, South Carolina. The airport serves the general aviation community, with no scheduled commercial airline service.-History:...
  
    Darlington, South Carolina
  Darlington, South Carolina
  Darlington is a city in and the county seat of Darlington County, in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is a center for tobacco farming. The population was 6,720 at the 2000 census and is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area...
  
    34°26′45"N 79°54′00"W
• Hartsville Auxiliary Field, Hartsville, South Carolina
  Hartsville, South Carolina
  Hartsville is a small city in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,764 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hartsville is located at ....
  
    34°24′00"N 80°02′30"W

In early 1945, the airfield was transferred to First Air Force

First Air Force

The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....

, and the 127th Army Air Forces Base unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Light) assumed the A-26 Invader

A-26 Invader

The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...

 training mission.

After the war the property was given back to the City of Florence on 31 October 1945, and later shared with Florence County.

Operation of the airport was assigned to the Pee Dee Regional Airport Authority in 1999. The authority had nine representatives from the Pee Dee Regional Airport District, which includes the City of Florence, and the counties of Florence, Dillon

Dillon, South Carolina

Dillon, South Carolina, the county seat of Dillon County, was established on December 22, 1888. The name of the city came from James W. Dillon, who was a key component in bringing a railroad through this area of the state, which led to development and formation of the County. Dillon’s population...

 and Marion

Marion, South Carolina

Marion is a city in Marion County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,042 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County...

.

Florence Air & Missile Museum

From the 1960s until 1997 Florence was the home to a large aviation museum known as the Florence Air & Missile Museum

Florence Air & Missile Museum

The Florence Air & Missile Museum was an aviation museum which was located at the entrance to the Florence Regional Airport , in Florence, South Carolina. This airport was original known as Florence Field, a World War II U.S. Army Air Corps training field for A-26 Invader attack aircraft...

. When the Museum closed the collection was divided up and transferred to various other major aviation museums in the United States.

See also

• South Carolina World War II Army Airfields
  South Carolina World War II Army Airfields
  During World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in South Carolina for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
  
  

External links

• Florence Regional Airport, official site