| Poupeville Airfield Emergency Landing Ground ELS-1 | |
|---|---|
  Poupeville Poupeville (France) | |
| Coordinates | 49°22′57″N 001°12′06″W / 49.38250°N 1.20167°W |
| Type | Military Airfield |
| Site history | |
| In use | 6 June 1944-Undetermined |
| Battles/wars | Western Front (World War II) |
Poupeville Airfield is a former World War II airfield, located 1.7 km southeast of Saint-Jean-de-Daye in the Normandy region, France. It was the first airfield established by the United States Army Air Forces in France, being constructed on D-Day, 6 June 1944.
History
Consisting of nothing more than a sod 2000' emergency landing strip hastily built by IX Engineering Command on D-Day, the airfield served as the first safe location for Allied aircraft having to make an emergency landing on the beachhead. It was only intended for landings, and not for takeoffs.
It is not known if it was actually used.
According to the IX Engineer Command website it is not known when the airstrip was released back to its owners.
References
- Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
External links
- A-18 Saint-Jean-de-Daye (In French)