Wideawake Field
Airfield Identification
June 1942 to present
Ascension Island
CITY: Georgetown
IATA/ICAO CODES: ASI / FHAW
OTHER NAMES: Wideawake Field (1942-1945), RAF Ascension Island (1980-present)
Commando Operations
Ascension Island is a British island located in the South Atlantic.
In 1939, Ascension became important as an NDB radio beacon covering trade routes. Wideawake Field, named for a noisy colony of sooty terns nearby, was built by the US military in 1942, by arrangement with the British government. The first aircraft to land on Ascension Island was a Fairey Swordfish from HMS Archer in June 1942, and the airfield went on to be used as a fuel stop by more than 25,000 aircraft during the war. The airfield was abandoned at the end of the war and fell into disuse.
The airfield's runway was extended in 1980, and the airbase was reopened by the RAF in 1982 for use in the Falklands War.
Units & operators based
1159th AAF Base Unit (Wideawake Field)
Air Transport Command South Atlantic Wing / Division