Gore Field

Gore Field (1942-1945) - A World War II U.S. Army Airfield was established on a former municipal airfield in 1942 near Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana. Named Gore Field after local homesteader James D. Gore. Closed after the end of WWII in 1945. Reactivated in 1947 by the Montana Air National Guard. Now Great Falls International Airport which also houses the Great Falls Air National Guard Base and shares use of the airstrip. History Adapted from the 120th History of the 120th Fighter Wing On 22 Jun 1941, the German military launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union. The attack caught the Russians off guard and by the end of the first week, the Red Air Force had lost 4,000 aircraft, half their air force. Joseph Stalin appealed to the U.S. and Great Britain with a request to be included in the Lend-Lease program. President Roosevelt had established the lend-Lease program in March of 1941 to provide equipment and supplies to our British allies without actually entering the war. Great Falls was chosen as the American starting point because of her inland location, over 300 good flying days per year, and her alignment with the northern airstrips. On 22 Jun 1942, the 7th Ferrying Group established Gore Field on the west side of Great Falls at the Municipal Airport on Gore Hill. On 2 Sep 1942, two flights of A-20 light bombers left Great Falls and touched down at Ladd Field in Fairbanks, Alaska. At Fairbanks, the Russian pilots picked up the aircraft and flew them to Russia. Known as the Alaska - Siberian route, or ALSIB, this route saw almost 8,000 aircraft provided to assist the war efforts on the Eastern Front from 1942 to 1945. The 7th Ferrying Group also transported military aircraft to Alaska in support of the 11th Air Force, which was fighting the Japanese in the northern Pacific Theater. A second airfield was built on the east side of Great Falls, now known as Malmstrom Air Force Base, was also established in 1942. Current Status Now Great Falls International Airport also houses the Great Falls Air National Guard Base and shares use of the airstrip. Location: Near Great Falls in Cascade County, Montana. Maps & Images Lat: 47.482778 Long: -111.370556 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 3,680' GPS Locations: 47.482778, -111.370556 Gore Field See Also: Montana WWII Army Airfields Malmstrom Air Force Base Sources: US Army Owned, Sponsored and Leased Facilities Report, AMD-1, Office of the Chief of Engineers, 31 Dec 1945, CDSG Pdf Shaw, Frederick J. Ed., Locating Air Force Base Sites: History's Legacy, updated 2014, Air Force History and Museums Program, USAF, Washington DC, 2004, 268 pages Links: City of Great Falls - Gore Field 120th Airlift Wing - History of the 120th Fighter Wing Wikipedia - Gore Field The Army Air Forces in World War II, Part 6, men and Planes, Chapter 4. Fortification ID: MT0070 - Gore Field Visited: No