Tainan Air Station 1958

A couple of years ago, we published a story about the Matador Missiles that were rushed to Taiwan in 1958.  

 That story included many old photographs taken by Guild Fetridge.

Guild recently came across a few more of his old slides.

Nearly 60 years have passed since these were taken.

Click or double-click on all of our photos for a larger clear view. 

On 2 September 1958,  6214th Air Base Group at Tainan AS moved into their 
new Headquarters building, seen above.

More of the newly constructed USAF buildings at Tainan AS. 

The sign on the door in above photo is large enough to read, click on the photo.

Notice the flags flying in front of the Headquarters building, above, off to the right.

Does the water tower have a top?

Here's Guild, standing beside a jeep. The water tower is off to the left corner of photo.

  

The photo below was taken from atop the water tower sometime in the 1967-1969 time period, about 10 years after Guild's photos were taken.  

Above photo courtesy of Ralph Henricks

"Hopefully" this water tower view will give Tainan folks an idea of how everything fit together in later years.  Things moved around after Guild's time at Tainan AS.

Tainan,  late 1950s. 

Guild's remembrances and comments about certain photos are printed in green color.

"This photo is at Tainan AB, on the opposite (east) side of the flight line where some of our F-86Ds, F-104 pilots and flight crew were housed during the Taiwan Straight Crisis which started in August,1958 involving the Kinmen and Matsu offshore islands. 

That aircraft is a C-124 Globemaster which delivered emergency F-104 Starfighter gear and parts.  

We were right in the middle of that with our TM-61 Matador missiles along with the fighter aircraft which were on alert most of the time. 

How well I remember having to get up and rush to base on my scooter at 2AM in the morning several times each week for a few months.  

The pastel yellow car in the forefront above,is our Lt. Davis' convertible...Buick or Oldsmobile."

Plum Rain, Mango Shower or just a Summer Shower,  a down burst of pouring rain on Tainan.

"I believe this is the Tainan AB flight line.

I was at the flight line quite frequently for a variety of reasons.
  Also.....I was good friends with a Lt. Lockwood who was one of two T-33 pilots that acted as chase planes for the TM-61C Matador missile launches, and he occasionally gave me rides in the T-33 (authorized and one or two unauthorized)...but that's another issue."

With the offshore island crisis, there were numerous aircraft in and out of the base constantly, some not from USA."

 
























Click on this and all photos to enlarge

"This photo was right outside our first Armament Section location.

You can see the TM-61 Matador missile skins stored outside. In this photo we also see a F-86D taxiing....and a parked jet fighter..probably another F-86D...in a protected revetment."

Our initial, (first) home for the Armament Section (seen in photo above) was in a very old, large WWII type bunker looking like a large half upside down bowl with the front cut straight.....half was above ground and half was underground.  Looking at the map, I would have to say, it was just within map coordinates H11.


The new, (2d) Armament Section which I mentioned earlier was off base. Reviewing the map, it's hard for me to tell where the main entrance to the base is.  But back in 1958, if you were leaving the base by the main, front gate, make a right and take the road for about one half to one mile.  Again, looking at the map, I would have to say...assuming the main base entrance is map coordinate D19...our new Armament Section was located past map coordinate M19.
  Map below

˜

Photo courtesy Les Duffin

Click on map for larger view.  Check coordinate markings on map to find locations of both old and new armament locations

F-104 taxiing along west side of Tainan AS flight line.

Those interested in reading more about the Taiwan "Crisis" of 1958,  I came across a USAF document,  titled, "Air Operations in the Taiwan Crisis of 1958." 

The document is located on the Taiwan Veterans Badge of Honor Association web site.
HERE's THE LINK 

Here is another site which sifts through the 1958 Crisis.
The link HERE   

During Guild's time at Tainan Air Station, the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron,  "Thunderbirds" put on a performance.

This Thunderbird F-100C Super Sabre can be identified by it's tail and nose markings, flying along the runway area at Tainan AS. 

I looked for something on the Official Site of the USAF Thunderbirds to verify the date of the performance..

Could not find an Official Listing of any Thunderbird Air Shows in the 1950s. 



I would guess, the Thunderbird performance was a BIG day, not only for the military at Tainan Air Station, but also for the civilian community of Tainan City and the surrounding areas.

We know the Thunderbirds performed 19 November 1959, in Taipei, probably at Sungshan AFB.  

"19 November 1959. The USAF Thunderbirds performed before high ranking officials of the Republic of China at Taipei, Taiwan.  The Nationalist Government recessed its Legislature early so members and their staff could watch the performance.  General Chen Chia-shang, Commander in Chief ROC Air Force presented each (Thunderbird) pilot with the wings of a ROC Air Force Pilot."

You can find this information, and many other significant events, annotated in a series of posts in this blog.

HERE is a link to the 1959 USAF History in Taiwan post.

There are many stories and hundreds of photographs from throughout Taiwan inside this blog.
Use the "Search this Blog" box located on the right margin of the blog to find stories you have an interest in.




Line to on line document
http://nautilus.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/AirOpsTaiwanCrisis.pdf