Turner Air Force Base - Origins

Origins

In the summer of 1940, Army Air Corps personnel from Maxwell AAF in Montgomery, Alabama contacted the Albany Chamber of Commerce about the possibility of locating a training base at their community with the stipulation that the local government purchase the property. Anticipating the economic benefit to the area, the local government accepted the proposal.

The Air Corps looked at several sites including the existing Albany Municipal Airport. The municipal airport eventually became the site of a primary Contract Pilot School (Albany Army Airfield). The Air Corps finally settled on a site four miles (6 km) northeast of town in Dougherty County. The Chamber of Commerce raised $95,000 to purchase over 4,700 acres (19 km2) for the main base and four auxiliary fields in Lee County. When the Army indicated it desired an additional 200 acres (0.81 km2) for the main base, the City purchased the property outright. All of the land was then leased to the Air Corps for 51 per annum with a 99-year option.

Construction got under way on 25 March 1941 for the new training airfield. The immediate construction involved runways and airplane hangars, with three concrete runways, several taxiways and a large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tarpaper.

Initially named the Albany Army Airfield, the base became Turner Army Airfield on 21 July 1941, in honor of Georgia native Lt. Sullivan Preston Turner, killed the year before as a result of a mid-air collision. It was activated on 12 August, although the base was far from complete. In addition to the main base, Turner AAF had the following satellite airfields:

• Turner AAF Aux No. 1 – (Leesburg Field), Leesburg, Georgia 31°47′00″N 84°03′00″W / 31.78333°N 84.05000°W / 31.78333; -84.05000 (Leesburg Field)
• Turner AAF Aux No. 2 (West Smithville Field), Smithville, Georgia 31°53′09.276″N 84°17′10.14″W / 31.88591000°N 84.2861500°W / 31.88591000; -84.2861500 (West Smithville Field)
• Turner AAF Aux No. 3 – (West Leesburg Field), Leesburg, Georgia, 31°42′59.76″N 84°12′43.24″W / 31.7166000°N 84.2120111°W / 31.7166000; -84.2120111 (West Leesburg Field)
• Turner AAF Aux No. 4 – (Albany Army Airfield), Albany, Georgia 31°32′08.952″N 84°11′31.63″W / 31.53582000°N 84.1921194°W / 31.53582000; -84.1921194 (Albany Army Airfield)
• Turner AAF Aux No. 5 – Turf field in the Albany, Georgia area, exact location unknown.
• Turner AAF Aux No. 6 – (North Smithville Field), Smithville, Georgia 31°57′00″N 84°12′30″W / 31.95000°N 84.20833°W / 31.95000; -84.20833 (North Smithville Field)
• Turner AAF Aux No. 7 – (Cordele Army Airfield), Cordele, Georgia 31°59′27.312″N 83°46′30.4″W / 31.99092000°N 83.775111°W / 31.99092000; -83.775111 (Cordele Army Airfield)
• Turner AAF Aux No. 8 – (Vidalia-Lyons Field), Vidalia, Georgia 32°11′39.444″N 82°22′22.01″W / 32.19429000°N 82.3727806°W / 32.19429000; -82.3727806 (Vidalia-Lyons Field)
• Turner AAF Aux No. 9 – (Tifton Army Airfield), Tifton, Georgia 31°25′45.58″N 083°29′20.78″W / 31.4293278°N 83.4891056°W / 31.4293278; -83.4891056 (Tifton Army Airfield)