Original Land Owners

In addition, the railroad spur took land from the following people

Training Photos

In 1940-41 the Beech Aircraft Company designed an advanced multi-engine trainer for ease and speed of manufacture on a large scale and named it the "Wichita." To conserve scarce metals needed for combat aircraft, Beech built the airframe out of plywood with only the engine cowlings and cockpit enclosure constructed of aluminum. The fuel tanks also were made of wood and covered with neoprene, a synthetic rubber. The extensive use of wood permitted Beech to subcontract the production of many components to furniture makers and other firms. This advanced trainer, designated the AT-10, had superior performance among twin engine trainers of its type and over half of the Army Air Force's pilots received transitional training from single- to multi-engine aircraft in them. Between 1941 and 1943 Beech built 1,771 AT-10s and Globe Aircraft Corporation (which became Temco after World War II) built 600 in Dallas, Texas. The Museum placed this AT-10 on display in June 1997.

SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 44 ft. 0 in.
Length: 34 ft. 4 in.
Height: 10 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 6,465 lbs.
Armament: None
Engine: Two Lycoming R-680-9 radials of 295 hp. each

Auxiliary Fields

Auxiliary fields were constructed at Walesboro and Grammer, in Bartholomew County, St. Anne and Zenas in Jennings County and Millport, south of Vallonia in Jackson County. With the exception of Walesboro and St. Anne, which were paved, all were graded dirt runways. They were constructed for use by Freeman Army Air Field and Atterbury Army Air Field in Columbus, Indiana. At the end of the war, Walesboro was turned over to the City of Columbus and today is the Walesboro Airport. The dirt fields reverted to farming.

 Helicopter Training ⁶

In September of 1944 the USAAF's first helicopter training school was established at Freeman Field. The helicopters used were Sikorsky R - 4Bs and they were flown direct from the Sikorsky plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Freeman. This included a flight over the Allegheny mountains, quite daring for the time. The trip was 725 miles during which several records were set. One included the longest formation flight. The pilots were Major John Sanduski and Lt. Norbert Guttenberger. These men, along with several others from Freeman, received their initial helicopter training at the Sikorsky plant.

The helicopter training program was short lived because in December of 1944 it was transferred to Chanute Field, Rantoul, Illinois. It was then under the Eastern Technical Training Command.

Preparations went on for several weeks prior to the actual arrival of the helicopters. These preparations were kept under a strict lid of secrecy and the section assigned the preparation tasks was known officially as Section B - 0. Over time, these people were called the "Lifebuoy Kids". Helicopters were so new and revolutionary that people simply did not know what these strange looking craft were. It was first referred to as a "direct-lift" plane and considerable effort was made to insure that the word "helicopter" was pronounced correctly.

Sikorsky R-4 / HNS-1

 Planes at Freeman ⁶

Freeman was a twin engine advanced training school with many of its graduates moving on to combat via the B - 25, B - 26, B - 24 and B - 17.

The Beechcraft AT - 10 "Wichita" was the aircraft used for the training. This ship was unique in that it was built almost entirely of wood and was the first all-wood craft to be accepted by the USAAF as an advanced trainer. There were 2,371 built and probably none exist today in flying condition.

It had side-by-side seating and full instrumentation, which included an automatic pilot. Powered by two 280 hp Lycoming R - 680 radial engines with constant speed props, it was relatively easy to fly. One interesting aspect of the Wichita was its wooden fuel tanks lined with a special synthetic rubber. Because of its wooden construction, furniture manufactures and other wood working companies were able to build major subassemblies.

by Lou Thole 

Indiana contributed a large number of pilots and trained air crew to the U.S.A.A.F. during the second world war. In fact, it played a major role with its 13 training fields spread across the state. Counting auxiliary fields there were 23, not including Bunker Hill Naval Air Station located in Peru. Indiana was in ideal location for training fields because the land is relatively flat, is not densely populated, and enjoys good flying weather the majority of the year.

