Civilian Workforce Williams Air Force Base, 1945
- Chandler Museum
Members of the civilian workforce made up of many Chandler residents pose in front of a B-24 Liberator on the base during World War II
Williams Field, later Williams Air Force Base, opened in October 1941 to train U.S. Army Air Corps pilots. It was located nine miles east of downtown Chandler. Soon after its opening, the United States entered World War II, and Willie, as it was known, produced nearly 10,000 pilots including the actor Jimmy Stewart.
The base was named for Lieutenant Charles Williams, an Arizona pilot who died in a plane crash in 1927. The light winds and flat topography of Chandler’s desert location provided an ideal environment for flight training.
The base grew to be one of the largest pilot training facilities in the country during the war. Thousands of people, including both civilians and military personnel, moved to Chandler because of the airfield. Because Chandler was the closest town, those who lived on the base traveled to Chandler to bank, shop, watch movies, and socialize with community members.
Many Chandler residents worked civilian jobs at Willie. For example, Barney Appleby painted planes, and Marie Haggarton worked in the telephone exchange. In this photo, members of the civilian workforce at Willie pose in front of a B-24 Liberator on the base during World War II.