Nichols Field

Nichols Field
Part of Fifth Air Force
Located near: Manila, Luzon, Philippines
Two North American A-27s of the 17th Pursuit Squadron at Nichols Field, Philippines, in 1941.
Coordinates	14°30′34″N 121°01′06″E / 14.50944°N 121.01833°E / 14.50944; 121.01833
Type	Military airfield
Site information
Controlled by	Air Service, United States Army 1919–1926 United States Army Air Corps 1926–1941 United States Army Air Forces 1941–1942; 1945–1946 (Occupied by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, 1942–1945)
Site history
Built	1919
Built by	Air Service, United States Army
In use	1941–1946
Battles/wars	World War II
Events	Battle of the Philippines (1941–42) Philippines Campaign (1944–45)

Nichols Field was a U.S. military airfield located south of Manila in Pasay and Parañaque, Metro Manila, Luzon, the Philippines. The complex is located at Andrews Avenue by the north, Domestic Road by the west, NAIA Road and Ninoy Aquino Avenue by the southwest, Multinational Avenue by the south (the future C-5 Extension), South Luzon Expressway and the Metro Manila Skyway by the east, and Sales Street by the northeast.

Camp Nichols was established by the Air Service, United States Army in 1919. Located near Fort William McKinley, south of Manila, it initially was the home of the 1st Group (Observation), being activated on 14 August 1919, Nichols Field became the headquarters of the Philippine Department Air Force, under the Army Philippine Department.

The 1st Group (later 4th Composite Group) consisted of the 2d, 3d and 28th Aero Squadrons in 1919. The 2d Aero Squadron (2d Observation Squadron), having served in the Philippines beginning in 1915, was transferred back from Rockwell Field, California in 1920 after training duties in the United States during the war. The 3d Aero Squadron (3d Pursuit Squadron), also a stateside training unit during the war, was transferred from Mitchel Field, New York in 1920. The 28th Aero Squadron (28th Bombardment Squadron), which had served in combat on the Western Front during the war, was transferred to the group in 1922. The 3d Pursuit Squadron was moved to Clark Field upon its arrival in 1920 and Nichols became home of Air Park No, 11 (later 66th Service Squadron, which supported the group logistically with equipment, supplies and vehicles both at Nichols and Clark Fields). It also became the home of the Manila Air Depot, which provided maintenance support for all Army and Navy aircraft in the Philippines.