One of those fields stands out from all the others, not because of its major contributions toward the training of pilots and technicians, but because of other events. The story is fascinating and somewhat forgotten.

Today Freeman Field is quiet. Its 413 buildings are almost all gone. The roar of the 200 AT-10 "Wichita's" has long since faded, replaced by the occasional sound of a small private plane using one of its still existing four runways. Corn and soybeans grow where once young aviation cadets struggled to master the art of navigation and instrument flying. Now the hot Indiana sun bakes the empty parade ground, scene of the weekly parades by the 500 aviation cadets. A lone smokestack still stands in solitary tribute, once a part of the base hospital where the personnel were treated.

The 600 foot wide, 5,584 foot long concrete parking apron is empty and weeds are growing through the cracks. Looking across its vast expanse, one can see corn growing in the mid-July heat. Off in a corner of the field one remaining hangar sits derelict. Now used as a storage building by the City of Seymour and home for hundreds of pigeons, its paint is peeling and the windows are broken. This is Building T-110 and is exactly like four others, which lined the four 150 feet wide, 5,500 feet long runways. The others have fallen victim to time and neglect.

The first class of aviation cadets to graduate from Freeman Field took the oath of office on April 29, 1943, in a hangar just like this. They were followed by over 4,000 others.

It's quiet now and on the windswept deserted apron one can sense the presence of the more than 5,000 men and women who served here, many of whom left to fight and die in the skies far away from the beautiful Indiana county side.

Freeman Field is located in Seymour, Indiana, about 60 miles south of Indianapolis. It was named to honor Captain Richard S. Freeman, a 1930 graduate of West Point. Captain Freeman helped establish Ladd Field in Alaska and was its first commander. He held the Distinguished Flying Cross, was awarded the Makay trophy, and was one of the pioneers of the Army Air Mail Service. At the time of his death, he had 6,000 flying hours. Captain Freeman was killed on February 6, 1941, in a crash of a B-17 he was piloting near Lovelock, Nevada.

The aircraft was equipped with the then secret Norden bomb sight and had extensive equipment for cold weather flying experiments, The B-17 was on its way to Wright Field when it exploded in mid-air. Sabotage was suspected, but never proven.

Captain Freeman grew up in Winamac, Indiana, where he graduated from Winamac High School. He went to Notre Dame for one year prior to receiving an appointment to West Point. When he died, he was 33 years old, and is buried at Winamac.

Even by today's standards, Freeman Field was big. It consisted of 2,653 acres of flat to rolling Indiana farm land, four runways each 5,500 feet long, and 413 buildings. At first, many of the farmers were reluctant to sell because the land had been in their families for generations. Also there was a fear that they would not receive a fair price.

However, in the Spring of 1942 agreement was reached with the farmers being paid $150.00 per acre. The land was virtually free of obstacles. A small cemetery was moved and a consolidated school closed. Construction began in May of 1942 and on the cold, overcast morning of December 1, 1942, the field was activated. Work at this point was about 75 percent completed. The first significant number of enlisted men started to arrive by December 8^th, with the first cadets coming in on March 1^st, 1943. Flying training started the next day. The first flight was made by Aviation Cadet Arthur H. Cropsey, Jr., of Class 43D.

Many fo the officers and NCOs used to staff the field came from Napier Field, Dothan, Alabama and Craig Field, Selma, Alabama. Grange Field, Illinois and Stultgart Field, Arkansas also provided personnel. In addition, Camp Atterbury, Indiana provided early support in the area of supply and messing. The first enlisted man on the field was MSgt Claud Dorman, a mechanic who arrived from Craig Field on October 22^nd, 1942. Colonel Rundquist was the project officer prior to his assuming command. His prior assignment was Maxwell Field, Alabama.

