Naval Air Station Melbourne

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Naval Air Station Melbourne
Naval Air Station Melbourne insignia.jpg
Active1942-1946
CountryUnited States
AllegianceUnited States of America
BranchUnited States Navy
TypeNaval Air Station
RolePilot Training
SizeAirfield & 129 Buildings
Commanders
Current
commander		Inactive
NAS Melbourne Flight 143
NAS Melbourne Historical marker

Naval Air Station (NAS) Melbourne was a United States Naval Base in Melbourne, Florida. The Navy used NAS Melbourne for gunnery training for pilots of carrier-based fighter aircraft and as a base for WAVES during World War II.[1] While operational, over 2,200 U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps Naval Aviators trained in Grumman F4F Wildcats and F6F Hellcats at NAS Melbourne.[2]

History[]

The Navy constructed NAS Melbourne at the Melbourne Municipal Airport at the beginning of World War II and commissioned it on October 20, 1942 as Operational Training Unit No. 2.[2] The Navy closed the site on February 12, 1946[2] and returned it to the City of Melbourne as surplus property in 1947.[3] Currently, the City of Melbourne Airport Authority operates the site as the Orlando Melbourne International Airport.[3]

As an active military base, NAS Melbourne contained 129 buildings and served more than 310 officers and 1,355 enlisted personnel of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.[2] During the station's operation, 63 personnel died in aerial accidents and two enlisted men died in ground-related accidents.[2]

The station published two newspapers, starting with the Melbourne Wildcat from 1943–44, which was replaced by the Melbourne Hellcat from 1944-46

As of 2019, the worst aircraft accident occurred in South Brevard County, on March 26, 1944. A B-24 bomber from Savannah, with engine problems, crashed in Eau Gallie while attempting to divert to the Naval Air Station. Ten airmen were killed. There was one survivor.[4]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Institute on World War II and the Human Experience, Florida State University. "Florida Military Bases" Archived 2007-12-18 at the Wayback Machine. Department of History, Florida State University website. Retrieved on October 21, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e Melbourne Airport Authority Property Manager and the Florida Department of State. Naval Air Station Melbourne Florida Historical Marker located at the former site of NAS Melbourne.
  3. ^ a b Melbourne International Airport. “Melbourne International Airport History”. Melbourne International Airport website. Retrieved on October 21, 2007.
  4. ^ Neale, Rick (March 26, 2019). "Lost Liberator recalled". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 1A, 6A. Retrieved March 26, 2019.

External links[]

Coordinates: 28°06′04″N 80°37′56″W / 28.10111°N 80.63222°W / 28.10111; -80.63222

Retrieved from ""