The main photo reads:

"reprinted from "The Examiner" Warrington, England. October 13th, 1945"

(credit to: James B. Tunison and Paulette Starz)

'NEATH WING OF A "FORT"

Harvesting at Burtonwood U.S.A.A.F.

Illustrating how the aircraft requiring parking accommodation at the vast Burtonwood airport invaded even the fields under cultivation at surrounding farms, the photograph shows Miss Millicent Haywood of Newton-le-Willows, garnering the sheaves under the wing of a B-17.

WITH the closing of the American First Base Air Depot (Burtonwood) the story of the United States Army Air Forces' "Detroit of Britain" can now be told.

By SGT. D. KARTEN

(Photographs by T./Sgt. R. E. Lackenbach)

SITUATED less than three miles from Warrington, the site was considered ideal for the establishment of a huge repair depot since seaport facilities were close by at Liverpool, while proximity to Manchester and a closely-knit highway of manufacturing towns gave it easy access to numerous rail lines.

This " North West England " location also put the base within easy reach of main airlines to and from the U.S. and the misty Lancashire climate and its great distance from Luftwaffe bases made the probability of enemy attack fairly remote.

It was little wonder then, when it became known early in 1942, that the U.S. Army would operate in the British Isles against the enemy, Burtonwood was suggested as the most likely spot for repair and maintenance of American aircraft.

The grounds had originally been occupied by the R.A.F. maintenance unit in March 1940 and had been converted into a " shadow factory " by the Ministry of Aircraft Production in May of the same year.

In September, the Fairey Aviation Corporation was appointed parent company of the depot, and existing repair facilities were enlarged and additional civilian employees were hired to keep pace with the mounting demands dictated by the turn of the war.

YANKS TAKE OVER

In the summer of 1942 arrangements were made for the Yanks to take over the depot in its entirety in accordance with the terms of reverse lend-lease.

On June 11th, 1942, a U.S. Army contingent, consisting of six officers and 127 enlisted men—the first Yanks to make their appearance in Lancashire County—arrived. They were soon followed by hundreds of other Americans.

These first groups consisted mainly of aircraft repair squadrons and supply men who set up facilities for the handling of parts and machinery that were already arriving from the States.

By the end of July, the Americans had set up 6 supply hangars, and complete machine shops and were already assuming the functions of engine installations, aircraft repair, and flight testing.

The Air Service Command's general expansion and a complete reorganization of the depot included the relocation of engine and propeller shops, large increases in machine tools and equipment, and facilities for the repair of all types of aircraft.

To facilitate repair work, they built their own manufacturing section which contained a complete machine shop, sheet metal shop, and a metal finishing department.

Important metal parts and assemblies that were required immediately and were not available through normal supply channels were fabricated here.

In addition, the depot set up its own propeller shop, parachute, and fabric shop, fuselage repair hangars, and instrument and accessories shops, and began manufacturing its own modification kits, both for stage modification of new aircraft and for special modification on old aircraft.

A Signal section for procuring, storing, and issuing all signal equipment peculiar to the Air Corps and for supervising the installation and maintenance of airborne signal equipment was erected almost overnight.

WORLD RECORD

The rest is history. In June 1942, the month the Americans took over the operation of the depot, engine overhaul output totaled 40 engines. In April 1945, Burtonwood's GIs backed the great aerial offensive against the Reich with a world record total of 2,302 engines.

With the advent of D-Day the tempo of work was accelerated and personnel were called upon for a greater effort than ever before—modifying aircraft, repairing engines, and furnishing supplies for air combat units throughout the European Theatre of Operations.

THE PEAK

The ever-increasing numbers of combat planes arriving from the States reached their peak in May 1944, and on Saturday, May 6th, the skies over Warrington were darkened by a swarm of 55 B-17s gliding in for a landing. A 7-day week was established and the soldier-technicians, working round the clock, began smashing every record in the books for aircraft production.

Shortly after the Allied Invasion of the continent, the 8th and 9th Air Forces launched their all-out air offensives with strategic bombing of industrial centers plus tactical air support of the ground forces.

To make this possible, huge and increasing numbers of aircraft of various types were dispatched from the home base. England.

Burtonwood kept pace providing and maintaining this air power by preparing for operational use of all new aircraft arriving in the theatre and returning battle-damaged planes to combat as swiftly as possible.

During the 24 months of Burtonwood's operation of the longest engine line in the ETO — American soldier - mechanics achieved a maintenance miracle by readying for front-line service some 40,448 radial engines. An average of 1,685 power plants a month.

A sign with an American slogan, which still hangs in the now-empty engine overhaul hangar, tells the story. It reads, " The impossible things we do quickly, the miracles take a little longer."

The attached photo is of Mary Ann Site. The large building in the center is Supply Warehouse and Workshops Building 225.

To Preserve the History and Legacy of the 8th Air Force during World War Two, We encourage sharing information. 

Life in the ETO

Another discovery from James B. Tunison!

A "military payment certificate"!

Never heard of these... and 5 cents no less !!!

This is the ONLY one so far!

MILITARY PAYMENT CERTIFICATES 1946 – 1973

Between 1946 & 1973 the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) produced

Military Payment Certificates (MPC) for the U.S. Department of Defense

MPCs were a form of scrip (paper money issued for temporary use) used to pay U.S. military and civilian
personnel and to conduct other financial transactions on designated overseas military bases.To help stabilize other local economies.

Could This Be Your Relative Here?

I'm scanning more of my dad's James B. Tunison photos and ran across this one with everyone's names. It's a long shot if any relatives are following this page but I thought it's worth a try. And it's a cool snapshot-in-time photo taken on 7 August 1945

Group photo of Inside of Section 7 Barracks Hut Building 11 on Site Number 6

 To Preserve the History and Legacy of the 8th Air Force during World War Two

Here are a few more random photos from James B. Tunison, he was stationed at Burtonwood from about '43 to '46. I've posted all his pictures on the  Tunison"Albums" page.

USAAF personnel in front of a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt at Burtonwood

Credit James Tunison

Crash Landing of A-20 Hovoc at Burtonwood Credit James Tunison

A Modified Lockheed P-38 Lightning with a longer nose was used for reconnaissance work

they were called the F-5 G

The photo was taken at Burtonwood—credit to James Tunison

A photo of a Boeing B-17 during WW2. Note that James B Tunison was also in Switzerland. The image was taken in 1945 in Dübendorf, Switzerland, not Burtonwood. It shows the bomber "Piccadilly Ann," which had to make an emergency landing on March 16, 1944

To Preserve the History and Legacy of the 8th Air Force during World War Two.

 B- 17 Named Piccadilly Ann at Dubendorf Switzerland

Same B- 17 Without a name

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