History of Shaw AFB

Shaw Field was established on August 14, 1941 and opened in December 1941 as a primary flying school for the United States Army Air Corps.  The base was renamed in honor of 2d Lieutenant Ervin David Shaw, one of the first Americans to fly combat missions in World War I.  Shaw, a Sumter County native, died after three enemy aircraft attacked his Bristol while he was returning from a reconnaissance mission on July 9, 1918.  Lt. Shaw downed one of his attackers before he was killed.

As one of the largest flying fields in the United States, Shaw Field's first task was to train cadets to fly.  The first group of cadets entered training December 15, 1941 and the last basic class graduated March 9, 1945.  The flying school at Shaw controlled several auxiliary airfields.

• Shaw AAF Aux No. 1 - (Burnt Gin Airfield), Wedgefield, South Carolina  /  / 33.88573; -80.49607
  
• Shaw AAF Aux No. 2 - (Rembert Airfield), Rembert, South Carolina
  
• Shaw AAF Aux No. 3 - (Monaghan Airfield), Sumter, South Carolina
  
• Shaw AAF Aux No. 4 - (Sumter Airfield), Sumter, South Carolina
  

For a brief time, Shaw Field also served as a prisoner-of-war camp.  The first group of German POWs arrived on March 1, 1945.  Eventually, 175 of them lived in an encampment just off the main base, on Peach Orchard Road (also known as South Carolina Hwy 441) across from Shaw's (side) hospital (currently closed) gate and worked on local farms in the area.  They departed in the early months of 1946 for the rebuilding of European cities and towns that were devastated during the war.  Those prisoners were eventually repatriated to Germany around 1947 or so, with some returning to the Shaw and Sumter area and obtaining their U.S. citizenship.

With the establishment of the United States Air Force in September 1947, the airfield was renamed Shaw Air Force Base on January 13, 1948.  The base has been in continuous operation since it was opened in 1941.

Shaw AFB is home to the 9th Air Force/ USCENTAF and will be expanding its role and mission capabilities by headquartering 3rd Army/ USARCENT in 2010-11.