Colonel Rundguist's aviation career started in 1918 when he took his initial flight training at Carruthers Field, Texas. He had many and varied assignments prior to his arrival at Freeman. Colonel Rundquist wasa an All-American football player at the University of Illinois in 1915 - 1918, and loved to play tennis. Covered with weeds and just behind the site of the enlisted men's barracks are the remains of te tennis courts. Colonel Rundquist played here and was not often beaten.

The citizens of Seymour itself had little to do with the selection of the site for Freeman Field. There had been a small airport in Seymour often visited by Colonel Paul Preuss, who was native to the area. It is generally believed that he had some play in the decision to consider Seymour for the site. Discussions were held with the local leading citizens and representatives of the Air Corps including Colonel Preuss. One of those citizens was Mr. Lawrence Kostings, who was a banker. He still lives in Seymour and is quite knowledgeable of Freeman's history.

The selection was ideal. Even though remote, the town itself was served by a major railroad and had a good road network. The site was approve on May 21, 1942.

Two major difficulties were faced during the construction of the field. One was poor weather conditions, the other being materials for the extension of the Pennsylvania Railroad onto the field. Because of the often wet, rainy weather, some parts of the runways were built under the cover of circus tents. Total cost of the field was 16 million dollars.

Freeman was built for expansion. A 50% increase in electrical needs could have been met with existing equipment. This was also true for the water and sewage systems. The water reservoir has a 200,000 gallon capacity and is still in use today, as is the sewage system,.

Freeman was a twin engine advanced training school with many of its graduates moving on to combat via the B-25, B-26, B-24 and B-17.

The Beechcraft AT-10 "Wichita" was the aircraft used for the training. This ship was unique in that it was built almost entirely of wood and was the first all-wood craft to be accepted by the USAAF as an advanced trainer. There were 2,371 built and probably none exist today in flying condition.

It had side-by-side seating and full instrumentation, which included an automatic pilot. Powered by two 280 HO Lycoming R-680 radial engines with constant speed props, it was relatively easy to fly. One interesting aspect of the Wichita was its wooden fuel tanks lined with a special synthetic rubber. Because of its wooden construction, furniture manufactures and other wood working companies were able to build major subassemblies.

General Orders #17, dated 14 June 1945 transferred Freeman Field from its old assignment as an advanced training base to one which makes it truly unique in Air Force history.

These orders were a direct result of a letter written by the Commanding General of the Army Air Force, H. H. Arnold. It was his desire that a field be used as a repository and testing center for "enemy aeronautical equipment". In addition, all significant U.S. aircraft were to be obtained, stored and preserved for an AAF museum at a site not yet determined. So at 2359 hours, 15 June 1945, Freeman Field was placed under direct command of the Air Technical Service Command.

Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, along with Clinton County Army Air Field at Wilmington, Ohio were also considered for use as a test center. Wright Field was involved in other projects but Clinton County was given serious consideration. The field at that time was part of the Wright Field complex and used primarily for glider operations. However considerable construction would have been needed so Clinton County was not used.

General Arnold first expressed formal interest in April 10 1945 via a note to he Air technical Service Command. In May a group of officers from Wright Field visited Freeman to look over the facilities and make a complete inspection of the field. Their inspection showed the field would be ideal for use as a technical evaluation center and also for the safe keeping of U.S. aircraft.

Initial estimates of personnel required to fill the mission requirements were 74 officers and 705 enlisted personnel and/or civilians. Colonel Harvey C. Dorney was placed in command. Colonel Dorney was in the Engineering Division, Air Technical Service Command, and was an exceptional pilot. He loved to fly the ME108, and did so quite often.

Freeman Field's mission was unique and it was the only Army Air Force base with this kind of objective. Here's how its mission was stated, according to the base history:

"Freeman Field was established with the mission of receiving, reconditioning, evaluation, and storing at least one each of every item of enemy aircraft material. This was to include the obtaining of personal items such as clothing and parachutes as well as the aircraft themselves. Also to be included were such items as anti-aircraft guns, radar, and similar devices. The field will also assemble and catalogue U.S. equipment for display at the present and for the future AAF museum, the site to be determined at a later date."

