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Naval Air Base San Pedro

California in World War IIFormerly Used Defense Sites in California
NavalAirStationTerminalIsland ReevesField 1944
NavalAirStationTerminalIsland ReevesField 1944

Naval Air Base San Pedro, NAS Terminal Island was a US Navy World War II 410-acre airfield on Terminal Island in San Pedro, California part of the City of Los Angeles. Before the Navy took control of the airfield, the airstrip was the civilian Allen Field. Allen Field was built in 1927 by filling with sand the Port of Los Angeles and enlarging Terminal Island. Terminal Island is located between San Pedro Harbor and Long Beach Harbor. Allen Field was serviced by the Pacific Electric and pedestrian ferries. The air terminal has three runways in a triangle shape, two short runways and one 4,200 foot runway. A large seaplane ramp was also built at the terminal. A Naval Air Reserve Training Facility was built next to Allen Field in 1927 and used the runway - ramp. Civilian use ended in 1935 and the site began an air base, later renamed Reeves Field San Pedro, after Rear Admiral Joseph M. Reeves. On on 25 September 1941 Naval Air Base San Pedro became part of Naval Operating Base Terminal Island. In 1942 many Reserve troops were trained at the Naval Air Base. In 1943 the Navy took over operations and the Reserve was moved to Naval Air Base Los Alamitos. The base was renamed Naval Air Station Terminal Island and continued as a training base until the end of the war in 1945. In 1942, NAB San Pedro, now NAS Terminal Island, was designated for equipping and performing flight-tests on the large number of military aircraft fabricated at nearby plants in Southern California: Lockheed, Douglas Aircraft Company and & Vultee Aircraft. To facilitate delivery of these aircraft, the U.S. Navy established the Naval Air Ferry Command (NAFC) (VRF-3) in 1943. During the war the base was commander was Captain Kneflar "Socko" McGinnis. The base was a 24/7 operation, testing and shipping out planes at a rate of approximately 200 a month. Due to a shortage to servicemen during the war, a unit of WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) was stationed at the base. The 200 strong WAVES served as mechanics, air traffic controllers, radio operators, trainers and air navigators. After the war the base was closed in 1947 and turned over to the Bureau of Yards and Docks. The nearby Naval Air Base Long Beach continued to use the air field until 1997 at which time the base was abandoned; there is no trace of the base today.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Naval Air Base San Pedro (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Naval Air Base San Pedro
New Dock Street, Los Angeles

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Wikipedia: Naval Air Base San PedroContinue reading on Wikipedia

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N 33.756963 ° E -118.248126 °
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New Dock Street 1266
90731 Los Angeles
California, United States
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NavalAirStationTerminalIsland ReevesField 1944
NavalAirStationTerminalIsland ReevesField 1944
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Garbutt-Walsh Inc.
Garbutt-Walsh Inc.

Garbutt-Walsh Inc. was started in 1907 by Matt J. Walsh (1866 - 1960) and Frank Garbutt (financier) as a boatyard in San Pedro, California on Terminal Island at Berth No. 221. Garbutt-Walsh Inc. built and repaired boats and yachts for pleasure and commercial. President of Garbutt-Walsh Inc. was Matt J. Walsh and Vice President was David J. Walsh. For World War 2 Garbutt-Walsh Inc built powered and non-powered covered and open barges, a Type B ship. The open badge, YGN-44, with a length of 65 feet and a beam of 20 feet, and 300 hp was lost in the war in 1944. The site is now YTI Terminal's Intermodal container port.Matthew Joseph Walsh was born in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1866. He came to California in 1899. His first job in California was working for the Los Angeles Railway Company, In 1906 was hired by Frank A. Garbutt as crewmen of his schooner Skidbladnir. One of Walsh first boat building projects was Harry Pidgeon's Inlander, which sailed around the world. Other noted boats: 53-ffor cutter Otter in 1914, 45-ffot sloop Thorobred in 1928, 43-foot sloop Margaret, 27-foot Common Sense in 1933 (built 6 of this 27-footer) and his own 55-foot cruiser Mardo in 1930 for himself, 53-foot ferry M.J.W. for Matthew J. Walsh in 1918, which ferried from LA harbor to dan Pedro and the west end of Terminal Island. Th M.J.W. sank in 1946. Common Sense III 25-foot sailboat built by Garbutt-Walsh Inc. was the smallest bat to sail the Los Angeles to Honolulu, Transpacific Yacht Race. Common Sense III sail in the 1934 race with a Hawaii crew. Halfway in the race her mast was damaged, but she still finished the race. After the race rules were changed and 30-foot min. limit was placed on the boats. Walsh raced his own boats. Walsh's had two big wins: The San Francisco Perpetual Challenge Cup in 1923 with the R-boat California. and the Universal rule R-Class National Championship with Pirate in 1929 during the Larchmont Race Week. Walsh Walsh in 1960 at age 94 in his home at near the Point Fermin Lighthouse.Frank Alderman Garbutt (1869-1947) was born in Illinois, he is known for being a race-car driver, an entrepreneur, writing short stories and being an athlete. His business was a variety of activities in printing, oil drilling tools, California real estate, building and movie making. He was one of the founders of Union Oil Company. Worked in Hollywood and was Vice President of Famous Players Film Company, which he sold to Paramount Pictures. He was an investor in many new started-ups, having made his money in oil. He was an investor in Glenn Martin's aircraft business that later became Martin Marietta). He also help start the Automobile Club of Southern California Garbutt was a member of both the Los Angeles Athletic Club and the California Yacht Club in 1922). His passion for yachts connected him with Walsh. Garbutt owned the Skidbladnir a large yacht. Garbutt died of a heart attack at age 78.