Beane Air Force Base
| Beane Air Force Base | |
|---|---|
| Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia | |
| Coordinates | 13°43′59″N 060°57′09″W / 13.73306°N 60.95250°W |
| Type | Military airfield |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1941 |
| In use | 1941–49 |
| Demolished | converted to Hewanorra International Airport |
| Beane Air Force Base | |
|---|---|
| Summary | |
| Airport type | Military |
| Operator | United States Army Air Forces |
| Elevation AMSL | 14 ft / 4 m |
| Coordinates | 13°43′59″N 060°57′09″W / 13.73306°N 60.95250°W |
Beane Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located near Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, in the Caribbean Sea. It is now the site of Hewanorra International Airport.
The base was probably named for James Beane, a US Army Air Force World War I flying ace.
Beane Field was used as a military airfield by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force during World War II. It was activated in early 1941, with a mission to defend Saint Lucia against an enemy attack.
The 5th Bombardment Squadron (9th Bombardment Group) and 59th Bombardment Squadron (25th Bombardment Group) operated B-18 Bolo bombers from the airfield from 28 Sept. 1941 - 24 Mar. 1944 flying antisubmarine patrols.
With the end of World War II, Beane Field was reduced to a skeleton staff. Its primary mission was with the Military Air Transport Service, acting as a weather reporting station and as a military airfield for transport aircraft. The airfield's control tower was closed on 14 January 1946 for a brief period, but was reopened on 23 July 1946. The airfield's primarily unit was the MATS 6th Weather Squadron (Regional), with overall command of the base being that of the 24th Composite Wing, headquartered at Ramey AFB (now Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen), Puerto Rico.
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