Further mention of Freeman Field as a site for the storage and preservation of U.S. aircraft is contained in a teletype dated 12 May 1945. It said, in part, "These will include one each of production models used by the AAF during the war, as well as ealier types dating back to the first world war and experimental types that never reached the production stage."

At first both German and Japanese material was to be evaluated. However, in january 1946 this was changed and all Japanese equipment was to be sent to the Middletown Air Depot.

As soon as Freeman was transferred to the Air Technical Service Command, shipments of aircraft and associated parts begn. At first the material came from Wright Field because there was a considerable quantity there which had not been evaluated. Much of this had been in outside storage at Wright and it was not in good condition. Considerable work was required to refurbish it.

Meanwhile much German material was being gathered in Europe under the direction of Colonel Harold E. Watson. His story is fascinating and is told very well in his book, Jet Planes of the Third Reich," Monogram Aviation Publications, 1982.

The first flyable examples of German aircraft arrived at Freeman Field via the British aircraft carrier H.M.S. Reaper. The aircraft carrier docked at the port of Newark after the planes had been prepared for overseas shipment and loaded at Cherbourg, France. Additional equipment, e.g., engines, wings, fuselages, etc., also arrived on the carrier and were shipped to Freeman by rail.

Officers and enlisted men from Freeman were at the dock to meet the carrier. It was their responsibility to put the suitable planes into flyable condition so they could then be flown direct to Freeman.

Many problems had to be solved before the planes could be flown. Engines had to be tested and fine tuned, leaks of all kinds fixed and braking systems adjusted. Our people simply lacked the intimate knowledge of the German systems necessary to get maximum performance from the machines.

After considerable work, much longer than anticipated, the planes were ready and under the direction of Colonel Watson, flown to Freeman. Perfect flying conditions were required because the planes still had German radio and navigation equipment.

As these planes flew west, they were met with incredible surprise by the people who saw them. It was the first time that many persons outside of the military had ever heard or seen a jet. Most people simply did not know what they were.

Upon arrival at Freeman in mid-August, the aircraft received a "FE" number. This stood for either "Flying Evaluation", "Freeman Evaluation" or "Foreign Evaluation". Today many pictures of these aircrat are seen with a FE number, including several of those pictured in today's Air Force Museum.

Aircraft that were delivered by the "Reaper" were Me262s, an Ar234 (a two-engine jet reconnaissance bomber),He162s (a single engine jet fighter named by the Germans as the "Volksjager" or "People's Fighter", and the Me163 (a rocket interceptor). The 262 and 162 were the first examples of this type ever seen in the United States.

On August 9^th, 1945, the "Seymour Weekly Republican" reported the arrival of a Junkers 290 flown from Paris by Colonel Watson. This was a reconnaissance aircraft about the size of our B-29 and powered by four piston engines of 1600 HP each. It was captured near Munich, had a maximum speed of 270 mph and range of 3,800 miles.

It wasn't until September 1945 that the general public was informed of the existence of the collection of German aircraft. At that time the field was thrown open for the media. Reporters converged on the field from across the country and the aircraft, along with other captured equipment, received national attention. Many aircraft were flown, which included the FW190, Me262, Ju88, Ju388 and Hs129.

Despite this press coverage and subsequent times when Freeman held "Open House", many citizens of Seymour were not aware of its activities. I recall talking with a local salvage dealer who, at the closing of Freeman, sold much of its equipment for scrap. He recalls one particular piece shaped like a ball, probably made of stainless steel. I mentioned to him that it could have been a fuel tank from a V-1 flyoing bomb. He was quite sure it was not because he thought no V-1 flying bombs were ever at Freeman. But they were.

There were at least 25 different German aircraft at Freeman Field including the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket. many of these were sent in 1946 to the Douglas Aircraft Plant in Chicago for storage. Some were flown to Chicago by pilots assigned to the base.

