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Nichols Field

Airfield Identification

  August 1919 to present

  Philippines

CITY: Manila

IATA/ICAO CODES: MNL / RPLL

COORDINATES: 14°31'N / 121°01'E

OTHER NAMES:

 

Right: Nichols Field operations building during WWII, seen from a C-54.
Photo credit: Bob Pearson

Nichols field 2

Commando Operations

Manila

The Philippines were an American possession since the US victory against Spain in 1898. Nichols Field was the first airfield in the country, established south east of Manila on 14 August 1919. It was build by the US military near an army camp, and housed an observation group. Later, in July 1937, British aviation enthusiast Laurie Nielson opened smaller Nielson Field just north of Nichols. Nielson was generally a civilian airfield, the birthplace of Philippine Air Lines, but it also became the Far East Air Force headquarters from October 1941 as war started to loom.

Both airfields were bombed, and later taken over by the Japanese in January 1942 until Manila was liberated in February 1945. Nielson was returned to civilian use in 1946, and soon closed in 1948. All operations were moved to Nichols, which expanded and is still active today as Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

 

Left: a WWII map of Manila showing Nichols Field & Nielson Field.
Photo credit: Pacific Wrecks

Units & operators based

Late in the war, and in the immediate post-war period, several Commandos were based at Nichols Field, but no mention is made of which unit they were assigned to. Other Commandos were stored at Nichols as well at the end of the war. The following units were assigned to Manila during that period and operated Commandos around that time:

1571st AAF Base Unit (Nichols Field Foreign Transport Station)

Air Transport Command (1945 to 1946)

6th Troop Carrier Squadron (January 1946 to May 1946)

13th Troop Carrier Squadron (June 1946 to October 1946)

22nd Troop Carrier Squadron (October 1946 to April 1947)

Commandos based at Nichols Field

Last edited: 11/08/2024