The field had also collected 71 different types of U.S. aircraft. These were later transferred to Davis-Monthan in Arizona, Wright Field and the Douglas Plant in Chicago. The list included many aircraft still seen today, such as the P-51, P-47, B-17, P-38, etc., and others which are extremely rare or no longer exist. These included the XP-75, YP-61, XP-47H, B-32, XO-60, XP-55, P-59 and the O-47. There were also several gliders: XCG-14, XCG-15, XPG-2A and XCG-16; the last three were towed to Orchard Place Airport, Park Ridge, Illinois.

The B-32, number 42-108474, was stored at Davis-Monthan for intended use at the Air Force Museum. However, it was scrapped and its picture appears on page 56 of the book "Dominator" by Stephen Harding and James Long, Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1984. The Fisher XP-75, number 44-44553, fared better and today is awaiting restoration at the Air Force Museum.

After arrival of the planes and equipment from the "Reaper" the evaluation program swung into high gear. By necessity, the evaluation was on a broad scale and specific work was done at Wright Field.

This continued until VJ Day when Freeman's primary mission changed. Less emphasis was put upon evaluation and more upon the display of the aircraft and equipment at various exhibits and air shows across the country. For example, in July 1946, Lt. Kenneth Holt flew an Me262 to an air show held in Omaha, Nebraska. He made three stops enroute.

Starting in early 1946 with demobilization and the increasing number of requests for exhibits of Freeman Field aircraft and equipment, the evaluation function of the field was severally hampered. Also, it was decided to transfer much of the aircraft and equipment to Wright Field where it was to be stored in existing hangars.

So over the next several months the field was gradually shut down. Headlines from the "Seymour Weekly Republican" reported the steady demise of the field. On August 1^st, 1946 the paper reported that 101 buildings were taken over by the Public Housing Administration for transfer to Terre Haute and Angola, Indiana. (On August 29^th, headlines read "Freeman Field Announces Sale," in which 900 iron fence posts and 15,000 feet of barbed wire were to be sold as surplus. On September 16^th, headlines announced "Scrap Lumber To Be Sold At Field" for $2.00 per pickup truck load.)

On October 3^rd, 1946 the paper reported "Freeman Field To Be Excess In 30 Days," and on October 17^th "The Beginning Of The Deactivation Process." Finally on April 3^rd, 1947, the newspaper announced "Freeman Field To Be Disposed Of By April 30^th."

So Freeman Field passed into history. During its training days, over 4,000 pilots earned their silver wings, flying about 380,000 hours and logging in excess of 55 million miles. Its contribution was felt worldwide.

Its work as an evaluation center was unique in Air Force history. Many of the planes found in museums across the United States flew and were evaluated at Freeman. Thanks in large part to the vision of General Arnold and the efforts of Freeman Field personnel, these planes still exist.

Graduating Classes at Freeman Field

 OPERATION "LUSTY"
(LUftwaffe Secret TechnologY)

During WWII, the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) Intelligence Service sent teams to Europe to gain access to enemy aircraft, technical and scientific reports, research facilities, and weapons for study in the U.S. The Air Technical Intelligence (ATI) teams, trained at the Technical Intelligence School at Wright Field, Ohio, collected enemy equipment to learn about Germany’s technical developments. The ATI teams competed with 32 allied technical intelligence groups to gain information and equipment recovered from crash sites. As the war concluded, the various intelligence teams, including the ATI, shifted from tactical intelligence to post hostilities investigations. Exploitation intelligence increased dramatically.

On April 22, 1945, the USAAF combined technical and post-hostilities intelligence objectives under the Exploitation Division with the code name LUSTY. Operation LUSTY began with the aim of exploiting captured German scientific documents, research facilities, and aircraft. The Operation had two teams. One, under the leadership of Colonel Harold E. Watson, a former Wright Field test pilot, collected enemy aircraft and weapons for further examination in the U.S. The other recruited scientists, collected documents, and investigated facilities. Having been part of ATI in 1944, Colonel Watson eagerly accepted the Operation LUSTY assignment.

WATSON'S "WHIZZERS"

In 1944, intelligence experts at Wright Field had developed lists of advanced aviation equipment they wanted to examine. Colonel Watson and his crew, nicknamed "Watson's Whizzers," comprised of pilots, engineers, and maintenance men, used these "Black Lists" to collect aircraft. He organized his "Whizzers" into two sections: one collected jet aircraft and the other procured piston engine aircraft and nonflyable jet and rocket equipment.

Watson's men traveled far and wide over Europe by jeep and occasionally by air to find the aircraft on the "Black Lists." Once found, they had to be shipped to the U.S. Fortunately, the British were willing to loan the aircraft carrier HMS Reaper. The most viable harbor for docking the carrier and loading the various aircraft was at Cherbourg, France. The "Whizzers" flew the Me 262s and other aircraft from Lechfeld to St. Dizier, to Melun, and then to Cherbourg. All the aircraft were cocooned against the salt air and weather, loaded onto the carrier, and brought to the U.S. where they were studied by the Air Intelligence groups of both the USAAF and Navy.

DISPOSITION OF FOREIGN EQUIPMENT

In 1945, the enemy aircraft shipped to the U.S. were divided between the Navy and the Army Air Forces. General Hap Arnold ordered the preservation of one of every type of aircraft used by the enemy forces. The Air Force brought their aircraft to Wright Field, and when the field could no longer handle additional aircraft, many were sent to Freeman Field, Seymour, Indiana. In the end, Operation LUSTY collectors had acquired 16,280 items (6,200 tons) to be examined by intelligence personnel who selected 2,398 separate items for technical analysis. Forty-seven personnel were engaged in the identification, inspection, and warehousing of captured foreign equipment.

In 1946, when Freeman Field was scheduled to close, Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) had to move the aircraft. The larger aircraft were sent to Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona, and the fighter aircraft sent to the Special Depot, Park Ridge, Illinois (now O'Hare airport) which was under the control of ATSC's Office of Intelligence. The Special Depot occupied buildings that Douglas Airplane Company had used to build C-54 aircraft. The aircraft were stored in these two locations until they could be disposed of in accordance with General Arnold's order.

With the start of the Korean War in 1950, the Air Force needed the Special Depot; so the aircraft had to be moved outside. In 1953, some of the aircraft were moved to the National Air and Space Museum in Silver Hill, Maryland, and the remaining aircraft were scrapped.

The Base

 Buildings

HANGAR Building T - 517

WACS Mess Hall, Building T - 1054
10/1998

Crash House, Building T - 114
10/1998

 Foreign Aircraft at Freeman Field

Fisher XP - 75 on display at Freeman Field.
Pictured are Mrs. Bel Cramer and friend. (cramer)

V - 2 Rocket with the Field's control tower in the background.
This photo was probably taken at a public showing of the
field's aircraft in September 1945. Most of the field's aircraft
were on display at this time. (white)

Lineup of foreign aircraft at Freeman, circa 1946.
Note the two Bf - 108s. (white)

Captain White standing next to his favorite plane, the Bf - 108.
This was rumored to be Herman Goerings's personal aircraft.
It arrived on the field in crates painted in gaudy orange and
yellow colors.

Heinkel He 162 A Salamander on display a Freeman Field.
This was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to build a simple,
easy to fly fighter. About 120 were produced but were too
late to have any impact on the aerial war. Top speed
was about 500 mph. (white)

The Arado Ar 234B Blitz (Lightning). this aircraft was far ahead
of its time, and if produced in quantity could have been a serious
threat because of its speed, about 460 mph, and bomb load. (white)

The Focke Wulf 190, one of the outstanding fighters of World War 2.
Note the squadron hangar in the background. (white)

Junkers Ju 88, one of the most numerous and versatile aircraft of WW2. (white)

German Aircraft Parts Excavated at Freeman Field